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What is lesson planning? Lesson planning is an essential part of the routine of a good teacher. It serves as a map that guides the teacher and outlines the goals, activities and objectives for the class. It can also be useful for other teachers who substitute a lesson, to check the progress of the students and know which areas require more work. For the reasons stated, it is recommended to keep an effective lesson plan simple and clear. There are various ways for creating a lesson plan. The level of detail and the format specifics will depend on each individual teacher, but some components will always remain the necessary. Effective lesson planning requires the teacher to determine the following components: the class objectives, the skills that will be used, the activities involved, the materials and texts, the demonstration of learning, the time constraints of the lesson and the connections to previous or future lessons. Firstly, it is important to write down the date, an objective of the lesson and the name and the level of the group. Most of the lesson plans start with a warm-up, which helps students to practice before the actual lesson starts. It can be related to a previous lesson or to a new topic. After that, usually follows an assignment or homework check and the review of previous material. The teacher needs to consider how to connect the actual lesson with previous ones, to refresh the past material for the students. In order to practice what they have learnt before; different activities can be used. Many teachers find it useful to write brief comments on the activities to have a sense of connection between them. The middle part of the lesson plan is usually devoted to the introduction of the new topic that will be covered and the activities to follow. It is better to note the time for each activity in order to plan the lesson more effectively. Moreover, bear in mind that a lesson plan is a tool that navigates rather than dictates what and when to do next. For instance, if a task is going well and students are enjoying it, it is better to carry on for longer than originally planned. On the other hand, if an activity takes less time than it was supposed to, a good teacher always has a couple of other supplementary tasks. Finally, at the end of the lesson the teacher needs to present the objectives that the students accomplished. The lesson plan can also include comments such as a review or a summary of the lesson. It is not enough to simply say, "Are there any questions?" in the closure section, the educator should make sure everything is clear. In this stage it is good to include some production activity to complement the closure. Moreover, it is also necessary to record the given homework in order to check it for the next class. As a teacher gets more practice at planning lessons, the easier and more pleasant it will become. A good teacher should know the course and be aware of the goals and objectives for the entire term before planning each lesson. Another positive aspect of lesson planning is that it tracks the overall progress and helps to analyze which activities were successful and which were not. It is a learning experience for both students and teachers.
