Lecture Notes on Teaching Strategies and Goals

Importance of Goal-Focused Teaching

• Aim to be more effective and goal-focused in teaching.
• A good plan alone doesn't make a good teacher.
• Pedagogical skills are essential; be attentive to group dynamics.

Understanding Backward Design

• UBD (Understanding by Design) helps in planning with both short-term and long-term goals in mind.
• Quote: "Chance favors the prepared mind" (Pasteur).
• Prepare for teachable moments—recognize student comments as entry points to achieve lesson goals, not deviations from them.

Building Proactive, Thoughtful Students

• Focus on developing autonomous learners, not just covering content.
• Align short-term actions with long-term goals.

Misalignment of Plans and Goals

• Example: Critical and creative thinking is often valued, but students can achieve high grades without it.
• Importance of using content critically and creatively in everyday planning.

The Fatal Mistake of Prep Schools

• High admissions standards don't guarantee value-added education in critical thinking.
• Importance of reflecting on teaching effectiveness, not just student intelligence.

Developing Strategic Thinking

• Example from soccer coaching—importance of strategic thinking in both sports and education.
• Using questions to provoke thought and self-assessment in students.

Encouraging Self-Assessment in Students

• Have students assess themselves against long-term goals.
• Transparency and reinforcement of goals are key for student understanding.

Exercise: Mission Statement Creation

• Think-pair-share: Create a one-sentence mission statement for your course.
• Consider both overall course goals and specific content strands.

Backward Design Logic

• If a goal is set, then determine:
  • What assessments should follow?
  • What instructional approaches should be taken?
• Assessment should reflect student progress toward the goal, not just grades.

Emphasis on Reading Engagement

• Example from a fourth-grade teacher: Want students to love reading, not just be good readers.
• Consider how to foster a love for reading while still teaching essential reading skills.