TPE 10: Instructional Time

It is absolutely necessary for the instructor of any course to have a preconceived notion of the trajectory of the class they are going to teach, and it is the right of the student to have an understanding of the subjects and timeline for a course. While this tool is helpful for the student, it is necessary for the teacher to be able to schedule assessments and maximize instructional time to prepare the students for the assessments.

I have found in my own experience that it is best to start planning with the end in mind and ask the question: what do I want my students to learn before the end of the trimester/semester? This outcome is what will allow the teacher to plan out the rest of the semester accordingly so that the students can reached the desired outcomes. I have also framed my syllabus by using questions that my students and I will explore over the course of the trimester. I prefer to use this method of introducing the topics to position the material as one of investigation and exploration.  I also give my students the syllabus as a blank so that they can actively follow what we are going to investigate in the class and co-construct the class room agreements as a class.