Lesson Planning 101 [1 of 3]
EDUCATION
This post is the first in a series of three about the formality and structure of teaching and learning in a modern classroom. There are many challenges for the educator that range from student engagement through to student behaviour, availability of resources, and also this drive that many seem to have that everything should be digital, and everything should be online. Having a clear, reliable structure to an episode of learning is essential.
This post is the first in a series of three about the formality and structure of teaching and learning in a modern classroom. There are many challenges for the educator that range from student engagement through to student behaviour, availability of resources, and also this drive that many seem to have that everything should be digital, and everything should be online. Having a clear, reliable structure to an episode of learning is essential.
In a Further Education (FE) setting today the job title of the educator is “lecturer” not “teacher”. This might seem to imply that lecturers give lectures, when in fact the reality is many of them give lessons. So why do I draw that distinction? Firstly, let's look at the definitions:
Lesson: A lesson is a teaching or learning experience that is focused on a specific topic or skill. It is often interactive and may involve activities or discussions to reinforce the material being taught. In a lesson, the teacher aims to help students acquire knowledge and skills that they can apply in real-world situations. They are often structured around specific learning objectives and may be part of a larger curriculum or course of study. Lessons are adaptable to meet the needs of individual learners, considering different learning styles and abilities (Manaher, 2023).
Lecture: A lecture is a more formal presentation typically delivered by an expert in a particular field. The focus of a lecture is on the speaker conveying information to the audience. While it may involve visual aids (such as slides or videos), the primary goal remains providing information on a specific topic. Lectures are often used in academic settings, such as universities or colleges, and are suited for introducing new information or providing an overview of complex topics. Interaction with the audience through questions and answers or discussion may also occur during a lecture (Manaher, 2023).
Many educators use a range of documents to support their teaching. The class facing document of choice that provides the structure of the lesson is the Lesson Plan. An example Lesson Plan is at the back of this paper and should be referred to when reading through this text. A blank for your use is attached [here (.docx)].
Structure of a Lesson
At the risk of stating the obvious every lesson has three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. The beginning of the lesson is further broken down into four sub parts – Preliminaries, Revision, Introduction and Aim. Let’s look at each of these individually.
Preliminaries. These can be separated into two distinct timeframes – before the class arrive and after the class arrive. Before the class arrive might consist of items to do with the class administration, with room bookings, advertising to the class any additional requirements, preparation of any activities that might be used and so on. Preliminaries after the class arrive in the learning space might include such things as taking the register, making sure any resources are available to all, handing out of tool kits, safety requirements and so on.
Context is key – the actual preliminary requirements vary widely when the lesson is either face to face or online, is it in a workshop or a lab? As I said, context is key. In any event, the Preliminaries are there to ensure the learning episode (the lesson) is well prepared and on the face of it, there is no reason that teaching and learning should not take place.
Revision. The purpose of Revision is to draw a link between the learning that is to take place now and the learning that has taken place previously. It might be described differently (context is key remember – entry ticket) but is very relevant and in theory, should take approximately 10% of the total lesson time allocation. Revision is not re-teaching. Of course, if the lesson to be undertaken is the first in a series of lessons, then Revision may not be appropriate.
Introduction. This comprises some “mandatory” components that are essential to evidencing whether learning has taken place or not. The Introduction begins with a couple of sentences about what is to come and must promote interest.
The formal statement of Objectives (Learning Intentions) follows, again in a strict format, and is usually “stated” (students told what they are going to learn) or written down onscreen (still stated with students able to see them).
In teaching and learning theory there is a difference between how adults and children learn – personally, I see it more as mature and immature learners – adults need to know the Reason Why they are being taught something and to what benefit it will be to them. Children are less concerned with the Reason Why.
And now an Incentive – something that helps motivate the students and make them see an advantage to them in learning the lesson to be taught. Remember, Expert Teacher Paper 2 discusses Motivation, and what motivates people in a variety of situations. It could be as simple as money eg learn the content, pass the course, get a better job with a higher salary.
Note: The Objective Statement may be replaced with Aim(s). This would be appropriate in circumstances where the lesson is being used to introduce a course of training, for example. An aim is “a general statement of intent” or “a broad statement of what the educator wants to achieve”. This is distinctly separate to objectives which can be defined as “Specific goals or targets which can be measured” and are “what the learner should be able to do” after the lesson has concluded. Achievement of a lesson’s objectives are tested in the third part of the lesson structure and provide the evidence that learning has taken place.
An Example Lesson Plan [Download the following example here (.pdf)]
Beginning
Authors Note: Documents like this Lesson Plan evolve over time. In my own organisation, the Lesson Plan “template” has included various details over the years such as Core Skills and Meta Skills. I have omitted those here and this example is a simple, straightforward structure that will get most of us off to a good start. An electronic blank copy is available for your use.
An Introduction to Organisations and Sources 1
Prelims:
Before: Fire / H and S; Class Logins; Confirmation Emails; Accessibility Issues; Paper Copies; Class Rules; Lighting; Layout; Refreshments; Resources; Pens / Paper
Any additional requirements
After: Introduce Self; Register; Toilets; Fire Escapes / Alarms; In Class Recording; Login
Revision: Nil 1
Introduction: In this class we are going to start our journey into an exciting and exhilarating pastime / hobby – that of family history or genealogy – your Family History. Your family’s history – where they lived, fought and died; the conditions and social circumstances your ancestors lived in; and much more. You should be prepared for some surprises.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify and describe 2 national organisations that can provide information on family history 2
Identify and describe 2 local organisations that can provide information on family history 3
Describe a current online subscription facility which can be accessed for family research 4
Create a (free) account in an online family history program 5
Reason Why: The reason why this is taught is to provide you with authentic, accurate and appropriate resources for your research.
Incentive: Using these resources will enable you to create a family tree that is both credible and accurate and will be a talking point in your family for years to come.
Beginning - Explanatory Notes:
1 As this is the first class in a series then there is no Revision.
2 National Records of Scotland | National Library of Scotland
3 Angus Council Archives | Public Libraries | Family History Societies | Parish Records
4 Scotland’s People | Imperial War Museum
5 Ancestry | My Heritage | Family Search
Bibliography
Manaher, S., 2023. Lesson vs Lecture: Unravelling Commonly Confused Terms. [Online]
Available at: https://thecontentauthority.com/blog/lesson-vs-lecture
[Accessed 27 February 2024].