Multiple Instructional Strategies

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student's development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills.

Artifact: Table of Contents – Student Teaching Unit and Curriculum Unit

Date: Fall 2009 and Fall 2007

Rationale: It is my belief that there is no “one-size-fits-all” method of teaching and that in order to meet the needs of all students; a teacher needs to include a variety of instructional strategies in her daily teaching. Accordingly, I am including the table of contents for both my student teaching unit and my curriculum unit that showcases the fact that I can prepare and teach a variety of lesson types, including direct instruction, inquiry, and cooperative learning. I did not include the entire units, as they are binders in-and-of-themselves. My units are available upon request.

File: Unit Table of Contents

Artifact: Claws, Coats and Camouflage: How Animals Adapt to their World - A Lesson Plan for 5th Graders

Date: November 2008

Rationale: I have received training and experience in teaching through inquiry and believe that students construct their own knowledge and their own understandings. Accordingly, I believe that classroom instruction should include a balance of direct instruction and inquiry-based methods. Accordingly, I am included a 5-E inquiry-based lesson plan as evidence of my ability to use inquiry-based instructional methods.

Files: Lesson Plan, Anticipation Guide, BUBBLE Thinking Map, How Can I Help? Slips (Note: the Michigan endangered animal cards are not included herein due to file size).  

Artifact: Reading With a Writer’s Eye – A Lesson Plan for 5^th Graders

Date: December 2009

Rationale: I am a firm believer in the effectiveness of the workshop model for reader’s and writer’s workshop. I am MLPP certified and have attended training by Lucy Calkins in the model. I am including a writing lesson plan that follows the model of writer’s workshop (whole group gathering, mini-lesson (connection/teach/active engagement/link), independent work, and share). This lesson demonstrates my ability to use the workshop model as an instructional strategy.

File:  Reading with a Writer's Eye Lesson Plan

Artifact: - Native American Webquest

Date: Fall 2007

Rationale: As part of my curriculum unit, I created a Webquest for students to research Native Americans of Michigan on the Internet and create a “book-of-knowledge” to display their understanding of what they learned. This Webquest lesson also incorporates cooperative learning as students worked in groups. This artifact demonstrates an example of how I would use technology, as well as cooperative learning, as instructional strategies.

Link: The Three Fires Tribes of Michigan Webquest

File: Native American Webquest Student Instructions

Artifact: Math Center

Date: Fall 2008

Rationale: For my math methods class, I created a “center” for a 3^rd grade classroom to help students gain computational fluency in their multiplication facts up to 10x10 (Michigan GLCE = N.FL.03.11). This center included a variety of activities that could be used individually, in small groups, and with the whole class. In addition, activities included in the center range from concrete to semi-concrete to abstract in representation. This artifact demonstrates my ability to create center-based instruction.

Link:  Math Center