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Lesson planning is a substantial part of teaching. A great lesson plan will clearly present the material and make sure students are meeting state standards and learning objectives. The best lesson plans are also engaging and keep student interest for the duration of the class period. Effective lesson planning is an essential skill that helps teachers fit in the entire curriculum in meaningful and lasting ways.
Here’s how to make your lessons the most effective.
What is an effective lesson plan?
An effective lesson plan first outlines learning objectives. In other words, what do you want your students to learn and remember from the lesson?
Your lessons will also need to engage students to be effective. The methodology you use to teach your lessons is an important consideration. Lectures are great, but you should also consider hands-on activities and opportunities to practice so students don’t lose interest in the topic.
You also need to consider flexibility and decide what the most important parts of your lessons are and what could be skipped if you start to run out of time. Last, you need to consider how you will check for student understanding to make sure your lessons were effective.
Strategies for effective lesson planning:
1. Plan ahead.
Look at your teacher manuals and curriculum so you know what you need to cover over the course of the unit or year. Create a rough outline of each unit or topic and create a loose schedule of how long you can spend on each topic and how many individual lessons you think you’ll need to plan to effectively cover the material. You can always make changes as the year progresses, but having an initial plan will help you stay on track.
2. Prepare an introduction.
The most effective lesson plans instantly engage students and hook their interest. Perhaps you can show an interesting photo or video clip, sing a song, or tell a compelling story to capture their interest and show them why the lesson will matter. Make a list of video clips, songs, skits, stories, and books you can use for various lessons. Gather a collection of photos that apply to various lessons you plan to teach so you have them handy when it’s time to teach. Some teachers put on costumes or disguises to introduce a new lesson, which is another great way to capture student interest. Would-you-rather questions and moral dilemma discussions can also introduce your lesson effectively.
The end of your introduction would be a good time to tell students what you want them to learn, what they’ll be doing, what you expect, and what supplies they need to complete any assignments.
3. Create learning activities.
Consider what students will be doing for the duration of each lesson. Sometimes your students will listen, take notes, and watch you demonstrate methods for new material. Other times, you’ll want your students doing something hands-on. Plan these hands-on activities ahead of time so you can have all the papers and materials ready to go so the lesson runs smoothly. For example, if you’re teaching how to count coins, have cups with various coins prepared so you can pass them out and students can get right to work. Have a few backup ideas in mind in case students finish very quickly or if they seem to misunderstand or lose interest.
4. Check for understanding.
Checking for understanding will most often come naturally as you watch students complete assignments. Move around the classroom prepared with follow up questions, tips, and suggestions to keep students engaged. Encourage students to work together, because they can learn just as much from each other as they can from you. Remind students of your expectations and what you’re looking for in their completed assignment.
5. Write out a conclusion.
Wrap student work up with a few minutes leftover to debrief. Invite students to share what they learned, what they’re still wondering about, and what they didn’t understand. Summarize the main points of what you wanted students to learn and offer a preview of some other activities they’ll be doing in class to learn more about the topic.
6. Reflect on the lesson.
Once the students leave and you have planning time, reflect on your lessons. Make notes about what worked well and what didn’t interest students. Write down activities students seemed to really enjoy and what activities didn’t seem to further student understanding. Reference these notes as you make future lesson plans so you can keep doing what works and skip what doesn’t.
Effective Lesson Planning Tips and Hacks
1. Create a template.
Make a digital template for your lessons that include places for your objective, supplies you’ll need, how you’ll introduce the lesson, and what students need and will do during the lesson. Print lots of copies of this template and attach it to any worksheets you need so everything is well-planned and ready to go.
2. Make subject boxes.
Designate storage boxes for each subject you teach. As you plan various lessons, place tools, games, and other materials in the box so you know where everything is when it’s time to start the lesson.
3. Reuse lessons.
Hold onto lessons that worked well so you can use them in future years. This will save time and let you continue using your effective plans. In other words, don’t reinvent the wheel!
4. Plan several lessons at once.
Utilize your planning time to design as many lessons as you can. You can always adjust your timeline, but with as many lessons ready as possible, you’ll maximize your planning time and always have things ready to go.
5. Have back up.
Keep a cabinet in your classroom with relevant games, books, STEM activities, and hands-on activities that you can pull out when a lesson doesn’t go as planned. The students will still learn something even if it’s not what you planned on.
Once you master the art of effective lesson planning and have several successful lessons in your teaching arsenal, your job will be easier, and your students will learn as much as possible. Start small by creating one or two great lessons a week and you’ll have a huge supply of effective plans in no time!
