Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs (DLL) – MATATAG & MELC Curriculum | SY 2025-2026

Ma'am Marinelli

Last Updated: July 2, 2025.

Planning lessons is a core responsibility for every teacher and by this time, the pressure to meet curriculum standards is real. While we may spend hours filling out our Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs, aligning with competencies and designing activities, poorly structured planning can actually hinder student learning. As we enter Week 4 of Quarter 1 under the MATATAG Curriculum, it’s important to pause and reflect: Are our lesson plans truly aligned with what students need? Or are we falling into common traps that make us look organized without actually helping students learn?

Ross Morrison McGill highlights three common lesson planning pitfalls:

  • Activity-focused planning – choosing a fun activity and building objectives around it, rather than starting with the learning goal.
  • Coverage-focused planning – rushing to “complete the curriculum” without ensuring actual understanding.
  • Over-planning – trying to do too much at once, overwhelming both teacher and students.

These habits can lead to surface-level engagement with little lasting impact. As educators, we need more than checklists and compliance. We need lesson plans that empower real learning starting with where our students are and aiming clearly for where they need to go.

That’s where the work of John Hattie and Peps McCrae offers critical insights. Their research-based frameworks help us craft DLLs that are not just complete but truly effective.

Let’s explore how their principles can enhance your Week 4 DLLs and help your students thrive.

Common Pitfalls in Lesson Planning

Even the most dedicated teachers can fall into certain planning habits that look productive on paper but don’t necessarily lead to better learning outcomes. Ross Morrison McGill, drawing from the work of Peps McCrae points out some of the most common missteps. One is planning lessons around a fun or interesting activity and then forcing the objectives to match afterward. Another is focusing solely on covering all the topics listed in the curriculum, without checking if students are truly mastering them. And then there’s the trap of trying to squeeze in too much—too many goals, too many activities which often overwhelms students and dilutes the depth of learning. Recognizing and avoiding these traps is a crucial step toward creating Daily Lesson Logs (DLLs) that truly serve student growth.

Planning with Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs

John Hattie, a leading voice in educational research, offers a more intentional approach to lesson planning. He outlines four essential elements that make planning effective and meaningful. First, teachers should understand each student’s starting point, their current knowledge and skills. Second, there must be clear, targeted learning objectives that define where students should end up. Third, educators should monitor the pace and quality of progress to ensure students are moving forward. Lastly, collaboration among teachers is key. Working together strengthens planning and leads to more cohesive and supportive instruction. Integrating these elements into your Quarter 1 Week 4 DLLs can turn your lesson plans into powerful tools for learning.

Peps McCrae encourages teachers to take a step back and ask four simple yet powerful questions when planning: Where are my learners starting from? Where do I want them to go? How will I know when they get there? And how can I help them succeed? These questions shift the focus from completing tasks to meeting learners’ actual needs. When your Week 4 DLLs are shaped by this kind of reflective thinking, they naturally become more student-centered and more aligned with the goals of the MATATAG Curriculum.

One of the most important aspects of lesson planning is being crystal clear about what students are expected to learn. That’s why strong Daily Lesson Logs should include both a well-defined learning intention and clear success criteria. The learning intention outlines what the lesson aims to teach, while the success criteria describe how both the teacher and the students will know if that learning has been achieved. This clarity helps students understand the “why” behind each lesson and gives them a clear target to work toward, making it easier for them to take charge of their own progress..

Planning doesn’t end once a lesson is taught. It continues through how we respond to student work. Marking and feedback are not just about grading, they are essential tools for guiding future lessons. When teachers review student work, they gain insights into what concepts need to be revisited which students need extra support, and how to fine-tune upcoming activities and goals. In this way, assessment becomes a feedback loop that continuously improves both teaching and learning. For Week 4, use marking not as a final judgment but as a bridge to your next, even more effective lesson.

MATATAG & MELC –

Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs SY 2025-2026 |

July 7 – 11, 2025 DLL

Get the latest Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs aligned with the MATATAG and MELC curricula below:

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Also Available 1st Quarter SY 2025–2026 Files

Looking for more teaching resources? The following files are also updated weekly:

Summary and Key Points

As you finalize your Quarter 1 Week 4 Daily Lesson Logs, remember: great lesson planning goes beyond ticking boxes. It’s about aligning lessons with where your students are, where they need to go and how best to support them on that journey.

  • Avoid activity-traps, coverage-traps and over-planning traps
  • Focus on prior knowledge, progression and targeted goals
  • Define clear learning intentions and success criteria
  • Use student feedback and marking to inform next steps

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