Artifact #1 – Lesson Plan Recommendations Assignment, Standard #2 Learning Differences
Incorporating multiple pathways to success in the classroom is vital to an inclusive classroom community. The Lesson Plan Recommendations assignment aligns with this standard because it incorporates Universal Design for Learning, or UDL instruction. It helped me identify barriers that may prevent students from reaching their full potential in the classroom and rework a lesson plan to fit the needs of diversity in students better. Even seemingly simple scenarios like calling on students at random can impede that student’s ability to succeed in that moment. Analyzing examples of classroom instruction allowed me to see the impact of these habits and what needs to be changed to bolster their assorted learning experiences. Naturally, every student has a different learning style, preferences, background, and social and emotional understanding and circumstances, so this assignment acted as a way to identify typical lesson situations that support some students but inhibit others. Providing a multimodal lesson plan creates better opportunities for students to learn in the way that best suits their needs.
As a future teacher, this activity made me consider my experiences in the classroom and identify how certain instruction methods can inhibit a student’s success. Recognizing these instructional barriers before they occur during the lesson planning process is a preventative measure for teachers to support students. I have a deeper understanding of the lesson plan process and how many instructional strategies may limit a student’s achievement. A lesson plan’s diversity should reflect the classroom’s diversity, if not surpass it. By recognizing how many ways students can be different from each other, the teacher is better prepared to modify their plans and be understanding. Opening pathways for students to succeed by varying instruction is something I hope to accomplish as a future teacher. It directly relates to equity and inclusion, where a supportive environment is vital to the community built within the classroom.
