Although teachers often plan for instruction in different ways, as James H. Stronge writes in his book Qualities of Effective Teachers, "the evidence of effective work is seen in the classroom" [ASCD, 2007]. No matter the teacher's personal style or experience level, the considerations below enable an educator to plan better in order to meet their students' needs.
Choose and Articulate a Specific Learning Objective
As the saying goes, "If you don't know where you are headed, then any road will get you there." It is critical that educators describe what their students should be able to do before lesson planning further. Learning objectives should be derived from state learning standards and ongoing assessments. A teacher should use this information to backwards plan and create a curriculum map with objectives.
Once the objective is chosen, a teacher must clearly state it. A strong objective will begin with the phrase "Students will be able to..." A teacher may then refer to Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The taxonomy includes a list of verbs that are beneficial when writing a learning goal.
Decide How to Measure Student Mastery
Student assessment goes far beyond tests and quizzes. As Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe write in their book Understanding by Design, evidence of student learning "...may well include traditional quizzes and tests, performance tasks and projects, observations and dialogues, as well as students self-assessments..." [ASCD, 2005].
Teachers should plan to know at the end of the lesson whether their students mastered that skill by using assessments similar to those described above. The assessment should be aligned with the objective.
Plan the Introduction to New Material
This is the "I do" segment of the lesson. To begin, teachers should pick three to five key ideas that they wish to articulate during their presentation. If a teacher doesn't have three ideas, it is likely that the selected objective does not merit its own lesson. Conversely, if a teacher exceeds five key ideas, the objective needs to be divided into smaller learning goals.
Prior to articulating their main points, teachers may choose to utilize a hook to attract student interest. The hook may be anything from a read-aloud, a big question to debate and return to at the end of the lesson, or a simple question that requires students to call upon prior knowledge.
Design the Guided Practice
Guided practice is the "we do" segment of the lesson. Teachers should plan what specific examples the class will work through together, as well as decide which students they will call upon.
It is important that teachers limit their involvement during this portion of the lesson. Guided practice is an opportunity to catch any potential misunderstandings before independent work. A teacher should consider ways to involve not just single volunteers, but rather the whole class. By posing two or three comprehension questions at the end of the guided practice segment, a teacher can ensure that students are ready to work on their own.
Plan the Independent Practice
Independent practice is the "I do" segment of the lesson. During this time, students do the work that teachers will use to evaluate the efficacy of their instruction. A teacher should ensure that the task students work on during this time is objective driven, not just a fun activity.
Even though students are the ones doing the heavy lifting during this portion of the lesson, teachers should think about what work they themselves will do during this time. First and foremost, teachers should determine which students they need to meet with to provide support or enrichment. They should also plan for extension activities that students can engage in if finished early.
Plan the Lesson's Conclusion
As the old adage says, "Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them." Just as teachers would not end a research paper without a conclusion, they should not end a lesson without one either.
The conclusion should be quick, taking about a minute. During this time, a teacher might ask students to restate what they just learned or ask questions geared toward preventing common mistakes. If the teacher began with a big question as a hook, this is a fantastic time to return to it.
Better Lesson Plans Enhance Student Achievement
Lesson plans describe what ought to be happening during class instructional time. An educator should begin by articulating specific learning objectives. Next, the teacher should craft the introduction to new material, guided practice, independent practice, and conclusion segments of the lesson toward that end. By creating targeted and thorough lesson plans, teachers can improve their students' understanding and achievement.
Mary-Catherine Amadu - A newcomer to suite101.com, Mary-Catherine Amadu is excited to join the writing team. Mary-Catherine studied Spanish at Colby College, ...
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