Chapter 3 What I Found Important

Teachers should always be aware of the state standards and their students' performance. They should not focus on the textbooks alone. They should want to enhance their students' performance on state test by teaching what is required of the state. There are two approaches that are used. The text-based approach has been called the developing an organizing idea. This is when the teacher focus' on the principles and concepts that are important to be learned by the students. Standards-based Big Ideas is where a teacher will examine standards in the curriculum and state standards and then form her lessons.

Teachers should establish a goal of helping students read, write, and learn. Teachers could use this critical literacy and compare their students' lives with the lives of characters in a book. This would help the students learn to think critically. It would help them with their reading skills and their writing skills. This would be a great way for the students to learn.

According to the chapter, many new teachers just fill time in the classroom. With the big idea approach, teachers can assess what the students know and what they need to know and then plan lessons and learning activities for them to accomplish. The principles that big idea accomplish complement the principles for differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction is important to me because it allows every student the opportunity to learn more effectively. Teachers should tell the students why it is important to learn. They should help the students understand patterns and connections. They should teach them academic language. they should emphasize engagement, and provide time for the completion of a project. Teachers should show students strategies to learn and watch for students' progress.