Paul Ayers

EDSC 442C

Planning

Teaching
Philosophy
Matrix

Enactin
g

Student Profiling
Learning

Making
content
accessibl
e

Constructivist
Class

ELL
Special
5Es of learning,
Needs
Engagin
4 Cs:
NGSS Pedagogic
g
Instruction is
al Content
centered on a
Knowledg
Focus on
Models
such
as
balls,
flexible balance
e
vocabulary Understand
Newtons Cradles forbetween teacherhow to best
or having
momentum
led standards and
help the
visual
student-led
student
HS-PS2-2.
Effectively
demos for
standards
learn
and
The
includes
learning
Forms the
(Llewellyn, p.69,
provide
conservat
assessing
such as
basis for
2013)
multiple
ion of
prior
balls in the
content
momentu mastery in knowledge
momentum forms and
styles of
m.
and
unit.
unit and
lessons.
engaging
lesson
This could help give the
questions
plans
students the confidence to
interpret their data and tie it
to theory!

Epistemic
Practices

Inquiry,
argumentation
, negotiation of
text and
engineering
and modeling
design

These are strategic

process of learning
that allow students to
participate in the
NGSS science and
engineering practices.
Each practice covers a
range of S&E
practices

Planning:
Planning is such a crucial aspect of a teaching philosophy. In some ways planning seems to be one of the most complicated
themes in teaching, because in order to plan effectively, a teacher must consult their knowledge of students, content and
curriculum. The planning is crucial to promoting learning in students. When planning a lesson, it is important to make the
plan engaging, address the necessary science standards and understand how to effectively explain the science content
knowledge a teacher has. For example, in planning a lesson on conservation of energy, a teacher will need to consult the
NGSS standard addressing energy, create activities that address the content and make the lesson engaging and make sure
he or she knows how to effectively explain concepts and examples pertaining to conservation of energy.
Enacting:
Enacting is important throughout the actual acting of the lesson for the students. When using enacting in the lesson it is
important to use the appropriate concrete tools that will help facilitate learning for the students. Appropriate technology in
the classroom such as showing short video clips that pertain to the lesson can help special needs students and ELL students
understand the material through something less serious and more familiar. Graphic organizer and group activities are also
fantastic for ELL students because they allow the students to be able to work through the lesson in more creative, visual and
communicative ways.
Learning:
Learning happens throughout the environment of the classroom. Learning is so crucial to the teaching career because it is
the ENTIRE point of making the lesson. A constructivist classroom where both teachers and students carry some
responsibility is a classroom that is very beneficial to student learning. In a constructivist classroom, students become used
to working through ideas and concepts themselves and in groups, and in this way it can also promote their confidence for
understanding the material. The confidence for understanding the material will give the students a more fluid gateway into
being able to comprehend the material effectively. During a lab activity when the students are required to work in groups,
they will be given the confidence necessary to trust their data.
Student Profiling:
Student profiling is an effective aspect of teaching used to maintain a positive differentiation throughout the lesson. For
example, if a science class has a decent amount of EL students, the teacher can be sure to incorporate activities and visual
cues for the students who do not know English very well to be able to understand. Providing clear definitions and examples
of terms will also help EL students comprehend the material better. For students with special needs, the teacher can scaffold
the lesson in whichever ways necessary to help the student understand the material well enough, as long as the student is
comfortable. Student profiling is so important because without good effective differentiation, students who do not know
English or who have other special needs may be unfairly left behind.
Epistemic Practices:

Epistemic practices are incredibly important practices for science teachers, and they allow the students to engage in the
science and engineering practices the NGSS wants the students to understand. By allowing the students to understand how
to engage in these epistemic practices they will be able to do multiple science and engineering practices at one time. With
this knowledge of how to apply science and engineering practices to a given lesson, the students will learn patterns of
learning and assessing information that can effectively set them up for a promising future in science. Allowing students to
understand these epistemic practices, allows students to understand exactly how scientific and engineering minds work
towards learning material. Mastery of these practices is a good idea to start a mastery towards understanding how to
effectively learn any science and engineering practice.