TPA Lesson Plan

General reactions/responses to TPA lesson plan

This lesson plan is very useful and easy to follow and I really like how it has those dummy proof questions with follow up questions. I think they do not ask too much and lay out exactly what is being asked of the students.

What in here seems valuable and worthwhile?

I think that the most valuable and worthwhile portion of the TPA lesson plan is the focus of the objectives and standards. They give the whole lesson plan worthwhile and allow for teachers to have a focus; like a rubric in a way. By putting the objectives on the lesson plan, it allows for other people like administrators and substitutes to follow when coming in cold. Past experiences have taught me that when teachers have thorough plans laid out the students tend to be way more focused and set up for success.

What questions and concerns do you have about the TPA lesson plan?

I am somewhat confused on how to incorporate parent and community connections. Knowing that parents have email helps with that portion but when it comes to community I get somewhat lost. Is it focusing the lesson on the community or the material and content towards how it can involve the community? It is hard to tell what students will and will not take from the class but my main question is towards what should be put in this section; is it broad or specific?

Why might this be a useful exercise for beginning teachers?

A useful tip may be to teach one or two lessons as practice in order to see how the class goes. I have found that after some of my mini lessons that I have taught, when writing out my plan after teaching it has helped me see what direction I should be going. But when in the regular classroom, this could be helpful so that a teacher can be prepared and thorough to note where things went right and where they went wrong. It is hard to gauge where some students are until after a few lessons.

All in all, I do not foresee many problems with this lesson plan other than having to be strictly focused. It does not seem to leave room for change or different outcomes. In order for this to work, teachers must be flexible and ready to alter their lesson at any time.