Level Up Your Lesson Plans: Ignite the Joy of Learning with Fun and Educational Materials

by Teresa K. Kwant

Overview

Level Up Your Lesson Plans: Ignite the Joy of Learning with Fun and Educational Materials

Tired of spending hours on lesson plans? Discover strategies to streamline your planning process and maximize student engagement. Access exclusive templates, tools, and resources designed to help you create effective lessons that align with learning standards. Save time, reduce stress, and elevate your teaching game. In Level Up Your Lesson Plans: Ignite the Joy of Learning with Fun and Educational Materials, teacher Teresa Kwant delivers an exciting and practical instruction book for teachers interested in adding fun into their lesson plans, without sacrificing educational strategies. The book walks you through how to transform your teaching materials and lessons into interactive, collaborative and enjoyable learning experiences for both the teacher and students.

Kwant draws on personal and professional experiences to give actionable steps you can implement immediately. You'll also find:

• Tips for aligning your lessons with standards to make them both fun and engaging
• Strategies for building your own instructional plans for daily success with student learning
• Techniques to develop your own lessons plans efficiently, and with high engagement

Perfect for new and veteran classroom teachers looking for student engagement tips, Level Up Your Lesson Plans is a hands-on playbook for planning smarter, so you teach better. This book is the hands-on, creative teaching playbook the education community has been waiting for.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781394283507
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Teresa Kwant is a veteran teacher-turned “edupreneur” who has sold more than $2 million in education resources. Teresa operates Teacher-Author Brilliance and Teresa Kwant LLC, in which she coaches educators into doing the same. She is a popular influencer and trusted voice in the edupreneurship space. Visit www.teresakwant.com to learn more about Teresa and her work.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Game On: The Level-Up Lesson Layout 1

Clear Learning Objective 6

Engaging Hook 7

Introduction of New Material 7

Guided Practice 8

Collaborative Practice 9

Assessment 10

Chapter 2 Start Your Journey with Clear Learning Objectives 15

Leveled-Up Learning Objective Ideas 21

Chapter 3 Press Play Using Engaging Hooks 25

The Leveled-Up Hook Acronym 32

Writing Your Hook 33

Leveled-Up Lesson Hook Ideas 35

Chapter 4 Map Expansion: The Introduction of New Material 37

Direct Instruction 41

Inquiry-Based Learning 43

Expanding the Knowledge Map with Direct Instruction and Inquiry-Based Learning 45

Roadmap for Student Map Expansion 46

Leveled-Up Lesson Map Expansion Ideas 46

Chapter 5 Join the Training Arena During Guided Practice 49

Modeling 53

Guidance 56

Independent Practice 58

Setting up Expectations During Independent Practice 64

Differentiating During Independent Practice 66

Chapter 6 Multiplayer Mode Collaborative Practice in Your Lessons 71

What is Collaboration in the Classroom? 73

Why Collaboration is Important in the Classroom 75

How to Implement Collaboration in Lesson Plans 76

Collaborative Activities and Projects 80

Chapter 7 Assessment: The Lesson Plan Victory Lap 87

Purpose of Assessments 88

Formative Assessments 89

Summative Assessments 95

Chapter 8 Let’s Play: Game-Based Learning 103

Game-Based Learning Explained 104

Simple Game-Based Learning Examples for Elementary Students 105

Benefits of Game-Based Learning in the Classroom 107

Simplicity Over Complexity: Embracing the Uncomplicated Approach 114

Chapter 9 Unlock Digital Power-Ups: Creative Use of Technology in Lesson Planning 117

Digital or Paper-Based Games in the Classroom? 119

Five Creative Ideas to Incorporate Technology into Your Lessons 122

Chapter 10 Level-Up Learning with Escape Rooms 125

The Educational Value of Escape Rooms 126

Creating an Escape Room for Your Classroom 127

Digital vs. Printable Escape Rooms 132

Classroom Management Tips for Escape Rooms 134

The Power of Play in Learning 135

Chapter 11 Tips for Lesson Planning Efficiently and with Purpose 137

Prioritize 138

Leverage 140

Canva 141

Self-correcting Resources 142

ChatGPT 143

Adapt 144

Next 144

Chapter 12 Bonus Level: Turn Your Passion into Profit 173

Step 1: Find Your Passion and Narrow your Niche 174

Step 2: Research your Audience’s Needs 175

Step 3: Design Quality Resources 176

Step 4: Creating Titles and Descriptions 181

Step 5: Pricing Tips 182

Step 6: Product Lines and Bundling 183

Wrapping It Up 184

Conclusion 185

About the Author 187

Index 189