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Clinical Field Experience C: Planning Instructional Units

Kirk Summers

Grand Canyon University

EAD-520 Strengthening Curricular Programs to Promote Continuous School Improvement

Reida Roberts

January, 19, 2022,

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Teacher Interviews

For this assignment, I was able to interview two teachers in my school and to gain an

understanding of their planning processes. The school I teach in, is small, very small and

teachers do not overlap content areas much. In other words, we have mainly one teacher per

department or content area. So I had to be creative about whom to interview and how they

collaborated. I decided to interview our Agriculture Science teacher, and our special education

instructor. I felt that these two are able to collaborate or at least should be collaborating in the

lesson planning to ensure that all students needs are met.

Why is it important to plan and prepare classroom instruction?

The special education teacher explained that planning allows the students' time in

the classroom to be more effective and valuable. The Ag science teacher stated, “that proper unit

planning of the classroom instruction keeps the lesson organized and on track while instructing,

for this reason it allows you to focus less on management and better teaching environment.”

How do teachers work together to plan units?

Both teachers meet at least once a week to evaluate the previous week’s lessons strengths

and weaknesses. They through the curriculum map and the standards for each lesson. They

collaborate on the teaching methods that need to be used and how to transition between sections.

Both teachers collaborate every week or at least monthly for 6th grade through 12th grade. To be

honest, this process is used with all of our teachers and the special education department. The

school is small enough that teachers are constantly communicating and collaborating with each

other.
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How is technology used to collaborate the planning or communicate best practices in

planning?

The planning happens weekly through the google docs and google classroom. The regular

classroom teacher said that she creates the lessons and then posts them in the google planning

document. Our special education teacher then takes time to look over the lesson and add

suggestion that will help those students that may need extra learning services. My district uses

google docs as it primary communication and sharing platform. All the teachers in the district

have access to the documents, lessons, and assignments that are given to the students. This use of

technology allows for a greater collaborative environment.

How do the teachers embody high expectations for students?

The teachers purposefully integrate high expectations into the lesson plans. During the

planning process, the teachers like to keep student goals in mind and that they are put in place to

help progress student success.

How do the teachers ensure that content and learning objectives are met?

Performance-based objectives are planned into the lessons to enable students to

demonstrate mastery of the lesson or to demonstrate areas that need re-teaching. Multiple

checkpoints are established at intervals in the lesson to formally assess the students

understanding of the lesson. The assessments produce data that is used to make adjustments, re-

teaching, and the pace of the lessons in the future.

How do the teachers ensure that lessons are aligned to the state academic standards?

The standards are used as the foundation for the lessons and the planning process. The

teachers use the standards to direct what, when, and how lessons are presented to students.

Standards are used to create the formal and informal assessments. Assessments are then used to
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create the lesson and materials to be included in the lesson. In reality, the standards are used as

the destination, lessons are the roads to the standards.

How are instructional strategies and technology incorporated into their units?

In today’s society, technology has become more important in education, as it pertains to

the implantation strategies. Strategies that are used, are shared through google docs and google

classroom. The strategies are also shared through department meetings and in person

collaborations. Whether the meeting take place in person or over Zoom, technology gives

teachers an opportunity to discuss and share lessons, best practices, goals, assessments, and

expectations that have been successful in their classrooms. Technology is also used in the

teaching and presentation portions of the lessons. Students have access to individual chrome

books in each classroom to use during lessons and assessments. The standards are used to

determine which technology resources best meet the needs of the students and helps them be

successful in the standards.

How do the teachers incorporate the school’s vision and goals in their units?

The school’s vision is “Educating, Motivating, and Empowering a Community of Learners.”

As teachers, we are obligated to embody the vision of our school, to provide the very best to our

students, that we are able to give. The many academic skills are applied in every class, along

with encouragement and engagement of the students in alignment to the vision. Teachers not

only want to stay up on the changes and advancement in technology, but they also make sure the

students our business and the most important part of our education profession. Everything

educators do, should have the students as the front runners in the entire process of lesson

planning.
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PSEL Standard 4 and Implications for Future Practice

Standard 4 of PSEL is as follows: “Effective educational leaders develop and support

intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to

promote each student’s academic success and well-being.” As I reflect upon this assignment and

the interviews, I am giddy with excitement to know that I get to work with such educators. I have

witnessed some amazing collaboration and lesson planning that is completely centered around

the student’s well-being and the success of the students, academically. This knowledge will help

me, in my future profession, by giving me a base line to work with and the standards to strive to

meet.
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References

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author

https://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-

Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

Clark County School District 161 (2021). School Mission and Vision

https://www.clarkcountyschools161.org/domain/20