Lesson Planning Techniques and Materials (03/24/14)

Lesson planning can appear to be one of the most daunting tasks an educator must face.  There are some plans that  are highly detailed and include scripts containing anticipated student interactions.  There are those that may appear to be bare bones, especially to new teachers, but the plans are power-packed and infused with enough academic ammunition to induce meaningful learning experiences.

Brown (2007) provides the format of a lesson plan in Chapter 10 of his book, Teaching by Principles, An Interactive Approach to Language Teaching. I have adapted his elements for this page.

1. Long- and short-term Goals -having the end in mind for the overall course
2. Objectives - Clearly stated & measurable milestones, stating what should be gained from the lesson.
3. Materials and equipment - From handouts to scissors and tape recorders, this list is invaluable.
4. Procedures- activities and the proportions of time devoted to those activities and closure
5. Assessment - a way to measure the success of student learning (w/the ability to make adjustments)
6. Extra-class work - (as opposed to homework) encourages learning beyond the class hour.

I have planned a few lessons and am excited to be sharing a few of them on this platform over time.  Although I will not be including any of my own in this post, I am suggesting a few sites you may use when looking for lesson plans that have already been used by teaching professionals.

Scholastic

Discovery Education

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language 

             pedagogy (3^rd edition). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Image retrieved from http://www.chiasuanchong.com