STANDARD #7: Planning For Instruction

The standard: The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting
rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-
disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community
context.

Narrative: During my student teaching semester, Madison Elementary took on a pilot for a reading
curriculum called Into Reading. Over the course of my semester, the trajectory of how that program
was implemented in the classroom shifted and evolved. It began with my mentor teacher modeling
for myself and the students, then turned into me adapting the lesson plans and teaching the
curriculum on my own.

Reflection: As one of the two pilot classrooms in our grade level, I was able to take the lead on the
pilot program for a new reading curriculum, Into Reading. This was a great experience for me, as I
led lesson planning for the entire fourth grade team and implemented the curriculum into the
classroom by teaching it and gauging student interest in the new program. Getting student input and
ideas was important to the program’s success, seeing where they believed the strengths and
weaknesses lie. The other two fourth grade classrooms did not have the pilot materials, and only had
the online component available to them. I was able to go into one of their classrooms and model the
opening of the new module for the teacher and students. I taught the first lesson and helped the
teacher set up the pilot, due to my familiarity with it. The guidance of my mentor teacher showed me
how I want to collaborate with my team members in all future positions, proving the importance of
cooperation and co-teaching.