Lesson Planning

One of the most horribly overlooked things about being a teacher is the time that it takes to create lessons and plan them. Of course, this is assuming that the teacher is not forced to go by an already created lesson. I hear that many teachers are to go by a set curriculum but write their own lessons within the curriculum. I guess that makes their job a little easier. Regardless, creating and implementing a lesson plan, whether you created it or it is one you found and will be using for the first time, is not an easy 1-2-3 task. In this post, I wish to discuss a few of the aspects of lesson planning and what makes it so difficult, so that those who read this may come to a better understanding of it and may even appreciate the time and effort a teacher puts into them.

I am honestly still a beginner at writing lessons. I have not even been writing them for a year (which I hope does not make me seem less credible in writing ABOUT them). In spite of this, I have still written and implemented enough lessons to say I know what makes them hard. The only thing I am bad at when it comes to writing lessons is the proper day-to-day organization and planning ahead part of it. A messy curriculum means a messy lesson and a messy class (as far learning goes).

Some aspects of lesson planning that one must consider is the age group the lesson is being written for. If you are teaching a kindergarten class, then the lesson must be radically different from one of a 5th grade class. Often, the younger the group, the more simple the lesson needs to be. This seems like a no duh kind of thing, but it actually takes some time to figure out what is appropriate for what age group. It's a learning process and you WILL make some mistakes and you WILL have to often go back to the lesson and simplify certain points. Another aspect is time, and it is one I mistakenly ignore all too often. Each part of the lesson needs to be timed accordingly to the amount of class time you have. A lesson for a 45 min. class will be slightly different from one for 1 hr and a half class. Of course, the more time you have, the better, but often, it's not the teachers choice. Next is the objective. Without one, your lesson literally has no purpose other than to spend time. You need to think: what will this lesson teach? What will it prepare the students for? Is it a follow up lesson? And so forth. Having an objective is not just about having a purposeful lesson, but it is also about being a TEACHER. You are teaching something, so explain WHY.

Well, to keep this blog post short, I will leave it at that. of course, there are more things one can discuss, but for now these are some of the most important. As I learn more, I may create another post to discuss what new things and experiences I have gained from writing lessons.