Running head: PLANNIG, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

Planning, Preparation, Instruction, and Assessment of Learners

Jessica Hamm
Regent University

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Introduction
Assessing where your students are at and how they are progressing throughout your time
with them is critical because it helps you as a teacher know if your goals are being met. Planning
and preparing as a teacher were the most important for me to actually be a teacher. I need to plan
and prepare for my lessons and units with my colleagues and cooperating teacher in order to stay
organized and make sure I am providing the best instruction possible for my students. Teachers
who develop useful assessments, provide corrective instruction, and give students second
chances to demonstrate success can improve their instruction and help students learn (Guskey,
2003).
Rational for Selection of Artifacts
The first artifact I selected is a calendar post-assessment my cooperating teacher and I
created to assess how much our students retained after we retaught the calendar. Our class took a
STAR test, which is their public school standards test, to see which students were reaching the
goals and which were not. The test showed that most of the class failed the calendar questions
which they previously learned in Kindergarten and were reinforced at the beginning of the year.
My CT mentioned that they havent reviewed calendar in a while and that I should create games
and regularly ask the students about the days, months, etc. So for eight days we reviewed the
calendar sang the days of the weeks and months in a year. Then I developed a post-assessment
based off of the questions STAR had asked them. I gave them the assessment and crossed of the
students names that did significantly better. The students who still need help in that area will be
constantly reviewing calendar concepts in small group.

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The second artifact that I chose was a sheet from the STAR Reading students scores
report. I chose this artifact because it helps me to plan and prepare my lessons. I cater my
lessons to each student and the induvial help they need. This assessment helps me know what
each student is excelling at and what they are struggling with so I can cater my instruction for
them. These adjustments help to ensure students achieve targeted standards-based learning
goals within a set time frame (Garrison,Ehringhaus). We usually pull the students who need
help with a certain topic in small groups and when we check for understanding we check that
students name of the list.
The third artifact I have is a lesson plan. This is a lesson plan showing math for the day
along with biblical integration. A great deal of planning and preparing went into this lesson plan.
The lesson is detailed with listing the objectives, materials, technology, centers, procedure,
differentiation, homework and the assessment. Within lessons teachers organize content in such a
way that information clearly builds on the previous piece (Murray, 2002). As a teacher you need
to have your lesson plans available and ready at a moments notice. Your lessons should be
readable and detailed enough that a substitute teacher could teach from them in an emergency
(Planning and Preparing).
The fourth artifact I have is a daily routine schedule. I found it helpful to know exactly
what I am doing/ what I am supposed to be doing every 30 minutes. In middle school it was
simpler since I had less than an hour with each class. With elementary school I have the entire
day with the same class and it gets confusing when to know what time is Math, Language Arts,
Art, Science, etc. Time management is important for earn, the schedule helps me manage my
time effectively. This planning helps me run my day more efficiently.

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Reflection on Theory and Practice
Based on what I have learned about assessments, I know them to be very beneficial if
used correctly. I conclude that this competency demonstrates my understandings of planning,
preparation, instruction, and assessments. I have enjoyed using summative and formative
assessments in my teaching experience. I mostly use informal assessments in the classroom,
because I work with small groups everyday with my students and it is also good to keep what my
students are low in and how they are progressing weekly. They have taught me to gauge student
learning as well as adjust teaching and student learning. I know that planning and preparation are
vital to have appropriate instruction and for developing strong and sound lesson plans. Indeed,
teachers and students share responsibility for learning; even with valiant teaching efforts, we
cannot guarantee that all students will learn everything excellently (Guskey, 2003). However, if
the teacher is not properly planning and preparing, then there the problem lies. I know my first
year of teaching will be very challenging and exciting as I go through designing and creating
brand new lesson plans, but I look forward to bringing my new, fresh outlook to the school
systems.

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References
Garrison, C., & Ehringhaus, M. (Retrieved March 12, 2016). Formative and Summative
Assessments in the Classroom [PDF]. Dover, NH: Measured Progress.
Guskey, T. R. (2003, February). How Classroom Assessments Improve Learning. Retrieved
March 11, 2016, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx
Murray, B. P. (2002). The New Teacher's Guide to Creating Lesson Plans. Retrieved March 12,
2016, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/new-teachers-guide-creatinglesson-plans
Planning and Preparing [PDF]. (Retrieved March 12, 2016). Martain Schools.