Educators demonstrate a broad knowledge base and an understanding of areas they teach.
My Educational Journey
Prior to the Bachelors of Education Program, I graduated from Duchess Park Secondary School in 2015 with English as my first language and French as my second language in and outside of the workplace and classroom. I spent 4 years attending the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, BC where I completed my Criminology Diploma and my Associates of Arts Degree.
I believe the most important take-away from all of my practicums is the importance of lesson planning. I recently came across the “Understanding by Design” (UbD) lesson plan template has made me realize a very important concept about teaching…that of the ‘end goal’ as opposed to ‘a topic.’ Teaching to meet the end goal is very different than teaching a topic. I was able to ask my dad, a school administrator, how he was taught to do lesson planning. He was taught using the following steps: a) start with a topic or content that needs to be covered, b) plan one lesson or a sequence of lessons to teach that topic or content, and c) create and/or determine as assessment that measures the learning intended to have taken place for that specific or multitude of lessons. These steps make up the traditional method of lesson planning. The Understanding by Design method, commonly referred to as the Backward Design is exactly that – backwards from the traditional approach (Wiggins & McTighe, 2012).This design incorporates the following steps: a) identify what students need to know at the end of the lesson(s) – the goal, b) create and/or determine an assessment that will measure that learning, and c) plan a lesson or sequence of lessons for students to meet the intended goal of the lesson(s). I am now also realizing that this backwards design aligns very well with the redesigned BC Curriculum which identifies the big ideas and curricular competencies allowing for that flexible and innovative style where students gain the skills, knowledge, and abilities to succeed in today’s world.
As I was designing my lessons, I liked paying attention to the end goal(s) immediately at the onset, ensuring that my plan would be targeted to meet those goals. Essentially, the template guides the teacher to include all relevant aspects of the lesson, making it an easy step-by-step guide. I will admit that I was hesitant at first to use the template, however once into it, I was pleasantly surprised how user-friendly it was. This will be my go-to template as I begin my teaching journey.
I realize how this template, and lesson planning using the Backward Design has broadened my knowledge and understand of what I am teaching!
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2012). Understanding by Design Framework. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf
As a teacher, I will strive to
- ensure that the intended learning intentions for each lesson align completely with the BC New Curriculum with core competencies, big ideas and learning standards, ensuring a succinct essential question
- model that we are all lifelong learners, and that learning is fluid and continuously happening and changing in education
- build on and model a growth mindset, always finding new and innovative ways to plan, teach and assess