TPA Guidelines Handout

For this blog posting I will be discussing the TPA Guidelines that we are to use in this class for our Mini-Lesson and our Three Week Unit Plan Assignment. The TPA is very precise and covers a lot of bases for teachers when planning lessons. It has you develop a context for learning which requires teachers to know their classrooms. This is important for all teachers to consider when creating lesson plans for the classroom. What kind of diversity encompasses a classroom is important to know and consider when planning a lesson. Diversity can be defined as differences in age, culture, ethnicity, socio-economic status, etc.

The TPA also allows you to plan for any limitations you may encounter while teaching the lesson.  You may not have all the required technology in a certain classroom that you planned or hoped for so as a teacher you should always have a plan B. The TPA allows you to prepare for scenarios like this. The TPA makes sure that teachers are planning their lessons according to GLEs and Common Core Standards. The TPA has teachers establish a learning goal or target for the lesson. A learning goal should be what the teacher envisions their students being able to do by the end of the lesson. It must be a measurable goal and at some point students must endure an assessment of some sorts to ensure that the goal is met.

The TPA also has teachers come up with a rationale for the lesson. That is giving this lesson a purpose beyond the reasons of "I am the teacher and I say it is important". It also allows you to answer questions such as what prior knowledge are the students building on from this lesson and also how it fits into the overall curriculum.

The TPA also has a required section for differentiated instruction. This is one of the most important parts. For every lesson a teacher has they should have multiple ways of going about that lesson. Each student is different and will learn differently from others. It is important for teachers to plan that way so that students have a chance to do well.

I like the TPA because it lays out everything nicely for the teacher and allows a teacher to be prepared when going into to teaching a lesson. However, it is illogical to think that for every single lesson a teacher teaches that they will have time to complete a TPA lesson plan. As a teacher candidate I value the importance of having to complete a TPA handout for every lesson I teach. I know that it will prepare me for when I am a full time paid teacher who has to plan for five periods a day and I have to consider all of these different elements when teaching a lesson to students.