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LESSON 6: PLANNING FOR TEACHING

Introduction

In this lesson, you are exposed to how to scheme and plan for teaching. This is important because
effective teaching is influenced by how well you have prepared for the lesson before teaching starts. It
originates with your interaction with the syllabus and its interpretation and the knowledge you have on
scheming. The lecture will therefore focus on the syllabus, importance of scheming, factors to be
considered in scheming and the process of scheming. The relationship between scheming and lesson
planning will be drawn.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. (I) define the term syllabus

(ii) identify considerations made before designing a syllabus
2. (i) define "schemes of work"
(ii) state the importance of scheming in teaching.
(iii) identify the factors to consider in scheming
(iv) describe the process of scheming
(v) identify the main features of a schemes of work.
(vi) fill relevant information in any given format of a schemes of work.
3. (i) define "lesson plan"
(ii) explain importance of lesson play
(iii) explain main features of a lesson
(iv) specify which information should be filled in any lesson plan
format presented.

A syllabus

A syllabus has been defined by Burston and Green (1972) as “a statement of the content of study – the
amount of knowledge and the selection of knowledge which it is proposed that a pupil should acquire”.
Every subject in the curriculum, from pre-primary to university has a syllabus. In
Kenya, primary and secondary school syllabii are prepared by a panel of subject
specialists at Kenya Institute of Education, a body whose function is to develop the
curriculum. In designing a syllabus, there are a number of considerations:

i) National goals of education: What are the goals of education in the

country where the syllabus will be used?
ii) Aims of education: This refers to general aims of the educational system
and aims of either primary, secondary or university level at which the
syllabus will be operational.
iii) Aims of teaching the subject: Of what importance is a given subject in
the curriculum? How does it fulfil or contribute towards achieving of
the goals of education?
iv) Adequacy of content in relation to time available. How much content
can be covered within the time specified at different levels of education.
v) The level at which the syllabus will be operational. Is it at primary,
secondary or university level?
vi) Intellectual level or development of the learners: At what level are the
learners?
vii) Resources available: These refer to both physical and human to make
the syllabus operational
viii) The needs of the learners: These include the physical, psychological and
emotional needs of the students who will be exposed to the syllabus.
Activity

Consider one class you are teaching and find out the needs of your students which should
be considered when preparing a syllabus in a named subject area

Schemes of work
The scheme of work is a projection of what you intend to cover with a class within
a specified period. It can further be defined as a detailed, logical and sequential
plan
that interprets the syllabus into lessons that can be used in a
teaching/learning situation.

Importance of scheming

Scheming is essential because:

1. It ensures that topics in the syllabus are taught in an orderly manner starting
with the simplest to the most complex. This systematizes and gives order to
teaching.
2. It ensures that every topic in the syllabus is covered.
3. It enables the teacher(you) to budget for time wisely e.g. giving room for events
and activities which might interfere with the school calender e.g. public
holidays, prize-giving day, sports day etc.
4. It gives you an insight in teaching by enabling you to identify content, methods
and relevant instructional materials which you are going to use in the lesson
thus giving him/her enough time to sort out the requirements.
5. It guides you in making a lesson plan. Infact the lesson plan is extracted from
the schemes.
6. It checks on your pace of teaching by allowing you either to slow down or
to move faster.
7. It is useful during transition, when you are transferred, the in-coming teacher
will easily take over from where you had reached avoiding repetition or
omission. This ensures continuity in the learning of that subject.

Question

What dangers would you be exposing yourself to if you teach without scheming?

Factors to Consider when Scheming

For you to scheme effectively you need:

1. the syllabus: This will specify the objectives and content to be achieved and
taught respectively.
2. information on the level, experience, ability and background of the learners:
What are the present capabilities and knowledge of the learners?
3. awareness of the teaching/learning environment: This is physical conditions
either in and outside the school under which learning takes place.
4. knowledge on resources available in the school and the commlessony. This will
determine organizational strategies to be adopted.

Activity

Apart from the above factors could you think of other considerations
you should make before scheming?

The Process of Scheming

For effective scheming, it is suggested that the following processes be followed:

1. Read the most recent syllabus to know the content from which schemes of work
will be planned.
2. Calculate the approximate number of teaching periods in the term, taking into
consideration holidays, school activities, revision, tests, and examinations.
3. Allocate time to the topics according to the complexity of the concepts.
4. Arrange the topics to be taught so that there is sequence of instruction.
5. Find out what previous background of knowledge and skills pupils require to be
ready for the new content.
6. Indicate at what time of the term continuous assessment tests will be given. This
will depend on the policy of the school. In some schools, tests are given after
every two weeks, after a month or after covering each topic. The teacher needs
to find out about the policy requirement and scheme accordingly. At the same
time, the instructor should allocate time for revision towards the end of the term
if it is a requirement by the school.
According to Cohen and Manion (1977) schemes may either be sequential or non-
sequential depending on the subject being schemed. A sequential scheme is one in
which the components are logically related to one another and in which the
achievements of the later components will depend in large measure on having
mastered the earlier ones. In maths sequential arrangement is a must.

Features of a scheme of work

1. Every scheme of work must have administrative information indicating: the
subject, class, stream, term and year when the schemes will be operational. It
also gives a title: “A scheme of work in Geography, Form 11B, 1st term, 2002”.
2. Week: It refers to the week of the term when a given topic in the scheme will be
taught e.g. 2nd week: Introduction to Geography.
3. Period or lesson: This refers to the specific lesson in a week when a given topic
or sub-topic will be taught. The number of lessons per week for subjects vary.
There are some subjects which have three lessons a week, others four five, six or
even seven. Since there are many activities in the term which interfere with
teaching, you are supposed to identify these activities and cater for them in the
planning process. To estimate the number of periods to be taught in a term, you
calculate the number of weeks in the term and multiply by the number of subject
periods per week, less 10% for lost periods that may occur due to interruption
and other factors.
4. Objectives: They specify what the learners are expected to achieve at the end of
the lesson. They are very specific, stated in behavioural terms of what you expect
learners to do at end of the lesson.
5. Content (topic, sub-topic): It shows what topic or sub-topic will be covered in a
given lesson/period. It also indicates some of the main points of the lesson.
6. Learning activities: These are activities which the students will be expected to
carry out in order to learn the content presented to them.
7. Resources: These are teaching/learning materials which you are is supposed to
use to facilitate learning and therefore achieve the objectives stated e.g. pictures,
charts, maps, objects, models, radio, audio-visual materials etc.
8. References: These are the textbooks and other printed materials you use or
consult when scheming or planning to teach, e.g. reference books, newspaper,
magazines, journals etc.
9. Remarks: These are comments you make after teaching a given lesson. They are
concerned with whether the lesson went on as schemed and if not why and what
steps will be taken to rectify the situation. The steps to be considered could be
repeating the whole lesson (topic), carrying out remedial teaching, re-teaching,
specific elements of the lesson or clarifying certain issues etc.
10. Means of evaluation: This refers to how the learners’ achievements will be
assessed against the planned lesson objectives.

Illustration 8: A Sample of a Geography Schemes of Work form 1A 1 st Term

2001
Week Period Content Objectives Learning Resources Reference Remarks
Activities
1 1 Topic By the end of e.g. group A chart Author title
2 Sub-topic the lesson discussions/ on… publisher Taught as
3 Main points the learner answering a map on … place, year planned
should be questions pages
able to… ….. reading
the text on
…

2 1 Topic By the end of e.g. in Chart on … Author Lesson not

Sub-topic the lesson groupings of a map of … …Title covered as
Main points the learner 3-4 Chalkboard publisher planned
… should be discuss… for … … place because of
able to … answering year… over
questions pages… planning to
on be covered
…. Reading during
the text prep or to
on…. be
Experimenti continued
ng on … in the next
lesson

Observing
2
3
3 1

Note

Some subjects have term objectives covering what the teacher intends to cover for
the whole term. They are written after the administrative details before coming to the
schemes format.
Question

Why do you think it is wrong to use a scheme of work prepared by the head of your

Activity

Attempt to make a scheme of work lasting 1 week on any topic of your choice in one
of your teaching subjects.

Lesson Planning
A lesson plan is a work plan showing clearly all activities that are going to take place
during the lesson and the order (sequence) in which they are going to follow.

Importance of Lesson Plans

Well-written lesson plans are useful to you in many ways.

1. They are used as basis for the lesson presentation. They give you an
agenda or outline to follow as the teaching takes place.
2. They enable you to be familiar with the teaching content and to visualize
the best way of covering it.
3. They serve as a guide/road map for you on the content to be taught in-
order to avoid vagueness and irrelevancies.
4. They serve as a memory bank, reminding you of the main points to focus
on during the lesson. This becomes important incase of a memory lapse,
interruption or distraction.
5. They give you security and confidence, especially if you are a beginning
teacher, you can walk into a classroom with the confidence gained from
having a well-developed, and organised framework for the day’s
instruction.
6. They act as an orderly sequencing of content and learning activities in a
lesson.
 7. They improve your performance by acting as a basis for future planning.

6.4.5 Elements/Features of Lesson Plan

A good lesson plan has a number of features:

Administrative details: This show the name and registration number of the
student teacher, school, subject, form, stream of the class e.g. 1W, date
when the lesson will be taught e.g. 2/10/2003, time is the exact time of
the day when the lesson will be taught e.g. 2.00 - 2.40 pm.
Topic/sub-topic: This is the name of the subject matter to be taught that day.
Objectives: There are the same objectives stated in the schemes but now
transferred to the lesson plan, stating what to be achieved in one lesson
of 40 minutes or a double lesson of 80 minutes.
Time: The time in the plan format shows the exact time you will spend at
every stage of the lesson (introduction, body and conclusion).
Content: The exact information to be passed to the learner under the topic
being taught, it is to be presented at three levels: introduction, lesson
development and conclusion. It identifies the main points to be delivered
in the body of the lesson.
Learning activities: Refer to what the learners will be doing at each level of the
lesson to show that learning is taking place or the objective is being
realised. Each activity should be planned around the pattern of transition
namely: introduction activities, lesson development activities and
conclusion activities. They should be specific and challenging enough
depending on the learners’ level and ability.

Activity

Identify ten activities you could engage your learners in during

teaching

On characteristics and construction of instructional objectives, the learner should

refer on earlier information given in chapter 3: Objectives of education under the
sub-topic "Instructional Objectives".
Illustration 9: A Sample of a Lesson Plan’s Format

Name of the Student Teacher: Reg. No.:

School Form
SubjectNo. in Class
Date Time
Topic
Sub-topic
Objectives

Time Content Learning Activities Resources Materials

5 Introduction Observing a picture on … A picture on…
30 Lesson Answering questions on … Author, title,
Developmen Copying definition of … publisher, place, year
t Drawing a chart on … of
publication page.
5 Conclusion Answering questions on the
lesson.

Self evaluation

Note

Self evaluation is when you evaluate your teaching after the lesson to
find out whether the objectives were realised on not. If not what went
wrong? Should the lesson be repeated, methods and resources

Illustration 10: A lesson plan

Name of the student teacher: Nehema

Wangai School: Gracia Secondary School
Form 3B
Subject: Literature No. in class: 30
Date: 15/3/2003 Time 9.00-9.40
Topic: Oral Literature
Sub-Topic: Riddle

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, the learner should b able to:
i) define the term riddle
ii) give at least three examples of riddles from his/her commlessony
iii) explain four characteristics of riddles
iv) discuss the functions of riddles in a given society.

Time content Learning Resource

Activities materials
5 Introduction: Attempting to Eric Partridge
Definition of a riddle: an define the two (1987) Usage and
enigma or dark saying intended term riddle. Abusage London:
for the audience to discover the Guild publishing
hidden meaning p.50
30 Lesson Development Giving examples of Jane Nandwa and
Step 1:Examples of riddles riddles from their Austin
eg. commlessonies. Bukenya(1983) Oral
- a house without a door writing examples, or Literature for
Three daughter who can not riddles on the schools. Nairobi:
function without one chalkboard in Longman p.50
vernacular
Translating them
to English

Step 2: Characteristics of riddles Nandwa and Austin

i) Statement form Identify Bukenya(1983),.
ii) Question form characteristics of P.51
iii) Puzzling sounds riddles by analyzing
Long/short form Step 3; the examples of
Functions of riddles riddles given.
i) entertainment
ii) sharpening ones intelligent In groups of 4-5
iii) educating discuss the
iv) Reinforcing behaviour functions of riddles
- Solving day to day life in their
tussles commlessonies
5 Conclusion: Answering
Review the topic taught questions on
the
topic.
Self evaluation
Illustration 11: A lesson plan

Name of the student teacher: Nehema Wangai Reg. No.

E35/099989/2002 School: Gracia Secondary School
Subject: Geography Form 2W
Date; 16/3/2002 No. in class 40
Topic: Rainfall Time, 8.00 - 8.40
Sub-topic: Types of rainfall
Objectives: By the end of the lesson, the learner should be able to:
i) define the term rainfall
ii) identify types of rainfall
iii) Explain at last four characteristics of conventional rain.
iv) Describe with an illustration how conventional rain is caused
Time Content Objectives Resource/material
5 Introduction: Answer the
Definition of rainfall question What is
- drops of water received from rainfall?
the atmosphere
30 Lesson development Identifying types of rainfall KIE
Step 1: types of rainfall - defining Geography
i) Conventional conventional, relief For From 2
ii) Relief and frontal rain. Nairobi:
iii) Frontal - Writing down KLB, 1998
Step 2: Conventional rainfall: characteristics of pp. 105-115
Characteristics conventional
i) thunders forms and lighting rain. A chart on formation
ii) heavy rainfall - Observing on a chart of conventional
iii) rains in the afternoon how the rain is rainfall.
iv) brief and large raindrops
formed, drawing the
occurs in humid tropical areas Step 3:
chart illustrating
Formation of conventional rainfall
formation of
(g) heating of the land
conventional rain.
(ii) ………………………
(iii) …………………….. - Asking questions on
areas not clear
5 Conclusion Answering questions
Review the lesson through related to the
question Answer method lesson.
assignment
Read on Relief rain from
KIE Geography
For From 2, p. 116-120

Activity

Using the schemes of work you have prepared make a lesson plan.
 Summary

In this lesson, we have been focusing on planning for teaching and learning in a
secondary school class. It has been emphasised that you need to plan carefully and
put into action your plan sensitively and skillfully. This is done effectively through
scheming and lesson planning. Scheming is important because it ensures that all the
content and objectives which go with it, are covered systematically and realised
respectively, within a specified time. Lesson planning is a must for a beginner,
because it gives both security and confidence to one by outlining in an orderly
sequence what should be covered at every stage of the lesson.

Definition of key words

Content: The subject matter to be

taught
Learning Activities: The activities the learners will be engaged in during the
lesson.
Lesson planning: A complex procedure that takes the account both teaching and
learning components, and involves the following elements: a
choice of lesson topic, content specification, prerequisite
learnings, learning objectives, presentation, choice of
materials/teaching aids/learning resources, and evaluation
methods.

Remarks: A quick comment, or note made by the teacher expressing a

judgment on the lesson taught in relation to content, and
objectives which had been identified in the schemes of work.
Resources: Instructional materials needed for teaching a particular
 for the objectives to be realized.
Schemes of work: Breakdown of the syllabus into lessons which can be used in
teaching and learning over a period of weeks, a term or a
year.
Syllabus: The selected amount of knowledge, attitude, values and skills
which is proposed that a pupil should acquire at a given level
of education and in a specific subject in the curriculum.

6.7 Further reading

Burston W.H. C. and C. Green. Editors (1962) Handbook for History Teachers.
London: Methuen Educational Ltd.

Cohen Lewise and Lawrence Marion (1989).. A Guide to Teaching Practice. 3rd ed.
London: Longman Group Ltd.

Nasibi M.W. and M. Kiio (1995). Notes towards a text in History Methods.
Unpublished Manuscript.

Nasibi M. W. (2002). Instructional methods: General methods of Teaching Across

the Curriculum. Nairobi: Wiscon Publishers.