A Lesson Plan W.A.L.T.Z.- t e a c h

Each week we have added another component to this lesson plan W.A.L.T.Z. I love acronyms! We are finally here... at application!

In step four, teach. The classroom can be seen as a reciprocal environment. My rule:

I will teach you, if you will learn. 

I’m responsible for the first, and you the later.

Prior to starting class, post the daily objective in the same place each day. Students can often refer to this note to stay on track, and to prepare for the learning that they helped create and are responsible for receiving.

Design a schedule that allows for your many findings to at least be done within the week, if not daily. Having a time associated plan helps with this process, as do procedures. Students can also be included in this creation. One student is assigned to keep me on time because the schedule is posted on the board. The student holds up a finger that means it’s time for the next item on the agenda. I have found the more that students share in the classroom responsibilities, the easier it is to manage the plan.

Zzzz - next week!

love,

Mrs. Hanson (formally known as)

A Lesson Plan W.A.L.T.Z- l i s t e n!

Thanks for following along. Let's listen. Together let's be very silent...

Listening to their answers is the third step. Many companies claim to abide by the mantra, “The customer is always right.” We can make an assumption that businesses that use this philosophy listen to their customers. Our customers are our students, and they are right.

What have you learned from the Waltz’s W and A? Often we build many types of feedback into our design, but don’t use the feedback. Listen with grace.

In the listen step, add student input into the plan. Lesson plans can include the following:

* Curriculum’s Essential Skill

* Student Expectation

* Materials or Resources used

* Bell Work / Warm up Exercise

* Bloom’s Target

* Learning Style

* Sensory Impact

* Explicit Instructions / Active Student Participation

* Assessment

* Modification / Adaptation

From the watching and the asking, one needs to compile data and plug it in to the plan immediately. I have found that short answer data is more accurate in that definite student-thought went into the answering, but all data will do.

Remember this type of planning doesn’t take much longer than the already extensive process. If target plans are already outlined the new information can be implemented easily. It should feel like a piecing together a puzzle. This goes here, and that there.

Teach 'em next week!

love,

Mrs. Hanson (formally known as)