InTASC Standard #7 - Artifact Justification

Standard #7: Planning for Instruction - The teacher plans instruction that supports
every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of
content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as
knowledge of learners and the community context.
Artifact Description
This unit lesson plan focuses on study of the novel A Wrinkle in Time.
How does this artifact demonstrate achievement of the standard?
This artifact exemplifies this standard, as the intended learning and activities are
thoroughly mapped out, with a variety of teaching methods intended to engage all
of the learners in my classroom. The students in the classroom are all carefully
considered in classroom setup, group construction, and activities. There is a strong
plan for differentiation for those students who require it.
How has creation of this artifact affected my understanding of the standard? How
will it contribute to effective teaching and learning in the future?
By creating this artifact, I thought carefully about every learner in my classroom,
created well thought out seating charts based on strengths and weaknesses, and
make up student groupings to maximize student productivity and strengths. I
created a lesson that has differentiation built in, so that everyone in the classroom
can benefit from the classroom activities. The differentiation plan takes all of my
learners into account, and I've made accommodations for all of my students who
need them. This activity will help me with future classes, as I have gained an
understanding of how to teach to multiple learners, and a variety of students in the
classroom.
What are my perceived strengths related to the standard?
Related to this standard, my strengths are:

My ability to creatively differentiate activities within my lesson plans

My ability to differentiate for individual students to require accommodations
A willingness to cooperate and work with co-teachers

What can I improve upon to better embody the selected standard?

To better embody this standard, I will:

Make sure I understand and learn about all of my students who have 504 and
IEPs, so that I can make sure my plans include them and accommodate their
needs.
Continually assess what I'm doing and whether the students are learning
effectively in my classroom