Can You Teach Without a Preparation?
A lesson plan is a detailed description of outlining instructions, various steps, and activities of what is to be thought in a lesson. Lesson plans can take on various styles based on the topic, type of activity or the learning objective of the teacher. Each teacher will have their own unique way of structuring their lesson plans.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shanieka P.
Details
How detailed a lesson plan is, can be dependent on a number of factors. These factors may be, the length of the lesson, the objective of the lesson or whether the teacher is new or experienced. When writing a lesson plan, one should ensure that it is clear and easy to read. A good lesson plan should also incorporate a good mix of skills throughout the lesson.
There are various schools of thought on the issue of lesson planning. While some theorists suggest that having a lesson plan is not a good idea as this can make lessons rigid and stops flexibility. For inexperienced teachers, this may not be so.
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Importance
"So, why is it important to have a lesson plan?" There are a number of answers to this question. One of the most important reasons for having a lesson plan is that it helps with the entire planning process and acts as a guide for teachers in the classroom. A lesson plan needs not to be elaborate and detailed. There is no special way that a lesson plan must be written. Having simple jottings and points can serve as a guide to help in the flow of the lesson.
Lesson Record
It’s also important for teachers to have a written or typed lesson plan, as this acts as a record of what the class has covered. Teachers can use these lesson plans as a source for future references. The beauty about this is that if a teacher has a new class with little or no time to prepare something on a topic that the teacher had already covered in the previous year. The teacher can simply draw for the previous lesson plan, tune it up as he or she likes and utilizes it again. This can be very useful and effective, especially if that lesson plan worked well in the previous lesson.
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Goals
Having a lesson plan helps you to remember what you intend to do and helps you to think about where you are going. Teachers set the tone for their classroom, an organized teacher will show his or her students that they know what they are doing. Having a lesson plan helps teachers to achieve this level of structure and organization. If a teacher is in the classroom and is constantly stumbling or unsure of what should come next, this can create confusion for both the students and the teacher. Students may lose confidence in their teachers as a result of this and this can impact on classroom management.
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Do you want to prepare perfect lessons?
Both experienced teachers and new teachers can benefit from having a lesson plan to guide them throughout their lessons, ensuring a smooth flowing lesson. Needless to say, a lesson plan should not be rigid and inflexible. Teachers should be able to adjust their lesson plans to foster student learning and flexibility. With that being said, it is better to have a guide rather than having nothing at all.
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