Teachers have a critical role to play in their students’ academic lives. One of their core responsibilities is to choose and develop significant and meaningful problems, learning experiences, tasks, and investigations for their learners. Effective and stimulating educational experiences represent concepts and learning procedures. In addition, the best learning experiences are the ones that promote skill development, critical thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, and practices that enable students to make connections between the subject matter and real-world applications. These practices allow students to see past the surface features of a problem to deeper and more essential principles. Effective lesson plans and teaching strategies are contingent on an instructor’s ability to take account of knowledge and interests.
Mathematics
A number of tasks were included in the mathematics lesson plan to reveal the levels of student thinking. The main aim of doing this was to the teacher and his/her students to review, assess, and reflect upon the existing knowledge that students have on the subject matter. To provide the best and engaging opportunities for students to learn, practice and master content, the teacher incorporated different learning scenarios by drawing upon real-world exercises ( Bidabadi, Isfahani, Rouhollahi, & Khalili, 2016) . For instance, the students were requested to imagine that they are in the pizza parlor with their friends and determine how the pizza would be divided among five individuals is a learning practice that integrates real-life scenarios, which are stimulating to the students and foster learning and content mastery.
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The use of such stimulating practices enables the students to recall what they have learned, and also fosters a better understanding of fractions. In addition, problem-based and case-based learning were incorporated into the lesson plan to enable learners to engage in learning practices similar to those of experts ( Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, & Major, 2014 ). Furthermore, the teacher provided students with fun and exciting learning opportunities to foster a basic understanding of fractions. For instance, asking the students to write the names of their friends in each part of the pizza is a stimulating and fun, method which can improve learning, and boost content mastery. Moreover, the tasks included in the lesson plan foster a learning atmosphere characterized by collaboration and immense interaction.
According to Bidabadi, Isfahani, Rouhollahi, & Khalili (2016) l earning is promoted when the learners can interact through teamwork. Teamwork provides students with the opportunity to test their own ideas and learn through observation. The use of these teaching and learning practices is useful for the attainment of the set organizational goals. The instructor integrated developmentally, culturally, and linguistic teaching strategies by incorporating student names to make the subject matter more relatable. In addition, the presentation of new vocabulary and their meanings to foster linguistic development. Moreover, the teacher incorporated developmental learning strategies by using demonstrations to show the learners the correct way of dividing fractions.
Giving the students procedures of dividing the pizza is an effective developmental strategy. In addition, the instructor also incorporated diverse learning activities in the lesson to make it more captivating, and even so as to cater to the different needs of students in the classroom. For instance, the students were required to fold a paper into two so that they can understand what a half of a fraction is. In addition, learners were also requested to imagine being in a pizza parlor and splitting the pizza into six sections and to color part of the folded paper and indicate it as half of a fraction. A classroom is comprised of different learners with diverse interests, needs, as well as intellectual capabilities. Therefore, employing different learning tasks is effective in meeting the learning needs of all the students in the classroom.
Language
The application of in-depth knowledge and meaning learning opportunities is critical for active learning. In the language lesson, the instructor attained this goal via the use of a number of learning techniques. First, the learners were classified depending on their intellectual abilities. The teacher developed groups and put each learner in the one that is most suitable for them based on the learning abilities. Slow learners were placed in one group and the fast learners in another separate one. In addition, the slow learners were more engaged in class activities, and the instructor taught them to read, write, and speak, a linguistically appropriate development teaching strategy ( Bidabadi, Isfahani, Rouhollahi, & Khalili, 2016). As a result, the learning interest of this group augmented as a result of the extra attention provided to them by the teacher. The fast learners were given more challenging tasks such as drawing pictures. The application of these strategies was productive since both groups showed a slight improvement at the end of the course.
Moreover, the use of technological aids in the learning process created a more exciting and stimulating learning atmosphere. Teaching was reinforced by the use of audio-visual aids. In addition, graphics and pictures were also employed, and students asked to describe what they had observed in their own words. The use of these different teaching techniques created a captivating learning environment ( Thomas, Jones, & Ottaway, 2015 ). In addition, they were useful in promoting linguistic development. Furthermore, the teacher also integrated outdoor learning to break the monotony of classroom learning. The creation of an exciting learning atmosphere is critical for the attainment of the set educational goals.
Asking students to describe what they saw in the graphics and pictures provided during instruction allowed them to articulate their ideas, resulting in linguistic development. Furthermore, in so doing, the learners were able to enhance their cognitive functioning, which is critical for development. Moreover, dividing the students into groups was a culturally appropriate teaching strategy which fosters the diversity in the classroom. Teamwork enables learners to interact, promoting a deeper understanding of different cultures and fostering an appreciation for these differences. Additionally, the instructor was able to modify each instruction to meet the needs of diverse students in the classroom by employing different teaching strategies such as the use of technology, graphics, and pictures, as well as situational learning, to create a more stimulating and captivating learning environment.
Science
In the science lesson, the teacher commenced by gauging the students existing knowledge on germination. It was an effective tactic since this would enable the instructor to know the levels of the students understanding of the subject matter, before the introduction of new content. The application of in-depth knowledge and learning opportunities for learners is evident in the lesson plan. The teacher employs practical learning to demonstrate how seeds grow to live plants which promote more profound levels of understanding. The students are further engaged in a project of planting a seed which will enable them to comprehend the process of germination better.
The use of this form of explicit instruction creates a more challenging learning environment which makes the students more engaged in learning. Furthermore, situational knowledge is employed which breaks the monotony of ordinary lectures. Students are always willing to learn in new environments. The use of interactive learning is also an excellent teaching strategy since it enables students to collaborate and share ideas, which is vital for the students to comprehend better the content being taught. The use of these approaches is essential for effective learning of science.
Asking the students to portray how seeds grow by drawing is a developmental learning practice since it engages the students to mind more. In addition, the creation of an interactive learning environment is a culturally appropriate learning tactic since the students are able to effectively interact, understand, and appreciate each other’s uniqueness, which is vital for the promotion of a culturally diverse classroom ( Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, & Major, 2014 ). Moreover, the process of asking questions to gauge what the learners have learned is a linguistically appropriate teaching approach since the students are able to communicate their existing knowledge, fostering speech proficiency and fluency. The instructor was able to modify instruction to meet the individual needs of learners for more positive educational outcomes. The teacher used different learning approaches such as situational learning, explicit learning, and various practical exercises such as drawing and growing a seed, to promote the best learning environment for learners. The use of different teaching approaches is essential for the provision of instruction that is suitable for the diverse needs of students.
The Most Difficult of the Five Subjects
The most challenging lesson plan to develop was the social studies lesson plan. The lesson focuses on gender equity, a topic that makes it difficult for the instructor to find compelling teaching strategies which the students can enjoy. As a result, the instructor spent a lot of his/her time trying to develop teaching practices that are suitable for the topic. In addition, most students have negative perceptions and attitudes towards social studies since they find it annoying, which necessitates the teacher to be more creative and innovative, to spark an interest in the students towards the subject. The social studies lesson plan took a lot of time to develop, as compared to the other four disciplines. I plan on volunteering to teach additional social studies classes at a nearby school, to perfect my lesson planning skills, and strengthen my teaching ability in social studies. The developmental opportunity will give me a chance to develop professionally, and reach my highest potential by perfecting my area of weakness.
Conclusion
Lesson plans determine how effective teaching and learning will be. It is therefore crucial for teachers to apply in-depth knowledge and opportunities for students to learn, practice, and master content. In addition, teachers have to develop lesson activities that are developmental, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the students. Furthermore, instructors should employ situational learning as well as diverse teaching approaches to provide instruction that caters to the needs of students. In doing so, the learning goals set are attained in a timely manner.
References
Bidabadi, N. S., Isfahani, A. N., Rouhollahi, A., & Khalili, R. (2016). Effective teaching methods in higher education: requirements and barriers. Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism , 4 (4), 170.
Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014). What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research.
Thomas, L., Jones, R., & Ottaway, J. (2015). Effective practice in the design of directed independent learning opportunities. York: Higher Education Academy and the Quality Assurance Agency .
