Page 53: How I planned a scheme of work? (KS1)
How did I plan a scheme of work?
As soon as I started my BA3 placement (this is a KS1 placement in year 2) I was ready to get stuck in and contribute as highly and professionally as I could from the set off. We started placement at an ideal time. I started the week before October half term which gave me the fantastic opportunity to get to know the class and school and conduct some group teaches. I was able to witness the planning to delivery school cycle for all subjects and see how this was implemented. Thursday afternoon (my PPA) my class mentor and I were discussing planning and teaching for after half term. I was ready to get stuck in straight away and volunteered to plan a scheme of work for the coming half term.
Completing this for the first tine and as a student teacher, if possible, definitely choose a subject you are passionate and confident teaching. For me, this was geography! I needed to create the scheme of work, lesson plans, lesson resources, summative assessment to end the scheme, and a knowledge organiser for the school website and children to explore.
How did I start?
Obviously this started with lots of fantastic discussion and talk with my mentor. We discussed planning a scheme of work, the main aspects thats must be covered in every lesson (such as a metacognition task), how to include a range of different types of activities and learning to make sure all areas of the brain are actively learning and engaged, as well as finding out if there were any further assessment oppotutnies (I knew we wanted to covered an assessed piece of writing too). After this, I was ready and confident to get started.
What did I need/use?
There were 2 key documents I referred to. Both, completely vital for planning any scheme of work, firstly the National Curriculum for England, and secondly my schools linked curriculum for the subject needed, in this case Geography. Although you are primarily basing the lessons from your schools linked curriculum, it is essential to refer back to the National Curriculum to firstly ensure all statutory points are covered, as well as giving some ideas upon previous learning that can be reviewed as a starter. When you are ready and familiar with both documents, you are ready to begin planning the scheme.
My order
With these two documents open and ready, I firstly established which curriculum points needed to be covered in this half term. For Autumn 2, there were two linked curriculum points to be covered, firstly what is a town? and secondly what is a village?. Reference to Autumn 1 city and countryside knowledge and learning was to be referenced throughout.
I knew I had 6 lessons (one to be the final quiz), so there were 5 taught sessions. I kept lessons as practical, active and engaging as possible. From using videos, physical exploring and exploration, discussion a range of grouped, paired and individual work, children were able to access and thrive through a variety of learning. Key needed geographical skills were covered and incorporated such as map work. When I had a basis of content I intended to cover, it was then time to make the session plans, power points and resources and finished by making the final assessment quiz and knowledge organiser to ensure all content was covered.
The 5 lessons the curriculum objectives were broke into to achieve and access the intentions:
1. What is a town? What can we find in a town? (Hook Julia Donaldson - The Smartest Giant in Town storybook)
2. What is a village? What can we find in a village? (using videos, pre and post 'new learning' group tasks)
3. Locating on a map (discussing the different elements, and locating so on a map)
4. Describing towns and villages (whole class writing lesson, class detective exploration hook - see interim assessment post for full lesson plan!)
5. Is (our local area) a city, town or village? (Whole class written assessment piece - using videos and flashback of all knowledge)
Checking and reflection
As soon as initially planned and all resources ready, I sent it straight over to my class mentor who reviewed and supporting enhancing the areas needed. For example, I originally did not include a map activity, but when informed needed, I was easily able to substitute this in the provide the highest quality scheme and ensure all essentail points covered. After this, it was the case of uploading to the school system ready for the other classes to use, sending on the knowledge organiser to be uploaded to the school website (this is something I am really proud of - sometimes it is the little things seeing that physical evidence) and printing all lesson 1 resources.
How do I felt the unit and delivery went?
Now the unit is finished, all sessions taught and assessment marked, I was really proud of the scheme I created. Upon reflection in the children's books, clear progress through a range of learning activities were demonstrated and during both the written assessment and quiz, lots of great knowledge and understanding was demonstrated as well as areas that need further reinforcing highlighted to be addressed in the metacognition flashback starters in spring 1! As this was a scheme taught by 2 other classes, I reflected and spoke to their teachers how the scheme worked for them and addressed any feedback given.
I throughly enjoyed producing this scheme and it is a chunk of work I am really proud of. Using my imagination, drive and passion to create a scheme of work used in the school, really excites me for my ECT years and teaching to come. I hope this post was informative and helpful as well as a little insight into a lot of the behind the scenes work!
I will end today's page which a quote that is essential to think about when you start planning anything - from individual lessons to whole schemes of work. The end point/objective/intention is always reachable! Sometimes, you just have to adapt how you get there!
"If the plan does not work, change the plan, not the goal' - Unknown
- Miss Yeoman
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