Unit Planning Reflection

Building a unit from scratch is an incredible act of creativity and thinking. For me, the biggest takeaway from building a unit is that the scope and sequence of learning can be broad and not to worry too much about the details - those can be worked through in lesson planning.

In my unit, there is crossover between literacy and social studies as students read a historical narrative and then respond to it in the form of a letter. In elementary classrooms, social studies is one of the first subjects to be dropped from the schedule, as teachers face an overwhelming pressure to show growth in performance with literacy and math. I believe that literacy can include social studies, so that students are being exposed to more subjects than what they're just tested on by the state.

For my next unit, I would think about creating more ways for student to create meaningful, authentic work, using a variety of mediums. I think when a student has choice, they are more engaged and invested in their learning.

For the next semester students - be creative! What do you wish you learned in school? It's ok if this is super broad and feels unfinished. This is just a starting foundation for the lessons you will teach. Focus on the smaller individual pieces and the larger goal of learning.