TPA Lesson Plan Response

TPA Lesson Plan Response

In all honesty, the Washington Teaching Performance Assessment (edTPA) Lesson Plan Framework demands a large amount of detail that is not always necessary or possible to provide in individual lessons. Much of the edTPA asks for redundant information such as providing a introductory and closure information to summarize information within the Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks to Support Learning section; however, this appears unnecessary because everything that must be known is listed in the TPA. For further explanation the introduction information asks how the instructor will introduce the lesson. It was my impression that the section would provide a detailed run-down of how class time would be spent. To answer the introduction and closure questions/demands would be re-stating the information. Repeating information is useless and time-exhaustive. I really believe that the TPA should provide detailed information without demanding too much time from instructors. TPAs should be useful rather than hindering.

Another item I found to be useless as far as TPA lessons is the Parent and Community Connections section. On a daily lesson plan format, it is impossible for every lesson plan to produce substance for this section; however, this section would be wonderful for a unit or quarterly TPA format. I think it is useful, but in terms of an individual lesson it is again too time exhaustive.

What I do like about this document are the questions that are asked before the TPA lesson format. For example, Context for Learning asks for instructors to address students’ background, interests and needs in order to create engaging lessons that encompass a larger population of the class. I found this to be helpful, especially since every class and school is different; we can’t, as instructors, rely on a cookie-cutter less plans and expect them to work out if they are not relevant to our unique class makeup. Further, this section asks teachers to consider what may prevent this lesson being successful. In my own classroom, class discipline would affect the delivery of this lesson. In this specific scenario is not a case of whether or not the lesson is engaging but rather or not students can be disciplined, or kept on task, with less time spent deviating to address such issues. I would include that a lack of materials- something that is very possible in a low SES school- should also be considered as to what could impact/prevent the delivery of the lesson.

I also liked that student voice was included in the section in which the lesson-time schedule is detailed is a great idea because instructors can go further into detail about what the students will be doing ten minutes into the classroom in greater detail. This change from the previous formats I have been using is convenient and space/time-saving.

Finally, my last thought rests upon my distaste for using materials from California. Why aren't we looking at our own state needs, especially since we are not allowed to student-teach outside of Washington Stat? Shouldn't we continue to focus on this demanded venue? I think that the requirements for educators such as these TPAs are excessive, despite their good intentions. These sort of documents could be useful tools for lesson planning if the idea of time management and efficiency for the document was taken into more consideration. In this case, detail is excessive.