Planning: Dimension 1.4
Dimension 1.3 Activities:
The teacher plans engaging, flexible lessons that encourage higher-order thinking, persistence and achievement.
Clarifying Statement:
The effective teacher has a strong ability to organize and present the content in a manner that motivates students to learn. As the last dimension in the Planning domain, this section focuses on how the teacher individually and collectively plans for engaging, flexible lessons that encourage higher-order thinking and increase levels of achievement for all learners. It addresses the variety and appropriateness of activities and materials that the teacher implements during the lesson. The criteria used in choosing materials, and activities should clearly support the lesson objectives and relate to the needs of students. Planning includes activities, materials and resources that encourage students' persistence and best effort. There are, therefore, direct connections between this dimension and the Instruction and Learning Environment domains. In addition, the learning environment features a high degree of student engagement through facilitated discussions, student-centered activities, as well as direct instruction which makes the learning clear and meaningful.
In order to develop these types of learning experiences, the teacher must have an in-depth knowledge of the students. This dimension, therefore, connects strongly to Knowledge of Students, Standards and Alignment, and Content Knowledge and Expertise.
Standards Basis:
Standards Basis: 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E
Possible Sources of EvidencePossible Sources of Evidence:
- Conferences and Conversations with the Teacher
- Formal Observations/ Walkthroughs
- Classroom Artifacts
- Student Growth Processes
- Analysis of Student Data
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T-TESS Alignment to Practice
- Teachers purposefully plan activities which are challenging for all students and keep them engaged and motivated to learn.
- The teacher serves as a facilitator, incorporating activities that best match the content, and move towards student-centered actions that allow for them to take ownership of their own learning.
- Lessons that value inquiry, curiosity and exploration allow students to connect with the learning at higher levels of cognition.
- Teachers model effective questioning techniques and how to respond to students’ questions. This modeling leads to lessons which purposefully incorporate opportunities for students to generate questions for student-to-student interactions that lead to thinking and promote complex, higher-order thinking, problem solving and real-world connections.
- Teachers use data and assessments to create instructional groups which are based on the academic and social-emotional needs of all students. These groups are dynamic and change based on the lesson objectives and student needs. During these group activities, clear expectations are communicated which allow students to assume responsibility for both group and individual participation and accountability.
- Ongoing opportunities are available for students to review and understand expectations for performance in relation to their data and current levels of performance. This information is used to set goals and review progress over time for these learning goals. Students reflect on their goals and progress towards these goals and hold each other accountable as they interact within their instructional groups.
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Key Questions
- How are students provided opportunities to generate questions that lead to complex, higher- order thinking, problem solving and real-world applications at varying times during the lesson?
- How are data and assessments used to guide decisions regarding varying student groups?
- How are expectations for individual and group roles, responsibilities, and accountability communicated and monitored to promote student-centered actions and behaviors?
- How are students led through goal setting processes and provided structures for assessing progress and goal attainment?
- How do teachers purposefully select activities, resources, technology and other instructional materials to maximize learning and encourage student-centered instruction?
Distinguished
- Opportunities for students to generate questions that lead to further inquiry and promote complex, higher-order thinking, problem solving and real-world application.
- Instructional groups based on the needs of all students, and allows for students to take ownership of group and individual accountability.
- The ability for all students to set goals, reflect on, evaluate and hold each other accountable within instructional groups.
- Activities, resources, technology and instructional materials that are all aligned to instructional purposes, are varied and appropriate to ability levels of students and actively engage them in ownership of their learning.
Accomplished
- Questions that encourage all students to engage in complex, higher-order thinking and problem solving.
- Instructional groups based on the needs of all students and maintains both group and individual accountability.
- All students understanding their individual roles within instructional groups and facilitates opportunities for student input on goals and outcomes of activities.
- Activities, resources, technology and instructional materials that are all aligned to instructional purposes, are varied and appropriate to ability levels of students.
Proficient
- Questions that encourage all students to engage in complex, higher-order thinking.
- Instructional groups based on the needs of all students.
- All students understanding their individual roles within instructional groups.
- Activities, resources, technology and instructional materials that are all aligned to instructional purposes.
Developing
- Questions that promote limited, predictable or rote responses and encourage some complex, higherorder thinking.
- Instructional groups based on the needs of most students.
- Most students understanding their individual roles within instructional groups.
- Activities, resources, technology and/or instructional materials that are mostly aligned to instructional purposes.
Improvement Needed
- Encourages little to no complex, higher-order thinking.
- Instructional groups based on the needs of a few students.
- Lack of student understanding of their individual roles within instructional groups.
- Activities, resources, technology and/or instructional materials misaligned to instructional purposes.
