Teaching with Clarity: Understanding by Design in Everyday Planning

Price: $ 120 

Date: Thursday, October 16th, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET

Instructors: Joan McGettigan, EdD

Grades: K – 8

Why This Workshop:

Even the most thoughtfully developed curriculum can fall short if students don’t understand the “why” behind what they’re learning. This workshop introduces a practical approach to using Understanding by Design (UbD) principles to bring more clarity, focus, and intentionality to classroom planning (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). Participants will learn how to anchor instruction in big ideas and essential questions that promote deeper thinking, support long-term retention, and encourage transfer across content areas. Participants will discover how to break down unit planning into manageable steps, use time-saving templates, and ensure alignment between instruction and learning objectives.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to identify and use big ideas and essential questions to frame instruction that deepens understanding and promotes knowledge transfer
• Use backward design strategies to clarify learning goals and align them with daily lessons and formative assessments
• Apply practical planning tools to streamline instructional decision-making and highlight what matters most in a unit
• Strengthen the connection between learning objectives, student tasks, and assessment, making learning more purposeful and transparent for students