Instructional Strategies

Standard #8: Instructional Strategies The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Introduction

To best support my learners given their academic and behavioral differences, I use an array of instructional strategies designed to provide a meaningful academic experience with skill sets that are transferable to other aspects of their lives. My science students will work throughout the year to build fundamental skills, develop an understanding of content and how to use those skills, and applying the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom. As I am planning lessons I consider the end goal of each lesson and which instructional strategy will be the best support for learners to engage in the lesson and demonstrate what they have learned from the aligned standard.

Not only do my instructional strategies support my students in their learning, but they are designed to support my end goal for their learning and how I should move forward with my teaching. I work to encourage students to support one another, gain confidence in themselves, communicate effectively, increase their knowledge in my content area, and find meaning in what they are learning. My students gain a deep understanding of content areas and their connections by utilizing their interactive notebooks, technology integration, and acquired literacy skillsets throughout the year. In this section there are a number of examples of instructional strategies along with how each strategy aligns with my pedagogical practice to support all of my learners.

Conclusion

Without an array of instructional strategies aligned to my state standards I would not be able to effectively deliver content to my students. These strategies are an essential component of my teaching that not only ensure I am delivering content properly, but also give me a means to measure what my students are retaining from my teaching or what content may need to be revisited. When implemented effectively, instructional strategies push students to further explore content through an inquisitive lens and build the foundational skills they will need to be successful across all of their core contents.

In this section I have shown how the variety of instructional strategies used in my classroom work to engage learners in my content and promote a deeper understanding of the materials. Learners are guided through building the academic identities, using inquiry based learning, and applying what they have learned through experiential learning in every unit they are taught. All of these components come together to form a cohesive learning experience that is more meaningful to students because of their level of investment along the way.

My approach to instructional strategies has changed over the three years I have spent in the classroom because my students have changed and I am working to make all of my lessons be more inclusive of the unique identities that my students bring to the classroom. Assignments are much more reflective of the cultures that I teach and the world they are entering once they leave my classroom. Students engage in activities that promote the meaningful application of what they have learned in my classroom because they have had the chance to learn content through a variety of instructional strategies such as Project Based Learning, choice boards, and collaborative work.