For Teachers: How You Can Learn from Lesson Plan Writing

Lily Jones reports:

"Backwards planning is often used during long-term planning, but it can be a great tool for single lessons too. Think about what you want students to achieve by the end of the lesson, then work backwards to plan the teaching and learning that needs to happen in order for students to meet that goal...It can be helpful to write down exactly what you plan to say when teaching a lesson. You won’t end up actually reading your script, but the act of writing allows teachers to figure out the best way of explaining information...With experience, teachers start to internalize potential challenges and plan for them in advance. No matter what your experience level, it’s helpful to think about both potential challenges to student understanding and to behavior...In addition to thinking about potential behavioral challenges, management plans can include thinking about the flow of materials and how students will move around the room. Thinking about potential misunderstandings before teaching is an important strategy for meeting the needs of all students...When planning a lesson, think about how much time each part of the lesson will take. Part of fine-tuning this process is estimating how much time tasks will take and then checking your estimations...Each class and student is different, so lessons you have taught before may not have the same effect as they had in the past. Sometimes it’s helpful to plan lessons with particular students in mind...Planning lessons targeted at specific students lets you think deeply about your students’ strengths and challenges while finding ways to effectively meet your students’ needs."