Mary Redden

Domain 1 Reflection  

Planning and Preparation

Year 1

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I feel I have evolved greatly as a teacher this year especially in terms of my ability to plan and prepare short term and long term tasks.  Although I’ve been a teacher for fourteen years, a new subject was added to my schedule this year, Living Environment/ Biology at High School East.  This requires me to plan and prepare curriculum on a higher level than I am used to teaching.  Its taught me to organize myself, plan ahead, and allow myself personal studying time to ensure my students are progressing with their personal IEP goals as well as mastering skills necessary to take the NYS Living Environment Regents exam in June. 

 

In addition to Living Environment, I plan and teach two different subjects within the Life Skills Program, English and Math Essentials at High School West.  Traveling between two buildings and teaching several very different curriculums requires me to switch gears often throughout the day in terms of my delivery of instruction.  Also, it's added another layer to the necessity of staying routined, organized.  I find myself planning close to a month ahead in an attempt to allow my off periods to see students 1:1,  keep up with protocols and meetings of both buildings, and making adjustments when necessary.   Planning so far ahead also affords some leeway when seeking out collaboration with colleagues on a regular basis ensuring our instruction is on the same path and w're meeting the needs of each of our students with special needs.

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I’m excited about this year because although I’ve been teaching for well over a decade, this is my first-year teaching Biology, and it has been both humbling and exciting teaching something so new and different. I feel both energized and exhausted at the same time. 

I had no idea how much I would like planning and teaching Biology. Although being new to the curriculum this year, I had to spend much more time planning labs and lessons, and then planning the breakdown of those labs and lessons.  Although a lot of work, teaching a higher-level curriculum was a breath of fresh air to me. Comparing the planning and instruction of this class verses to the planning and instruction of my functional Math and English classes I've been teaching for years, I can say honestly I’ve enjoyed Bio more.  I do love teaching life skills as well as the students in the life skills program, but I’ve really enjoyed being able to go further with a given topic, getting more immediate feedback from the students. So although the adjustment in my planning and preparation has increased dramatically this year, the extra time spent was worth it, and this change has probably benefitted me more than the students.