Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
5 - Planning lessons
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Thanks
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- I Creating a good environment for language learning
- II Being effective in the classroom
- III Teaching large classes
- IV Teaching language skills and systems
- V Teaching language without textbooks
- VI Teaching language with textbooks
- VII Helping students achieve their potential
- VIII Linking the school to the outside world
- IX Supporting yourself and others
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
Where do you start? How do you choose a topic? Which order do you do the tasks in? What if you run out of time? What if you run out of materials? Ah! So many things to think about!
Jo BuddenThe short version
1 The main question when planning lessons is: What will the students know (or be able to do) at the end of the lesson which they did not know (or could not do) at the beginning of the lesson?
2 A lesson plan doesn't need to be a long, detailed document. It doesn't even need to be written down. It can simply be a mental process.
3 Planning lessons carefully can help you minimize common challenges faced in the classroom, such as students feeling bored, confused, or that they’re not learning anything.
4 Planning lessons can help you be flexible when unpredictable things happen, or when you realize you have too much or too little material for a lesson.
5 It can be useful for both students and teachers to follow a general lesson template, e.g. Introduction – Starter – Input – Development – Review.
Introduction
1 What do you understand by the phrase ‘lesson planning’? How much do you plan your lessons at the moment?
2 Good lesson planning anticipates potential problems, and identifies how you would manage these situations. What plans would you make for the following common classroom situations?
• Students often feel they aren't learning anything.
• Students often feel confused.
• Students often feel bored or cannot concentrate.
• You might not cover what you planned.
• You might not have enough material for the lesson – or you might have too much.
Lesson planning
Planning a lesson can be very beneficial for both students and teachers, especially when either group lacks educational experience. When talking about planning a lesson, people often think of a ‘lesson plan’, i.e. a long, complicated document which details the procedures for a single lesson. In general, this kind of lesson plan is usually only created when a teacher is being observed, or when an institution is being inspected. The rest of the time, such lesson plans are not created, and very often planning doesn't take place at all.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Teaching in Challenging Circumstances , pp. 33 - 39Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021