Running head: PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

Planning, Preparation, Instruction, and Assessment of Learners

Colleen Rowan
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

Introduction
Before effective instruction is delivered in the classroom, thoughtful planning by the
teacher must occur. Stephen R. Covey (1989), the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People, wrote, To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your
destination. It means to know where youre going so that you better understand where you are
right now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction (p. 98). This is immensely
true for educators. A teacher must always understand where her students are, where she wants
her students to go, and how they are going to get there. This is accomplished through precise
planning, preparation, instruction, and assessment of learners.
Rationale for Selection of Artifacts
The first artifact I chose is the pre and post assessments I used to assess students
understanding of elapsed time. The post assessment was my starting point because it told me
exactly what I wanted my students to accomplish by the end of the unit. This gave me a clear
direction for my instruction on this topic. I chose the pre-assessment to align with many of the
same skills that appeared in the post assessment. This pre-assessment also tested students prior
knowledge of previous skills, such as reading a clock, that students had already learned and
would need before learning the new material. This pre-assessment guided my instruction by
telling me which students needed to review basic skills and which students already had a general
understanding of elapsed time.
My second artifact is a template that I used to record students data throughout my
instruction of elapsed time. The template divided students into their math groups and listed the
objectives that students needed to accomplish. I created this template so that I could track student

PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

progress as they learned this new topic. Some of the data I recorded was based off the preassessment results and some of the data was recorded during instruction. The template also
contains a section for notes that I used to record any individual student progress or difficulties
throughout the lessons.
Reflection on Theory and Practice
The process and tools that I used for my planning, preparation, instruction, and
assessment worked together harmoniously to form one united effort for student learning. I started
my planning with the final product for the students, the post assessment. In their book,
Understanding by Design, authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (1989) outline successful
planning as first identifying the desired results of students, then determining the acceptable
evidences of those desired results, and finally planning learning experiences to prepare students
to reach those desired results. This is exactly what I did when I started my planning and
preparation at the end, instead of the beginning, and used that end product to guide my
instruction.
After determining the final product, I gave the students the pre-assessment, which gave
me very helpful data that I used to guide my instruction for each math group. For example, the
pre-assessment told me that most students were already competent at reading clocks, though a
few confused the minute and hour hands. It also told me that some groups of students were able
to calculate elapsed time more easily but other groups struggled when the problem switched from
pm to am. I used this information to begin filling in the data forms for each group, so I would
know where to begin and aim my instruction accordingly. Some groups required much more
scaffolding while others needed more advanced problems and independent work.

PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

The student data sheets were very helpful throughout the planning, instruction, and
assessment process. They allowed me to have a detailed and accurate report of student progress
at my fingertips to direct planning and instruction that could be differentiated for each student
and group. One of the most useful aspects of the data sheet was the list of objectives I created to
track student progress. These objectives kept my instruction on track and allowed me to provide
students with relevant feedback. According to the authors of Classroom Instruction that Works,
Identifying criteria for performance helps teachers think about when and how they might assess
student learning and provide formal feedback. Having clearly defined criteria with students helps
them better understand the relevant learning objectives and what they must know to meet
expectations (Dean, Hubbell, Pitler, & Stone, 2012, p.9). A clear outline of these criteria was
tremendously helpful not only for my own planning but also for students to track their own
progress. I believe that students need to be active participants in their learning. Outlining
objectives and providing accurate feedback gives student the opportunity to assess their own
understanding and adjust their learning accordingly. This can only be achieved if the teacher
actively plans, prepares, instructs, and assesses with the individual needs of the students in mind.

PLANNING, PREPARATION, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT

References:
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Free Press. (p. 98)
Dean, C., Hubbell, E., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom Instruction that Works. Boston:
Pearson.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. (p. 9)