Lesson Planners
Every teacher has a different way of going about the business of teaching. Some follow a state-mandated outline, using a cut-and-dried method of instruction and assessment, to work through the course load. Others educate through a more creative process, challenging traditional means with invaluable experience. Whatever the teacher's preferred style, every lesson begins with a plan. Lesson planners are a crucial element in professional education.
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Creating Your Long-Term Planner
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Begin with a long-term objective. Review a list of end-of-term goals students should have accomplished. List each subject and break them down into sections. Each subject requires a separate section of your planner. For each section, outline what skills or knowledge students will master. Every skill will have a plan associated with it. Your plan can come in the form of one of three techniques. These techniques are:
1. Demonstration: performing an experiment using the designated skill or theory, so that students get first-hand experience.
2. Explanation: where the skill or theory is simply outlined orally to the students.
3. Discussion: students can participate in an open conversation about a subject, which helps them come to the proper conclusion.
Applying Techniques
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To determine technique, take a look at the lesson itself and choose which one will most effectively relay the message. Many lessons are best taught by using all three techniques at once. For example, a lesson that teaches the process of growing vegetables can be taught through demonstration, by allowing students to plant their own seeds, care for them and eat the results. An explanation of this process may include written definitions of words like "seed" and "photosynthesis." An explanation can also include a diagram and illustrations. Finally, a discussion might start with a question like "Which vegetables does your family buy at the store? How did they get there? Where do they come from?" Listening to the ideas of the student and helping them get to the proper conclusion makes a discussion very effective at relaying a message.
Add Your Lesson To the Lesson Planner
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Once you have selected your lesson and technique, you are ready to add it to your lesson planner. Dedicate a page to the lesson. Write the name of the lesson at the top of the page. Define where your children are at the start of the lesson. For example, what previous lessons have they learned that may lead up to this lesson? Make a list of materials you will need to teach the lesson. Note the estimated length of time it will take to complete the lesson. Will it take more than one day? Write down the desired outcomes of the lesson. What will the students learn? What skills will they perform and master? Write a paragraph, after the lesson is taught, stating your conclusions. Make notes for future reference. When you are finished, add this lesson to your lesson planner under the proper section and subject, for future reference.
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