Lesson Plan Checklist

ENVIRONMENT
Expectations
high and demanding academic expectations
learn from mistakes
create learning opportunity for success
rubric for completing work based on expectations
Managing Student Behavior
Rules posted
use techniques to maintain appropriate behavior
overlook inconsequential behavior
deal with disruptive students appropriately
Environment
welcome students (they feel welcome)
classroom is organized and understandable
supplies accessible
display student work
Respectful Culture
caring and respect between teacher/students
students respectful to teacher and to each other
teacher receptive to interests/opinions of students
PLANNING
Instructional Plans
goals aligned to state content standards
sequence from basic to complex
build on prior student knowledge
accommodate individual student needs
Student Work
interpreting information
draw conclusions; support through writing
connect to prior learning/life experiences
Assessments
aligned with content standards
measureable criteria (rubric)
measure student performance in several ways (project, experiment,
presentation, essay, short answer, multiple choice)
require written work
performance checks throughout school year
rubric provided for everything assessed
INSTRUCTION
Standards & Objectives
objectives/standards are communicated
sub-objectives aligned to major objectives
objectives connected to previous learning
expectations are clear (TSW)
state standards are displayed
evidence that students demonstrate mastery
Motivating Students
info organized to be personally meaningful and relevant
learning experiences value inquiry, curiosity and exploration
reinforce and reward efforts
Presenting Instructional Content
presentation of content includes:
visuals that establish purpose, preview organization, summarize
examples, illustrations, analogies, labels for new concepts/ideas
modeling by teacher to demonstration expectations
concise communication
logical sequencing and segmenting
all essential information
no irrelevant, confusing or non-essential information
Lesson Structure and Pacing
start promptly

structure-beginning/middle/end
pacing appropriate for dift learning rates
routines for distributing materials are efficient
little instructional time is lost during transitions
Activities and Materials
activities:
support lesson objective
are challenging
sustain attention
elicit a variety of thinking
provide time for reflection
relevant to students lives
provide opp for student to student interaction
induce curiosity and suspense
provide student with choices
incorporate multimedia & technology
incorporate resources beyond curriculum texts
Questioning
questions are varied and high quality for various question types:
knowledge/comprehension, application/analysis, creation/evaluation
questions are purposeful and coherent
moderate to high frequency of questions asked
questions are sequenced with attention to the instructional goals
questions require active responses (class signaling, choral responses,
group/individual answers
wait time is provided
it is safe to be wrong
teacher calls on volunteers & non-volunteers - balanced
Academic Feedback
oral and written feedback (good job for ___)
feedback given during guided practice and homework review
teacher circulates during instructional activities
use feedback from students to monitor/adjust instruction
Grouping Students (Teams)
grouping arrangements enhance understanding/learning
students know their roles & expectations in groups
students are held accountable for group/individual work
group composition is varied
Teacher Content Knowledge
accurate content knowledge
subject-specific instructional strategies to enhance
highlight key concepts/ideas-use as basis to connect others
Teacher Knowledge of Students
Understand students, anticipate learning problems
incorporate student interests/cultural heritage
differentiated instructional methods to assure mastery
Thinking
Teach all four types of thinking:
Analytical (analyze, compare/contrast, evaluate, explain)
Practical (use, apply, implement in real-life)
Creative (create, design, imagine, suppose)
Research-based (explore/review ideas, models, solutions)
Problem Solving
implement activities that teach/reinforce 6 or more (2 for each lesson):
abstraction
categorization
Drawing Conclusions/Justifying Solution
Predicting Outcomes (Guess)
Observing/Experimenting
Improving Solutions
Identifying Relevant/Irrelevant Info (important)
Generating Ideas
Creating and designing