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Running Header: Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction

Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction

Tatianna Ortega

National University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED 690−Capstone Course

Daniel Weintraub
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Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction
Abstract

Teachers planning their daily, weekly, and yearly lesson plans have been around since teachers

and will continue to be around as long as there are teachers. This paper will discuss how and why

it is important for teachers to design thorough and thoughtful lesson plans for all students. I

found a journal article from School Library Media Quarterly, about successful lesson planning

for teachers.
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Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction
Designing lesson plans are not just figuring out what material is going to be taught, but

also making sure all standards are met, student learning styles are incorporated, and also making

the lessons engaging, which are just some of what is needed. “Teacher planning is a concept that

can be described as both a psychology process and a practical activity.” (Wolcott, 1994)

For lesson planning to be effective, a teacher not only needs to follow what standards are

needed at that time, but also making the lessons appropriate for that specific class. A lesson that

one teacher teaches for their second grade class, may not work for a different second grade class.

Lesson plans that teachers share, need to be modified to work for their students.

“Teacher planning is characterized by different types and styles of planning, the lack of

written plans, and reliance on published curriculum materials.” (Wolcott, 1994) Teachers rely on

standards and what is coming up in texts book to help them plan for the next week. It is

something that become automatic instead of creative and implementing unique lessons, created

specifically for their students. Teachers can create their own lesson for whichever subject, but

many times teachers utilize premade lessons and just adjust them to their student’s needs. Those

premade plans are just put into the lesson plan and are expected to meet the needs of all the

students.

It is important for teachers to create lesson plans that will not only fulfill all the

requirements of their job, but fulfill all the needs of their students. One way to do this is by

consulting a variety of forms of information, from video to website, to even newspapers and

magazines. Teachers can also consult colleagues and administration for support and ideas to help

with lessons and lesson plans. Lesson planning can actually be fun for a teacher who is actively

involved in creating the lessons and material that is going to be presented to the class. When the
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Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction
teacher is excited about the material, generally the students get excited too and are more

respective to actively learning and participating.

Lesson planning is quite time consuming, but making sure lesson plans are effective and

successful in the classroom are worth the time. Each teacher creates their own lesson plan

uniquely and there is no one way to design or make a lesson plan. Whether it is simple in a

lesson plan book, or elaborate in a computer form, it is right for the teacher who is creating it. It

is important for teachers to find the style of lesson planning that works for them and their class.
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Week 3 Literature Review – Planning Instruction
References

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016, June). California Teaching

Performance Expectations. Retrieved from Commision on Teacher Credentialing:

https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-source/educator-prep/standards/adopted-tpes-

2016.pdf

Patricia M. Costantino, M. N. (2009). Developing a Professional Teaching Portfolio. Upper

Saddle River: Pearson.

Wolcott, L. L. (1994). Understanding How Teachers Plan: Strategies for Successful Instructional

Partnerships. School Library Media Quarterly V22, N3, 9.