Portfolio

Adam Trinier
Description: The artifact which I am choosing to describe is the assembly of a lesson plan
which focusses on the motivation and Minds On aspect of the lesson. This lesson plan will be
presented to the class on April 12th where I will be critiqued on my teaching styles and will
receive helpful feedback about my teaching teaching methods. This artifact works directly with
the class standard of professional practice because as teachers we must be constantly
practicing our skill of developing lessons. We must also be ready to accept feedback and
criticism on our lessons. Teachers must remain flexible and lessons must be liquid and should
be able to take any new shape or form for different modifications to better the learning of all
students.
Rationale: This class and artifact works towards the idea of professional practice. This allows
us to apply our professional knowledge and experience to promote better student learning. As
students we must use appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and
technology in planning and for responding to the needs of our individual students. Building
lessons helps work towards this standard because it puts the knowledge we gain in our
methods classes into true practice and the purpose of this artifact allows us to teach our lesson
and receive the appropriate feedback. In an article Building Better Lessons (Harris, 2013) the
author states that the process of creating lessons has changed the way the author thinks about
teaching and how she prepares her lessons. It has also changed the way she thinks about
reading and writing as they can both be used as tools in a lesson to bridge the gaps in
knowledge and assess where the students are in a lesson. It is important as teachers to always
look to close the gap of knowledge as best as they can but students are unique and each learn
differently. This artifact allows me to perfect a lesson which can cater to the needs of many
different types of students from the feedback I will receive after my presentation. Another article
titled, Creating Lessons Plans For All Learners (Lynch, Warner, 2008), discusses an example
classroom and the steps taken to ensure their lessons reach each student. This document
discusses many different approaches such as, using on going assessment, using curricular
overlapping and finding way to differentiate instruction. These approaches are crucial as a
teacher because we must find ways to flex our lessons so every student can learn at the same
rate.
Reflection: This artifact helped me learn about focussing on the aspects of a lesson which will
be the tool that gets them excited about learning. Students shouldn't have lessons start with I
know you don't like math but we have to do it instead teachers need to find ways to make math
fun and engaging. Through the practice of putting these lessons together I learn new and fun
ways to bend my lesson to engage different types of learners. This helps me on my road to
becoming an expert teacher because I am able to be critiqued on my work and it may open my
eyes to look at lessons in ways I have never thought of before. This demonstrates my abilities
as a teacher as well because it allows me to express to my peers new and creative ways to
approach topics which my peers can take and use in their own teachings. In the end we are
creating a community of teachers and we should learn and share with each other and this
artifact gives us a perfect example to do so.
Harris, J. (2013). building better lessons. Journal of Staff Development, 34(1), 32.
Lynch, S. A., & Warner, L. (2008). Creating lesson plans for all learners. Kappa Delta Pi Record,
45(1), 10-15. doi:10.1080/00228958.2008.10516525