“Educators implement effective planning, instruction, assessment and reporting practices to create respectful, inclusive environments for student learning and development.”
Teachers must use strong planning, teaching, and assessment methods to create a positive and inclusive learning environment. They should design lessons that fit the needs of individual students and the community. Teachers should use various strategies to teach and evaluate students, communicate well in English or French, and seek help when needed.
Planning is essential for creating a supportive and effective learning environment. How educators design lessons with all students in mind makes a big difference. Reflecting on each class and adjusting strategies based on students’ learning outcomes is key to effective teaching, as it gives every student a fair chance to engage and succeed.
One of the biggest challenges for me has been assessment. In my lesson plan on “Inclusion and Exceptionalities,” I spent a lot of time thinking about how to assess all students fairly, including those who need extra support. I learned that making a lesson inclusive means not only planning the content carefully but also thinking deeply about how each student will show their learning.
A teacher I observed during my practicum shared a phrase that resonated with me: “If there is choice, there is voice.” This means that giving students choices makes them more involved and invested in their learning. From this I learned that the value of including choices to help students feel included and motivated.
Clear success criteria are also essential. Setting clear targets helps me know what to teach and how to teach it, including planning activities that make learning meaningful. Clear criteria also help students understand what they are learning, encourage self-assessment, and make it easier for them to act on feedback and track their own progress.
Assessment is ongoing and happens throughout the class. As education becomes increasingly important for future success, more attention will be paid to how grades are calculated and how well they reflect what students have learned. The formative assessment supports students during their learning process, while summative assessment shows what they have achieved at the end.
Additionally, a guest speaker in one of our courses said, “Success often leads to motivation, not the other way around.” This taught me that setting small, achievable goals can help students build confidence. When planning, I aim to create lessons with small successes, so students feel capable and encouraged to keep learning. The speaker also mentioned that students don’t learn if they don’t feel a connection with the teacher. This showed me how important it is to build strong relationships with students.