Week 7: Chapter 9 Cantu, Scaffolding in Prezi

For the past couple of weeks, we have been reviewing different lesson frameworks and it got me thinking about how experienced teachers do not use formal lesson plans. My cooperating teacher's only responsibility is to type up a brief description of what she is going to do for the week and that is considered her lesson plan. For example, October 6th-ch. 6 quiz and debate topic. That can't even really be considered a description. I may be reading too much into this, but I feel as though the lack of accountability for teachers out in the field can become a serious problem. I know that teachers are extremely busy and writing out a formalized lesson plan for each week will only add more to their workloads, however, there are many teachers who are able to do the bare minimum in the classroom and get away with it and that is not acceptable.

I think that teachers should at least have to give more detailed explanations of their plans for the week. Instead of just listing that one is going to cover chapter 6, teachers should at least be required to write perhaps some essential questions or goals that they want to see resulting from the coverage of the chapter. These "lesson plans" then should be sent to the department chair to be looked over. If the department chair notices that the teacher is missing something or taking shortcuts then the appropriate action should be taken. It would be preferable for teachers to have to write formal lesson plans so that the students do not suffer from "teacher's rut," meaning teachers doing the same things every single day over and over again.

 I have already noticed that my lesson plans are being adapted to fit my own method of learning and my own interests. I learn in a structured, formal manner and I tend to create lesson plans that fit that mold. This is so easy to do too. I had not even realized it until about my third lesson. It is understandable that teachers who have been in the profession for years can get into this same sort of rut. I do not believe that there ever comes a point in a teacher's career in which he or she has become all-knowledgeable and without the need for a mentor. Everyone benefits from conversing with someone who is in the same field. I think that every school needs to implement a mentoring program for teachers that exists for as long as the teacher is working in the school. This is another method in which teachers can be held accountable. Each year the mentoring pairs should change in order to bring in different perspectives and ideas for the classroom. Otherwise both teachers could fall into the "going through the motions" type of teaching. This mentoring program might alert more experienced teachers to that rut and convince them to change things up a bit.

My question for this week would be ... What are some other ways in which teachers can be held accountable for what they are doing in the classroom? Or what are some ways in which a teacher can become self-aware of his or her teaching "ruts" and avoid them?