#PhenomenalFriday: After-Planning Is Key
For the past two years, I’ve gone to Barnes and Noble to review my upcoming instructional week. It enables me to time out lessons, catch things that I missed and find ways to enhance my instruction.
Friday, it bore fruit. How?
To start the instructional day, I analyzed a “Pronouns” grammar passage with the kids. During the “After-Planning” at Barnes and Noble, I realized that I could embed a few other components to this lesson. So, while reading the story, I asked the kids a few comprehension questions.
What’s the setting? The problem?
Once the scholars were done inputting all the Pronouns in the passage, I read it fluently with them…modeling correct rate and expression.
Following that, I gave them two Reader’s Response questions.
1. Have you ever felt like the boy?
2. How will act next time he sees the boys?
I couldn’t believe it. With a simple comb over of the lesson, I found ways to embed three other components in the lesson.
Moving on to Word Power, I had the students analyze the weekly words. One of the words was “sum”, which is a Math word. So, I had them do a 2 by 2 digit problem and explain how they got the answer.
Additionally, the kids responded to a prompt with picture and word. In one student’s response, he shared where the children were located(setting).
Closing out the day, I introduced Character Feelings to the kids with a clip from Pixar’s “Inside/Out.”
After that video-aloud, I frontloaded the vocabulary. And to practice that vocabulary, I took the kids through a “Character Feelings” google slide. It had gifs, memes and videos. The approach was engaging yet rigorous.
Results of the lesson: The kids rocked their Character Feelings exit ticket.
After-Planning Is Key.
I leave you with one thing.
1. Do you prepare after you prepare?
Be Phenomenal, Mr. Short
The Phenomenal Student 