Lesson Planning
By:Jason Geyser
Lesson Aims and Objectives
Not only is it
important to have a clear idea of the materials and activities that you will be
using in your lesson, but also to be clear as to the aims and objectives of the
lesson. Clear aims outline what it is that you hope to achieve in the lesson.
If you are being observed by a supervisor or a Trainer on a training course or
at school, you will be expected to provide a clear outline of your aims in your
lesson plan.
This careful
preparation is excellent for helping you to decide which activities and
procedures will best achieve learner outcomes. Furthermore, it is much easier
for an observer to be able to evaluate whether you have indeed achieved those
aims that you set for yourself. Usually, you will not write a statement of your
aims and what you hope to achieve in your everyday teaching.
Formal Planning
It is always a
good idea to be prepared before stepping into the classroom. This will help you
to better cope with any eventuality that may present itself. So, remember -
prepare thoroughly and remain flexible and adaptable. If something is not
working, be prepared to disregard the plan. Teach the learners and not the plan
- always responding to what is taking place in the classroom. Formal planning
is often a requirement on teacher training courses as it raises awareness and
encourages teachers to think carefully through their aims and procedures. A
formal plan usually consists of two parts:
I. Background
Information: This usually comprises of:
• Main Aim(s)
• Subsidiary Aims
• Assumptions
• Anticipated problems
• Solutions
• Materials
• Subsidiary Aims
• Assumptions
• Anticipated problems
• Solutions
• Materials
II. Procedural
Outlines: This usually comprises of:
• The description of the various activities
• The order of the activities
• The timing of the activities
• The aim of the activity
• The focus of the activity
• The order of the activities
• The timing of the activities
• The aim of the activity
• The focus of the activity
Writing a
Lesson Plan
A lesson plan
is not merely just a list of activities to get through during class. It is a
professional document which shows your understanding of your students' needs,
as well as principles of teaching. If the plan is clear, another teacher ought
to be able to pick it up and work from it. You need first of all to decide
exactly what it is that you are going to teach. Although you may, of course,
accept other items of language that students come up with, keep your aims clear
in your mind. Decide, in other words, not only what you are going to teach, but
what you are not going to teach. Before working out the staging of your
presentation and practice of the language, you need to analyze it in detail and
work hard to anticipate any problems that may arise.
Informal Planning
An experienced
teacher will, in most cases, write an informal plan. This may simply involve a
basic outline and an ordering of activities to be used in the classroom. It is
not 'economical' to take an hour planning a 60 minute lesson, especially if you
may not use that particular lesson plan again.
Using a Course
Book
A course book can
be a good source of exploitable and useable material. Activities are sequenced
and carefully thought out. Unfortunately, not all course books are that helpful
but are a useful starting point. Students will probably expect the teacher to
use a course book, so this may be a sensible idea. It must however be
remembered that a teacher does not necessarily need to be a slave to the book.
Material can be reordered, adapted, varied and omitted. Carefully select that
which is appropriate for the students. That which is not appropriate should be
rejected. Teachers may vary and adapt activities in order to give students the
practice that they need. Teachers should use supplementary materials when
needed. Furthermore, a course book provides a useful syllabus for students to
follow and a devised course to help them learn.
Teaching
Materials:
Authentic &
Non-Authentic Materials
A good starting
point for any inexperienced teacher is to make use of a course book. A course
book is written especially for students and is therefore non-authentic.
Materials which are not specifically designed for classroom use, but which may
be exploited in a language environment, are authentic. These may include
magazines, airline tickets, time-tables, brochures, emails, letters,
newspapers, etc... Semi-authentic materials may include readers as they are
graded for different student levels.
Jason Geyser
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