Developed by two educators with experience in both elementary and secondary classrooms, Writing Effective Lesson Plans details a unique a step-by-step procedure designed to streamline the process of lesson planning and make teaching smoother and more efficient. Coined the "Five-Star Lesson Plan" by the authors, this model consists of five classic components: lesson description, goals and objectives, materials and tools, procedures, and reflective assessment and evaluation. This workbook guides beginning and experienced teachers through each step to create lesson plans that best meet the needs of every student. It also explores the inherent challenges to effective lesson planning, such as time efficiency, knowledge construction, skill development, involving the students' families, and implementing your plan. With its mix of concise theory and hands-on activities, this book is a one-stop resource encouraging a deep and thoughtful approach to a skill that is often not sufficiently developed in teacher preparation programs.

Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.

Creating Effective Objectives for Lesson Plans: A Comprehensive Guide for New Teachers Empower your students to achieve their full potential with this comprehensive guide to crafting effective learning objectives. As a new teacher, you'll discover the importance of clear and measurable objectives in creating focused and engaging lessons. Through real-world examples and practical exercises, you'll gain the confidence to craft effective learning objectives that guide your students on a journey of meaningful learning and growth. Key Features: Understand the importance of learning objectives in lesson planning Apply the "objective formula" to create clear and measurable objectives Scaffold objectives in a sequence that gradually increases in difficulty Avoid common pitfalls when writing effective learning objectives This essential guide is ideal for: New teachers seeking to improve their lesson-planning skills Experienced teachers looking to refine their objective-writing techniques Teacher mentors and coaches guiding new teachers in lesson planning

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

This revision of Bloom's taxonomy is designed to help teachers understand and implement standards-based curriculums. Cognitive psychologists, curriculum specialists, teacher educators, and researchers have developed a two-dimensional framework, focusing on knowledge and cognitive processes. In combination, these two define what students are expected to learn in school. It explores curriculums from three unique perspectives-cognitive psychologists (learning emphasis), curriculum specialists and teacher educators (C & I emphasis), and measurement and assessment experts (assessment emphasis). This revisited framework allows you to connect learning in all areas of curriculum. Educators, or others interested in educational psychology or educational methods for grades K-12.

Design and teach effective learning goals and objectives by following strategies based on the strongest research available. This book includes a summary of key research behind these classroom practices and shows how to implement them using step-by-step hands-on strategies. Short quizzes help readers assess their understanding of the instructional best practices explained in each section.

Being a great teacher is more than lesson plans and seating charts. In this revised and expanded new edition of the classic bestseller, you learn what it takes to be the very best educator you can be, starting from day one in your new classroom! Filled with real-world life lessons from experienced teachers as well as practical tips and techniques, you'll gain the skill and confidence you need to create a successful learning environment for you and your students, including how to: Organize a classroom Create engaging lesson plans Set ground rules and use proper behavior management Deal with prejudice, controversy, and violence Work with colleagues and navigate the chain of command Incorporate mandatory test preparation within the curriculum Implement the latest educational theories In this book, veteran teacher Melissa Kelly provides you with the confidence you'll need to step into class and teach right from the start.