TPE 3

TPE 3.3: Plan, design, implement, and monitor instruction consistent with current subject-specific pedagogy in the content area(s) of instruction, and design and implement disciplinary and cross-disciplinary learning sequences, including integrating the visual and performing arts as applicable to the discipline.

TPE 3.4: Individually and through consultation and collaboration with other educators and members of the larger school community, plan for effective subject matter instruction and use multiple means of representing, expressing, and engaging students to demonstrate their knowledge.

What is this?
This is a cross-curricular unit plan about space, created alongside my mentors during my full-time student teaching. We integrated many activities and projects as we made the plan using the NGSS science standards. I taught this entire unit solo to the class during my placement.

Why did I choose this?
I chose this because it shows my ability to teach to the standards, collaborate with others, and utilize cross-disciplinary activities. For example, we completed many writing projects, integrating both ELA and science into one activity. We also completed an art project throughout the three weeks, which integrated art and science. The unit plan was rich and engaging, as I used multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation in my lessons.

What did I learn?
First and foremost, I learned that a three-week plan can sometimes take more than three weeks. Creating and applying this unit helped me gauge how much content I can squeeze into one lesson. I also learned how to effectively collaborate with colleagues, as this unit sequence was crafted by my mentor teacher, myself, and the other two teachers from our grade-level team. I also gained more insight into effectively using the standards to create a lesson.