Instructional Strategies

I could do a lot more planning for writing lessons. So much of the writing that we did in my class last year was journal writing. The kids worked independently and wrote the same thing entry after entry. they did improve some, but there is so much more we could have been doing. The most successful writing lessons I did put together was a silly sentence exercise. The kids worked together, had fun and wrote sentences. I have an easier time making math and reading lesson plans. Every time I look at read about lesson planning I know I fell short on my writing lessons.
The writing work i did was with 4th and 5th graders. Their journal entry could be on any topic of their choice. I was looking for spacing and capitalization and punctuation. The lessons were not focused enough and did not require the students to interact with each other at all. Now I'm thinking about central themes and collaborative story telling. I could start with examples and highlight particular skills i want them to work on. Together we can brainstorm writing ideas.
I really want to try writing exercises on a whiteboard as well. The students would have to become physically involved in selecting words and placing them into the sentence. They could be working on group skills, technology, writing conventions, critical thinking and research on a topic relevant to the general education curriculum.

The amount of planning that the Teacher does in the classroom can have a huge affect on the classroom as a whole. Instructional Assistants are often knowledgeable and skilled. However, it is my job as teacher to plan the students instruction. The EA's deliver the instruction I plan. I have worked in a classroom as an assistant where where the Teacher didn't plan anything for the students and the assistants where left on their own to decide how to approach the students IEP goals. Left to their own devices, each assistant worked in their own way with different students. No one had any real idea what techniques the others where using and this led to conflicts, high stress levels and burnout. The lack of planning in that classroom has waisted the talents of the people who work there and is not serving the best interest of the students.

I want to make sure I take the time to plan and to communicate my plans to my staff and include them in the planning process.