Classroom Teaching
Here you will find examples of lesson plans, teaching activities, and student assignments. These examples represent my teaching style, strategies, and abilities.
Lesson Plans
In recent years, I have begun using the Planboard website to help with organization in lesson planning. The documents below are organized by the date created.
Planboard Day Plan - Grade 1 | |
File Size: | 97 kb |
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Testing Materials and Designs Unit Plan - Grade 3 | |
File Size: | 39 kb |
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Language Arts Lesson Plan - Grade 5 | |
File Size: | 83 kb |
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Physical Education Lesson Plan - Grade 5 | |
File Size: | 89 kb |
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Measurement Unit Plan - Grade 5 Math | |
File Size: | 193 kb |
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Science Lesson Plan - Grade 6 | |
File Size: | 109 kb |
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Social Studies Lesson Plan - Grade 6 | |
File Size: | 104 kb |
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Story Writing Unit Plan - Grade 6 Language Arts | |
File Size: | 541 kb |
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Guest Speakers and Community Connections
In both my second and third practicum experiences as well as contract teaching positions, I invited guest speakers to come share in the classroom. In my second practicum, I invited a pilot to speak to students for the Air and Aerodynamics and Flight units. Our speaker brought models of planes, which he shared with all of the grade 6 classes. With these models he reviewed the various parts of an airplane, the forces involved in flight, and Bernoulli's Principal. In addition to the model planes, our speaker brought in a flight simulator program which allowed students to "fly" an airplane using controls very similar to a real plane.
In my third practicum, for our communication unit, I invited a local news anchor and radio DJ, Quinn Campbell, to speak with our students about news and media. Ms. Campbell discussed the differences between print and other forms of media as well as answered students' many questions.
At Bearspaw Christian School, we had multiple guest speakers. In connection to the Small Crawling and Flying Things unit, a local beekeeper joined to show Grade 2 students a hive and explain to students the process of beekeeping as well as how honeybees live and interact with each other. The Grade twos also welcomed a representative from the Harmony community in Calgary. Birol Fisekci, from Harmony, came to speak with the students about how communities are made. Later in the year, students actually visited the Harmony community and their water treatment plant.
These opportunities turned somewhat abstract concepts into very practical and easily understood ideas. Students were more easily able to apply and understand the concepts being discussed in class through these real-world examples. I also believe that these experiences are examples of 21st Century learning. Students were able to use critical thinking and see practical ways to apply what they had been learning in class.
In my third practicum, for our communication unit, I invited a local news anchor and radio DJ, Quinn Campbell, to speak with our students about news and media. Ms. Campbell discussed the differences between print and other forms of media as well as answered students' many questions.
At Bearspaw Christian School, we had multiple guest speakers. In connection to the Small Crawling and Flying Things unit, a local beekeeper joined to show Grade 2 students a hive and explain to students the process of beekeeping as well as how honeybees live and interact with each other. The Grade twos also welcomed a representative from the Harmony community in Calgary. Birol Fisekci, from Harmony, came to speak with the students about how communities are made. Later in the year, students actually visited the Harmony community and their water treatment plant.
These opportunities turned somewhat abstract concepts into very practical and easily understood ideas. Students were more easily able to apply and understand the concepts being discussed in class through these real-world examples. I also believe that these experiences are examples of 21st Century learning. Students were able to use critical thinking and see practical ways to apply what they had been learning in class.
Landmark Postcards
After contacting other teachers and friends, our class now has a map full of postcards from around the world. Each postcard has a landmark of the city it is from, which connects to the Grade 1 Social Studies curriculum. It has opened conversations with students about everything from hedgehogs to unknown connections to our school. One of the people who sent a postcard, actually used to attend our school and has a piece of artwork still hanging in the hallway. |
Student Work
Below are examples of student work and assignments. Beneath each photo is a description of the assignment or activity.