Welcome Learning Legends & Leaders!

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Here at Aiconium Education we believe that teachers are teachers of all professions and when teachers grow, systems thrive and students soar.

This space is our monthly pit-stop for bite-sized brilliance! Throughout the year you will find one or both of the following:

• Rotating features that spotlight content, practice, and those ‘look-and-sound-like” moments that matter
• Grab & Grow tools that you can use right away

Whether you’re here to learn, refresh, or just snoop around for some smart ideas, you’re in the right place. Take what you need, leave inspired, and don’t worry – there’s plenty to go around! We promise that your future self (and your students) will thank you!

What is it: The Study Step

Lesson prep involves gathering materials, internalizing content, and using the knowledge of your students to anticipate the needs they might have during live instruction. 

Why it’s important: 

Thorough lesson preparation ensures effective teaching and learning. It allows teachers to present information clearly, proactively address student misconceptions, and create engaging learning experiences tailored to their students' specific needs and learning styles. Good preparation boosts student engagement and comprehension, ultimately leading to better learning outcomes. It helps ensure that instruction is seamless, promotes student engagement, and minimizes disruptions during teaching. By anticipating student questions and challenges, teachers can provide timely support and maintain a conducive learning environment.

What it looks like:

• Lesson internalization (studying the lesson to understand the purpose, learning objective(s), and   performance expectations)
• Content mapping (identifying connections between foundational concepts and successive concepts framing this work in the grade level and the grade band)
• Identifying materials (supplies, printouts, and other necessary resources)
• Taking inventory of your students and their academic strengths and limitations
• Identifying places in the lesson where scaffolding or differentiated instruction will happen
• Generating balanced questions (questions that probe, questions that bridge, scaffolding questions, etc.)

Ask yourself:

• What should students be taking away from this lesson?
• What foundational concepts should students know before engaging in this lesson’s content? What successive concepts will they meet that requires mastery of this lesson’s learning target(s)?
• What are the criteria for success?
• What prior knowledge do my students possess? What misconceptions might they have in this lesson?
• What materials and resources will I need to facilitate this lesson? Which are      suggested? Which ones will best support student learning?
• What teaching strategies will effectively engage my students and facilitate      their understanding?
• How will I assess student learning during and after the lesson?
• How will I differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of my learners?
• What barriers might students face in this lesson? How will I address them?
• What engagement strategies are suggested? Which ones will best support the learning of students in my class(es)?

* Which indicators on your teacher evaluation rubric are you meeting by incorporating the suggestions for Lesson Preparation?

What is it: The Design Step

Lesson planning is the process of selecting what students will learn, how they will demonstrate their learning, and the methods in which they will engage with the content being taught. 

Using your knowledge of the content and learning outcomes from the lesson preparation stage, you design the learning experience students will have. You set objectives, select activities, generate questions, determine grouping arrangements, and sequence the entire experience from the first scene to the last.

Everything from how the students gather materials when they enter the classroom to how they communicate with each other and submit classwork goes into your planning decisions.

Why it’s important:

Effective lesson planning ensures a focused and engaging learning experience for all students. A well-planned lesson not only gives you the confidence that you need before the live event, but it also provides a clear path for students to achieve the learning objectives, encourages participation, and allows for maximizing instructional minutes. It is a great classroom management tactic, since it promotes a streamlined learning process (smoother transitions and interactions among students) and it enhances overall learning success. It allows teachers to consider all their students and ensures that they strategically choose activities that lead to equitable learning experiences.

What it looks like:

Creating and/or selecting activities and assessments

Grouping students (whole group, small groups, targeted groups, etc.)

Identifying opportunities for all students to regularly engage in the lesson and with each other

Sequencing and pacing lesson segments and activities 

Preparing materials (handouts, presentations, assessments) 

Performing test runs on interactives and technological tools that will be used for the first time

Ask yourself:

• How will the learning outcome(s) and success criteria be communicated during the lesson?
• Which activities will enhance student learning and development of the lesson concepts? 
• How will students access the materials and tools needed for the lesson?
• How will I effectively manage student behavior and participation?
• What is the backup plan if my technology fails or the interactive component of the lesson is not available?
• Which engagement strategies will students use during whole group instruction? Small group instruction? Peer collaboration? Targeted instruction?
• What content-specific strategies need to be included (e.g math – fluency practice, science – investigation design, etc.)
• What whole group strategies will I leverage if student experience initial difficulty in the lesson?
• How will I enrich and extend the learning of students that have mastered the learning (accelerated students/early finishers)?
• How will I enrich and extend the learning of students in small groups?
• What strategies will I use to support the learning of students with special needs (target groups including ELL, 504, Sped, etc.)?

* Which indicators on your teacher evaluation rubric are you meeting by incorporating the suggestions for Lesson Planning?

What is it: The Delivery & Facilitation Step

Like lesson planning relies on lesson preparation, lesson implementation should not be done without the two previous preliminary steps. We call this step the delivery AND facilitation step because the two are distinct in nature. Lesson delivery is more direct exchange of knowledge from teacher to student where the teacher presents information, explains concepts, and models skills. 

Lesson facilitation, however, is a more synergistic process where the teacher guides and supports students as they actively engage with the learning materials. Student discussions, probing questions, group work, discourse, and thinking and problem solving are staples of lesson facilitation. 

Why it's important:

Strong implementation leads to more engaging learning experiences for students and better student outcomes. Delivery ensures that essential information is communicated clearly, allowing students to grasp key concepts and skills. Facilitation nurtures a collaborative learning environment where students feel empowered to express their ideas, engage with their peers, and gain soft skills vital for success both inside and outside the classroom. 

When balanced, delivery and facilitation bring the lesson plan to life and help teachers create dynamic classroom atmospheres that promote academic ownership, motivation, inquiry, and a passion for learning. 

What it looks like:

• A lesson opener to jumpstart the learning (warm up, bell ringer, do now, etc.)
• Clear instructions and expectations (explicit guidelines for activities and assessments)
• Active student engagement (students participate in discussions, share ideas, and collaborate on tasks)
• A variety of questions that require different types of thinking 
• Grouping arrangements that support learner variances
• Regular academic feedback
• Formative assessment strategies
• Monitoring, collecting, and selecting (monitor student’s collaborative and independent work, listen and look for responses that you can collect, elevate/share whole group key and critical responses) 
• Smooth transitions between lesson components and activities
• Adaptations and supports (adjusting instruction based on student needs, responses, and feedback; provide targeted support when necessary)
• A strong lesson closing that reinforces the learning outcome(s) and cements the new learning

Ask yourself:

• Am I clearly communicating the learning outcome(s) and success criteria?
• What am I hearing and seeing that shows active student engagement?
• What am I hearing and seeing that tells me that students are on target to mastering the learning outcome(s)?
• Am I allowing for lesson pacing that is brisk, but supports students who progress at different rates?
• Am I monitoring student understanding during the lesson and adjusting my      instruction as needed? 
• Am I providing timely and useful academic feedback to students?
• Am I ensuring that all students have the opportunity to participate and learn? 
• Am I doing all the talking (more delivery than facilitation)? 

* Which indicators on your teacher evaluation rubric are you meeting by incorporating the suggestions for Lesson Implementation?

What is it: The Evaluation Step

Lesson Reflection is the process of analyzing a lesson after it’s been taught to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what to adjust next time. It’s an ongoing part of professional growth.

Why it’s important:

Reflection helps us evolve. It depends instructional skill, helps you refine strategies, respond better to student needs, and avoid ineffective practices.

What it looks like:

• Data Review: reviewing lesson notes, student work, and other evidence (observations, feedback, questions, etc.)
• Answering lesson implementation questions (above) after the lesson and examining those responses
• Recapping strengths, weaknesses, and critical moments (when most students were engaged and why, when the lesson fell apart and how, etc.)
• Peer coaching or peer feedback (when applicable)
• Cross-Class Comparison: comparing implementation strengths and weaknesses across class periods (if you teach multiple sections of the same course)

Ask yourself:

• What evidence shows that students met the learning target(s)?
• Which parts of the lesson went well and why?
• Which parts of the lesson were less successful and why?
• What will I do differently the next time I teach this lesson?
• Which activities/moments were most engaging for students? Why?
• Which activities/moments were least engaging for students? Why?
• Which concepts or questions posed the greatest difficulty for students?
• What adjustments are needed before implementing the next lesson?