Lesson Planning Essentials: Nina Sethi January 13, 2013
Lesson Planning Essentials: Nina Sethi January 13, 2013
Lesson Planning Essentials: Nina Sethi January 13, 2013
Essential Questions
Essential questions ask us to consider big and abstract ideas They are not answered with facts or yes/no They are usually investigated over the course of a unit of study Beginners EFL students may focus on one question (how can I communicate?) for an extended period of time Examples:
How do we speak differently in different situations?
Why is word stress important for communication? How do I know when I achieve effective word choice?
Vocabulary Lists
Its always a good idea to have the bare minimum of vocabulary related to the lesson prepared ahead of time Its helpful for you as you will be able to think of examples and definitions for the words
Its also helpful for students if you can plan to have the vocabulary displayed somehow
Visual aids of any form will really help the students make meaning of new vocabulary If you do not have the resources to make your own visual aids, you can ask students to help you, use old catalogues, draw on a chalkboard, or collect props- be creative!
Its also important for you to think about your lesson objectives this way so that they are all connected and relevant to each other
Introduction
The lesson introduction should tell students what they will be learning that day and why it is important The introduction is an important time to build background Building background refers to making what you are studying familiar to the students so they will be able to connect with the material in a meaningful way If you are teaching them vocabulary and phrasal structure for a specific situation, ask them if they have ever been in that situation and what English vocabulary they might need to be successful
This can be an engaging way to introduce new vocabulary
Lesson Hook
The hook is exactly what it sounds like- how can you hook your students and get them interested and motivated? With adult students, the simplest way is often to tell them why this lesson is useful/relevant for them You can also use a joke, anecdote, song, picture, video clip or many other things The important thing is to get students excited about the lesson so you have their attention
For language learning, its helpful if you can start with a demonstration or simply by directly teaching the material (I do)
Then you can move into guided practice (we do) Finally, you can move into independent practice (usually in small groups or pairs, but independent in the sense that students are not receiving direct help from the teacher) (you do)
Assessment
Assessment sounds very formal, but really you need to constantly informally check for comprehension throughout your lesson Assessment is its own section of a lesson plan only in the sense that you need to know how you will know whether or not students met the lesson objectives Assessment can be oral or in writing, just as long as you have concrete proof that students are able to do whatever it is you set out to teach them Sometimes assessment can be as simple as a checklist with all students names, and when you hear them use the vocabulary correctly, you put a check by their name
Comprehension Checks
When teaching in a language that is foreign for our students, we need to continually make sure they are still with us This can be done in many ways:
A quick poll to see how confident students are feeling (show me on your fingers from 1 to 5 how well you understand) Asking a true/false question and having all students answer with hand motions Asking students to repeat the directions or explain what they are working on in their own words Walking around and monitoring group/independent work to make sure students are on target Having students do one question of an exercise independently and then stopping to check that one answer before moving on
Closing/Wrap Up
This can also be a classroom routine with a procedure you do every day Make sure you stop the class in time to reflect on learning and wrap up (even if this means cutting short activity time) This is a good time to re-visit the agenda and see if you accomplished your goals for the day This is also a good time to have students do a selfassessment regarding the lesson objectives
You can also explain next steps (well continue working on this next time etc.) and go over any homework at this time
Reflection
If students have personal goals or specific things they are working on, this is a good time to revisit these as well You can also ask students if they enjoyed the activity, if they would like to do it again, if they feel like they need more practice, or other questions that might influence future lessons Regardless of the age of your students, its important to get feedback so you can consider their needs Students will be more motivated if they feel they have a say in what they are learning
Extensions/Homework
Extension or homework are just ways to continue practicing to achieve the lesson objectives Depending on the format and circumstances of your class, you may or may not choose to give homework
The rule of thumb for homework is if it is a good use of everyones time, its worth assigning it
Many different factors may affect whether or not your students do different types of homework, so its important to take these into consideration and plan accordingly Sometimes the best (most effective) homework is to ask students to try to talk to someone in English using the new vocabulary
A Word of Advice..
Have a sense of humor. Mishaps happen, and as long as you are able to laugh them off and keep going, you will be fine! Try to plan activities that allow flexibility for different levels. Not all of your students are going to have the same needs, so try to have activities that are more open ended (working in a group to create something instead of doing a worksheet)
Know your students! Think about when they do well and when they have fun, and try to capitalize on those experiences