Preparing a lesson plan is one of the most essential skills a teacher needs to have to be effective in the classroom. It can be challenging, especially in the early days of your career as there are a few components that you need to focus on and incorporate into it, such as learning objectives, learning activities and assessments for student understanding.
However, here are a few simple suggestions that you can use to help make a good lesson plan and create an engaging learning experience for your students.
1. Use school forms
Most schools have their own forms for teachers to use for lesson planning, with clearly defined terms and layouts. Make sure you have these in your files. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the member of staff responsible for curriculum matters if you need help or clarification. After all, they’re there to assist you and want you to succeed.
2. Stay organised
Adding things like subject, topic, date and time, and your name will help you keep track of the lesson plans in your file. Don’t forget to make notes of any changes to your plans and dates. This way you’ll stay organised and on top of everything that’s happening in your school.
3. Keep note of your resources
Create your own list of resources. Include worksheets and any physical resources, but also hyperlinks to websites to help you find those online resources and links at a later date. This might be feel like an additional thing to do whilst planning, but you’ll thank yourself later.
4. Put it in context
When writing your lesson plan, include information about what context or prior knowledge is covered for the lesson. Indicating what you want to cover will demonstrate that you’ve thought about where you see the lesson sitting in the sequence of student’s progression. One lesson should introduce the concept or a theme, and the next lesson should work on that prior knowledge.
5. Define aims and objectives
Set your aims and learning objectives at the start of the lesson plan. Make them as clear, as straight-forward as possible and achievable. Make sure that the aims clarify what you want students to achieve, and the learning objectives should clarify what the students should have achieved by the end of the lesson.
6. Prepare the introduction and activity
Introduce students to what they are going to be learning. It’s crucial that this part is as engaging as possible. If you can’t grab the student’s attention now, they won’t listen to you later. Refer to the lesson’s topic, learning objectives, as well as success criteria.
Next is the class demonstration or teaching session. This can be a video, PowerPoint presentation, a teacher-led class discussion, or you can share your knowledge based on experience with them. Music and visuals are always a good way to focus the mind and get your students thinking.
After the demonstration, it’s time for the activity – ensure that you have prepared something suitable for everyone to keep them occupied and make them feel supported. Make sure you include exactly what you want your students to achieve during the session.
The final part is bringing everything together and summarising what’s been achieved during the lesson in the context of the topic. If you do run out of time, ensure you make time for it the next time you meet with your students.
7. Prepare an assessment
This is all about how well your lesson plan worked. Make notes of what worked well, what didn’t and why, and whether you had enough time to cover everything you’d aimed for. These notes will help you when you come back to the topic again.
Teaching is a fast-paced, ever-changing environment. The more you plan, and work on your planning, the easier it becomes. Look for advice and resources, follow the guidance you are given and do your best to adapt. Your students are the most important factor in your planning and if you can engage with them, that’s all that matters.
“A good lesson plan is a living document. It is not set in stone, but rather it is a guide that keeps you – the classroom practitioner – engaged and thinking about what you are teaching.” - Otis Kriegel