Thematic Units

Thematic units are important to implement into the classroom. I have not experienced much with thematic units. I did, however, go to the workshop that included a teacher that taught his curriculum based on different themes. It was interesting to learn how he implemented each theme into the curriculum. Chapter four helped me understand the practical considerations to have when implementing thematic units. The considerations are: scheduling, resources, mandated curriculum, administrative support, parental involvement, and evaluation and assessment.

One thing that I found interesting while reading this was the techniques that were given to assist teachers in managing their classrooms when students were involved in a variety of activities. One suggestion that was given was to have the students’ record their group working together so that the teacher can listen to the tape to determine if the students need assistance. Developing a monitoring system in order to keep the teacher and their peers informed about their activity is a great way to keep track of student progress. Another suggestion that is given is to have a place where students can sign up for a conference with the teacher. I believe that this allows the students to take responsibility and decide when they are ready to speak with the teacher. These strategies allow students to become responsible for their learning.

I plan to implement thematic units into my classroom. I think that it provides an opportunity to include students’ interests into the curriculum. I believe that it will take a lot of planning; however, it will be very beneficial. I believe that the most difficult part will be to be sure that the standards are being addressed and met by the students. This chapter has helped me understand how to schedule my time to make sure the students are getting the most out of each unit. It has taught me how to use my resources to create a unit that will benefit my students. I have also learned how important it is to gain administrative and parental support if I wish to implement thematic units in the classroom.