Content:

2.1. Lesson plan: definition and importance

2.2. Essential components of a lesson plan

2.3. Stages of a lesson plan

2.4. Commonly found instructional sequences

2.5. Steps for preparing successful lesson plans.

2.6. Practical considerations in planning lessons

(Warm-up activities):

Do you agree or disagree with these analogies "similes" about lesson plans?

Lesson plans are like road maps and travel guides to get you and your group to your destination in good shape.
If lesson plans are like road maps creative lesson plans are like taking the more interesting, scenic route. But, you only have a certain amount of time to complete the trip.

Simile: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

1. Apply what you learned in our previous class to create a simile that describes what lesson plans are. Explain your simile.

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2. Read the following document: Planning Lessons by Linda Jensen

Planning lessons - reading activity.pdf

After reading the document, answer the following questions:

What is a lesson plan?

Why do teaches need to develop lesson plans?

What are some important components of a lesson plan?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.1. Lesson plan: definition and importance

Definition

What is a lesson plan?

A lesson plan is a teacher’s detailed description of the course of instruction for a lesson.
A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during class time.
A lesson plan is the teacher’s guide for running the particular lesson, and it includes the goal( what the students are supposed to learn), how the goal will be reached( the method, procedure), and a way of measuring how well the goal was reached ( test, worksheets, homework, etc.)

Importance

Why do teachers need to develop lesson plans?

Lesson planning is important because it gives the teacher a concrete direction of what she/he wants to take up for the day.
A lesson plan is developed by a teacher to guide class learning.
Lesson planning is important because it helps teachers ensure that the day-to-day activities that go on in their classrooms are providing students with an adequate level of meaningful learning processes toward the goals that were set and outlined.
Through lesson planning the content is organized properly.
It makes the proper atmosphere for the learning process.
The teacher also gets a clear idea about when they should start evaluation and when they should proceed to the next lesson.
Lesson plans help in organized teaching and save time.
Lesson plans allow the teacher to apply appropriate learning strategies.
Teachers will be more prepared and confident while teaching the lesson.

2.2. Essential components of a lesson plan

What are the key components of a lesson plan?

A lesson plan is the instructor’s road map of what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during class time. Before you plan your lesson, you will first need to identify the learning objectives for the class meeting. Then, you can design appropriate learning activities and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. A successful lesson plan addresses and integrates these three key components:

Objectives for student learning

Teaching/learning activities

Strategies to check student understanding

The key components are the ones that allow you to teach your students what they need to learn in the classroom and how it applies to life outside of the classroom. So let's take a look at 8 of the most significant components of a lesson plan that will help your classroom run more smoothly and your students more fully understand what and why they are learning.

Top 8 Components of a Well-Written Lesson Plan

1. Objectives and Goals:

In the Objectives section of your lesson plan, write precise and delineated goals for what you want your students to be able to accomplish after the lesson is completed. Objectives focus on the individual, achievable outcomes. Objectives are the concrete deliverables that make the goal come to life. Progress towards them helps measure advancement to reaching the larger end goal.

Be Specific. Use numbers where appropriate.

To define your lesson's objectives, consider the following questions:

What will students accomplish during this lesson?
To what specific level will the students perform a given task in order for the lesson to be considered satisfactorily accomplished?
Exactly how will the students show that they understood and learned the goals of your lesson? Will this occur through a worksheet, group work, presentation, illustration, etc?

Have clear objectives.

By thinking clearly and thoroughly about the goals of your lesson, you will ensure that you are making the most of your teaching time.

Example: After reading the book "Life in the Rainforest," sharing a class discussion, and drawing plants and animals, students will be able to place six specific characteristics into a Venn diagram of the similarities and differences of plants and animals, with 100% accuracy.

Most learning objectives start with a variation of SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To...) and <action verbs to describe knowledge, skills, or attitude>

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives is a useful resource for crafting learning objectives that are demonstrable and measurable.

Please watch this video that explains how to write Learning Objectives Using Bloom's Taxonomy:

(496) 3.2 - How to Write Learning Objectives Using Bloom's Taxonomy - YouTube

Learn how to create learning objectives using the SMART process and Bloom's Taxonomy with this video:

(500) CREATING LEARNING OBJECTIVES - YouTube

2. Anticipatory Set:

A brief portion of a lesson given at the very beginning to get students' attention, activate prior knowledge and prepare them for the day's learning. Also known as an advance organizer, hook, or set induction. In the Anticipatory Set section, you outline what you will say and/or present to your students before the direct instruction of the lesson begins.

The purpose of the Anticipatory Set is to:

Provide continuity from previous lessons, if applicable
Allude to familiar concepts and vocabulary as a reminder and refresher
Tell the students briefly what the lesson will be about
Activate the students' existing knowledge base
Briefly expose the students to the lesson's objectives and how you will get them to the end result

To write your Anticipatory Set, consider the following questions:

How can I involve as many students as possible, stimulating their interests for the subject matter to come?
How should I inform my students of the lesson's context and objective, in kid-friendly language?
What do the students need to know before they can delve into the lesson plan itself and direct instruction?

Anticipatory Sets are more than just words and discussions with your students. You can also engage in a brief activity or question-and-answer session to start the lesson plan off in a participatory and active manner.

Examples:

Remind the children of animals and plants they have studied earlier in the year.
Ask the class to raise their hands to contribute to a discussion of what they already know about plants.

3. Direct Instruction

Your methods of Direct Instruction could include reading a book, displaying diagrams, showing real-life examples of the subject matter, using props, discussing relevant characteristics, watching a movie, or other hands-on and/or presentational steps directly related to your lesson plan's stated objective.

When determining your methods of Direct Instruction, consider the following questions:

How can I best tap into the various learning modalities (audio, visual, tactile, kinesthetic, etc.) to meet the learning style preferences of as many students as possible?
What materials (books, videos, pneumonic devices, visual aids, props, etc.) are available to me for this lesson?
What relevant vocabulary do I need to present to my students during the lesson?
What will my students need to learn in order to complete the lesson plan's objectives and independent practice activities?
How can I engage my students in the lesson and encourage discussion and participation?

Think outside the box and try to discover fresh, new ways to engage your students' collective attention to the lesson concepts at hand.

Avoid just standing in front of your students and talking to them. Get creative, hands-on, and excited about your lesson plan, and your students' interest will follow.

Examples:

Read Life in the Rainforest: Plants, Animals, and People by Melvin Berger.
Talk about the characteristics of plants and animals mentioned in the book.
Show the class a real, living plant and walk them through the functions of the different parts of the plant.
Show the class a real, living animal (perhaps a small pet brought in from home or a classroom pet borrowed from another teacher).

4. Guided Practice:

In the Guided Practice section of your written lesson plan, outline how your students will demonstrate that they have grasped the skills, concepts, and modeling that you presented to them in the Direct Instruction portion of the lesson.

While you circulate the classroom and provide some assistance on a given activity (worksheet, illustration, experiment, discussion, etc.), the students should be able to perform the task and be held accountable for the lesson's information.

The Guided Practice activities can be defined as either individual or cooperative learning.

As a teacher, you should observe the students' level of mastery of the material in order to inform your future teaching. Additionally, provide focused support for individuals needing extra help to reach the learning goals. Correct any mistakes that you observe.

Examples:

Students will split into pairs to work together on a drawing.
On a piece of paper, students will draw a picture of plants, incorporating characteristics they learned about in this lesson (listed on board).
On the other side of the paper, students will draw a picture of animals, incorporating characteristics they learned about in this lesson (listed on board).

5. Closure:

The closure is the time when you wrap up a lesson plan and help students organize the information into a meaningful context in their minds. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate. Another helpful activity is to engage students in a quick discussion about what exactly they learned and what it means to them now.

Look for areas of confusion that you can quickly clear up. Reinforce the most important points so that the learning is solidified for future lessons.

It is not enough to simply say, "Are there any questions?" in the Closure section. Look for a way to add some insight and/or context to the lesson.

Examples:

Discuss new things that the students learned about plants and animals.
Summarize the characteristics of plants and animals and how they compare and contrast.

6. Independent Practice:

Through Independent Practice, students have a chance to reinforce skills and synthesize their new knowledge by completing a task on their own and away from the teacher's guidance.

In writing the Independence Practice section of the Lesson Plan, consider the following questions:

Based on observations during Guided Practice, what activities will my students be able to complete on their own?
How can I provide a new and different context in which the students can practice their new skills?
How can I offer Independent Practice on a repeating schedule so that the learning is not forgotten?
How can I integrate the learning objectives from this particular lesson into future projects?

Independent Practice can take the form of a homework assignment or worksheet, but it is also important to think of other ways for students to reinforce and practice the given skills.

Get creative. Try to capture the student's interest and capitalize on specific enthusiasms for the topic at hand.

Once you receive the work from Independent Practice, you should assess the results, see where learning may have failed, and use the information you gather to inform future teaching. Without this step, the whole lesson may be for naught.

Examples: Students will complete the Venn Diagram worksheet, categorizing the six listed characteristics of plants and animals.

Plant Animal Cell Venn Diagram | Animal cell, Plant and animal cells, Venn diagram

7. Required Materials and Equipment:

In the Required Materials section, consider:

What items and supplies will be needed by both the instructor and the students in order to accomplish the stated learning objectives?
What equipment will I need in order to utilize as many learning modalities as possible? (visual, audio, tactile, kinesthetic, etc.)
How can I use materials creatively? What can I borrow from other teachers?

Keep in mind that modeling and the use of hands-on materials are especially effective in demonstrating concepts and skills to students. Look for ways to make the learning goals concrete, tangible, and relevant to students.

The Required Materials section will not be presented to students directly, but rather is written for the teacher's own reference and as a checklist before starting the lesson.

Examples:

The book Life in the Rainforest: Plants, Animals, and People by Melvin Berger.
Venn Diagram blackline master, copied for each student.
A plant
An animal
Paper
Crayons

8. Assessment and Follow-Up:

Learning goals can be assessed through quizzes, tests, independently performed worksheets, cooperative learning activities, hands-on experiments, oral discussion, question-and-answer sessions, or other concrete means.

Most importantly, ensure that the Assessment activity is directly and explicitly tied to the stated learning objectives.

Once the students have completed the given assessment activity, you must take some time to reflect upon the results. If the learning objectives were not adequately achieved, you will need to revisit the lesson in a different manner.

Student performance informs future lessons and where you will take your students next.

Examples:

Quiz
Test
Class discussion
Hands-on experiment
Worksheet
Cooperative Learning activities
Illustrations or Graphic Organizers

Note:

Components and details may vary depending on the teaching preference of the teacher, the subject being covered, and the needs of the students.
There may be requirements mandated by the school system regarding the plan (example: standard templates).

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Independent Practice (Formative Activity)

1. Select a topic to teach English to young learners. Examples:

Me and My Family
My House
Colors
Shapes and sizes
Classroom objects
Numbers
Feelings
Clothes
Seasons and Weather
Food
Transportation

Then, write at least two examples of each component of a Well-Written Lesson Plan to teach the selected topic.

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2.3. Stages of a lesson plan

STAGE 1: INTRODUCTION
This stage provides interest and motivation to the students. Before starting the class, this stage focuses on the greetings, warm-up or lead-in, review, class arrangement, and presentation of objectives (Objectives and Anticipatory set). Regardless of the amount of time available for the lesson, this part could last 5-10 minutes.

To set a purpose

The Teacher (T) describes/explains the aims of the lesson.

To introduce the topic and assess prior knowledge

T writes a few discussion points on the board about (topic).
T sets the environment by presenting a video/audio of (topic).
T asks questions to brainstorm what (topic) means.
T brings in realia (real objects) related to (topic).
T asks questions to know what they remember about (topic).

To introduce new vocabulary

T asks questions to label images.
T shows flashcards and asks questions tries to describe them.
T writes a list of words on the board and categorizes them.

To review a topic

T asks “Can anyone remember what we did last week/class?”
T plays a jeopardy game (answer-and-question quiz) about the previous class.

STAGE 2: DEVELOPMENT

This stage is the most student-centered part of the process. The activities for this stage present the subject matter in a coherent way (Direct Instruction) and provide students opportunities to participate and practice (Guided Practice).

To provide controlled practice of the target language

Students read a text and do a true/false activity.
Students read a text and answer some questions.
Students complete a gap-fill activity.
Students do a jumbled activity (In a jumble activity learners need to put sentences or paragraphs from a text, or pictures illustrating a text, into the correct order.).
The teacher reads aloud descriptions and asks students to try to guess what it is.
Students form their own complete sentences by choosing vocabulary from a sentence formation table.
T asks students to find someone who (specific criteria).
Students solve a crossword puzzle.

To favor cooperation and integration

Students work in teams in order to (task).
Students share what they found with others.
Students ask their peers to arrange/number the dialogues in the correct order.

To give students fluency practice

T asks students to practice the dialogue several times.
Students exchange information about (topic).
Students chorally repeat the sentence pattern.

STAGE 3: CONSOLIDATION
This stage is called “Independent practice”. It gives students the opportunities to use their newly learned knowledge and skills. It focuses on a field application and provides time for students to get their doubts clarified.

To provide free practice of the target language

Students write a letter responding to a message.
Students write a short conversation with a partner.
T asks students to write down what they think will happen next in the story.
Students draw a concept map about all the elements in the story (setting, characters, plot, theme, and conflict).
T asks students to write an alternate ending using the information that they have learned in a story.

STAGE 4: CONCLUSION
This stage has 3 parts: summary, evaluation of objectives, and closing. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate for checking to understand. Also, the students should be able to demonstrate that they have reached the objectives. The closure step is also a chance to give students feedback on their performance.

To summarize and check understanding

T invites students to tell the class what they have learned by answering some questions.
T asks students (Ss) to practice what they have learned by asking them “exit tickets”.
Ss create their own vocabulary picture.
T writes several yes/no questions of key points from the lesson and asks Ss to raise their thumbs up/down for each one.

To clarify any doubt about the topic

T gives feedback on (topic).
The teacher gives a quick conclusion and explains some common errors.

To reinforce what was taught in class

T gives homework and assignments for the next class.
T makes contributions to improve students’ (writing/reading/listening) skills.

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2.4. Commonly found instructional sequences ( lesson structures/frameworks)

Lesson sequencing is the process of organizing lesson plans that will be taught consecutively. The purpose of lesson sequencing is to create smooth transitions between lessons in order to meet the objectives of the unit plans and to achieve optimal learning outcomes. Although some of the parts of the process are the same, each Instructional Sequence varies depending on the type of writing, the time of the school year, the students' performance, etc.

These are common instructional sequences ( methods of structuring your lessons):
• Test, teach, test
• Pre, in, post
• PPP (Presentation, practice, production)
• TBL (Task-based learning)

Test, Teach, Test

What is Test-Teach-Test? — Barefoot TEFL Teacher

Test, teach, test (TTT) is an approach to teaching where learners first complete a task or activity without help from the teacher. Then, based on the problems seen, the teacher plans and presents the target language. Then the learners do another task to practice the new language.

The normal sequence here is:
1 Discover what a learner can do in a certain area.
2 Attempt to teach the learner some of the things she apparently can’t
do.
3 Check to see if learning has in fact taken place.

In terms of opportunities for learning, the first ‘test’ stage offers students a chance to try to
remember and use what they have remembered. The ‘teach’ stage may offer exposure to a new language or some chances to notice features of the language. The second ‘test’ stage could give the chance for use and refinement if the teacher goes on to support students here.

Example:

Here are some notes about a ‘Test, teach, test’ lesson with advanced
students who had asked about differences between American and British
English.
Level: Advanced
Time: 20 minutes
Language area: Differences in prepositions in telling the time in
British and American English
Steps:
1. Students looked at some clock faces showing different times, such as (in British English) ‘twenty to four’ and ‘ten past seven’.
They were asked to write down the times shown using American English. They wrote down the times in British English.

2Students listened to tapes of Americans telling the time. Their attention was drawn to the use of the preposition ‘of’ before the
hour and ‘after’ after the hour. Students made a note of these differences and practice using their own watches. The teacher
corrected where necessary.
3 Students were shown clock faces showing different times. They were asked to write down the times in American English. This
time most of them wrote things like ‘ten of two’ and ‘five after six’.

In the classroom
TTT is a useful approach as it enables teachers to identify the specific needs of learners concerning a language area and address this need suitably. It can be particularly useful at intermediate levels and above, where learners may have seen the language before, but have specific problems with it, and also in mixed-level classes to help identify objectives for each individual.

Lesson plan sample

5_simple_TTT_(TestTeachTest)_lessons.pdf (newint.org)

Pre, In (During- While), Post (Also called PDP)

An Overview Of Vision 1 Summer ppt download

The words pre-, in- and post- give us the clue that this is a type of instructional sequence resting on a chronological frame. It is used to develop receptive skills.

What are language “skills”? – Net Languages Blog

Pre- stage
Students are prepared for reading or listening by getting them interested
in a topic, discussing what words may come up, learning a few key
words for later or planning how they may tackle a reading or listening
task.
In- stage
Students do the listening or reading and work on the allotted tasks that are designed to make the listening or reading easier.

Post- stage.

Here there is an evaluation of the work done during the in-stage tasks, discussion of the topic of the text, and discussion or practice of the language encountered in the text.
There can be several moves through this cycle, with a different task set each time on the same text or with different parts of the text dealt with each time.
If the ‘pre-, in-, post-’ frame is used to give students a chance to practice their reading or listening skills. The ‘pre-, in-, post-’ frame is often used to develop the so-called reading and listening sub-skills such as ‘giving students practice in inferring the meaning of unknown words from context.

Example:

Here are some notes about a ‘pre-, in-, post-’ skills lesson.
Level: Intermediate
Time: 60 minutes
Skills: Reading and speaking
Pre- stage: Students were put into groups depending on their
position within the family (an only child, the youngest, oldest, or
(one of) the middle child(ren)). They discussed the advantages and
disadvantages of their position in the family before reporting in
plenary to the other groups. They were then told they would be
reading a story about a family with two children. The family has
had a bit of a tiff and the story is composed of letters to one child
from different people (see Richards 1994). Copies of the story were
given out and students asked to mask all but the first letter.
In- stage: Students read the first letter. They asked questions about
words they weren’t sure of.
Post- stage: Students stated their understanding of who the letter
was from and to and went on to discuss the attitude of the letter
writer. When asked to, they unmasked the next letter.
This basic cycle was repeated for each of the ten letters in the
story. Variation was provided in the reading of the letters (some
were read silently, some aloud, younger sisters in real life read
letters from the little sister, boys read letters from boys), in dealing
with vocabulary (students asked, teacher asked, students explain
to other students), and in the post-stage, where different letters were
discussed according to letter writer attitude and strategy, as well as
likely outcome.
Post-post- stage: The story was discussed in terms of whether
anything similar had happened to students, and whether they
thought the family handled the event well, and records of useful
words and phrases were made.
The students enjoyed the initial comparison of their own position in
the family with others and were amused by the story. The
motivation and energy remained high enough for there to be
smiles when, in later lessons, the vocabulary and useful phrases
were revised.

Lesson plan sample

TEACHING PRACTICUM II: Creating PDP and PPP Lesson Plans (lissethsusana.blogspot.com)

PPP (Presentation, practice, production)

What is Presentation, Practice, Production PPP

TEFL Lesson Planning | Lesson Planning for EFL

This teaching sequence involves setting up a situation, eliciting or modeling some language that fits the situation, having students practice the new language in a controlled way, and then encouraging students to use the new language in a freer way either for their own purposes and meanings or in differing, artificially constructed contexts.

The presentation stage, with its setting up of the situation, is an opening stage in which the teacher makes the new language
plain. The practice and production stages are chances for students to use and refine their understanding. If during the presentation stage, a
student comes up with the target language, then this student is using memory from past learning encounters.

A PPP lesson would proceed in the following manner.

First, the teacher presents an item of language in a clear context to get across its meaning. This could be done in a variety of ways: through a text, a situation build, a dialogue, etc.

Students are then asked to complete a controlled practice stage, where they may have to repeat target items through choral and individual drilling, fill gaps or match halves of sentences. All of this practice demands that the student uses the language correctly and helps them to become more comfortable with it.

Finally, they move on to the production stage, sometimes called the 'free practice' stage. Students are given a communication task such as a role-play and are expected to produce the target language and use any other language that has already been learned and is suitable for completing it.

Presentation: The aim is to make sure students understand the context, and to get them thinking about it. You could elicit ideas or suggestions from students, get them to talk to each other about what they know or think about the situation, etc.

Tell or act out a short story or anecdote ( “I woke up this morning with a really bad cold… AHHH-CHOOO! I went to the doctor and…”)
Play a short audio clip
Show a clip from a movie or tv show
Show objects you’ve brought in (e.g. newspaper cuttings, plane tickets, hobby materials)

Practice: The ‘practice’ stage is when students use the language in a controlled way. This stage is sometimes divided into two - a controlled practice and a freer practice.

Drill sentences or sounds, chorally or individually
Substitution drill in pairs
Sentence matching activities
Gap-fill exercises
Pair work asking and answering questions

Production:

The ‘production’ stage is where the language is used in a more open way. Things like:

Role-plays
Communication tasks
Collaborative tasks
Discussion activities

Lesson plan sample

PPP sample lesson (slideshare.net)

TBL (Task-based learning)

What is Task-Based Learning? — Barefoot TEFL Teacher

Task-Based Learning (TBL) is another method of sequencing activities in your lessons. Sometimes called ‘Task-Based Language Teaching’, TBL lessons students solve a task that involves an authentic use of language, rather than completing simple language questions about grammar or vocabulary.

Task-Based Learning is a structure with three stages:

1. The Pre-Task:

This is where you introduce the task to the students and get them excited for the task (by brainstorming, using texts, etc.). Once they’re engaged, then you should set your expectations for the task (objectives). It is a good time to hand out support materials, group students to give instructions, or scaffold the task appropriately. The focus of the stage is to engage the learners, set expectations, and give instructions.

Scaffolding Student Knowledge in Mathematics - TExES Class | Study.com

2. The Task Cycle

Begin the task! This means doing the task (in pairs without correction).

Small groups or pairs are good, rather than a bigger group where shyer students can ‘hide’. Ideally, you won’t join in the task, but you’ll be monitoring, and only giving hints if students get really stuck. The focus of this stage is fluency - using the language to communicate without falling into L1 unless really needed.

Within this stage we also have:

Planning and Reporting

The planning and reporting stages of a task-based learning lesson allow students to report back to the group, telling everyone else how they completed the task. This can be the preparation of a verbal report or a written report. It can be formal in style or more informal and they can practice beforehand what they will say or write in their pairs.

3. Language Focus (A Review)

Analysis and practice

Once the learners have completed the task and have something to show, then it’s time for a review, feedback, language analysis, and practice.

Peer reviews are preferable, or if during your monitoring you see an error common to many, a teacher-led delayed correction (delayed correction helps avoid interrupting students during fluency practice) is also very useful.

For weaker groups, peer correction can be made more effective by giving the students support on how to give feedback - perhaps via a checklist, or a ‘Things to Look For’ list.

The aim for this stage is accuracy - reflecting on completed work and analyzing it.

Example:

Here are some lesson notes about a TBL lesson.
Level: Intermediate
Time: 60 minutes
Skills: Integrated skills
Steps:
1 Students were divided into groups of two and given the task of coming
up with an everyday problem experienced in or with their host
families, suggesting ideas for its solution, thinking of the possible
merits and demerits of each solution and then choosing one to
try out. They were then to present their ‘case study’ to the rest
of the group.
2Each group worked on the task.
3 Once the groups had had time to think up a problem, some
solutions, and a reasoned choice of the best one, they planned
their report to other groups. The teacher went around monitoring
and helping groups.
4 Amid much laughter, groups reported back on cases involving
host families that allowed pets into the kitchen, bathrooms with
carpets on the floor, lack of mixer taps, and many other crosscultural
delights of living in a family away from home! The
the teacher took notes on the good ideas and the language.

5 The teacher gave the group feedback on both the cultural
background to some of the problems and solutions and the
discourse phrases that can be neatly used in this kind of case
study.
6 The group considered what they had learned overall and, for
homework, wrote up one more case study, this time based on a
real incident given by the teacher on her travels and troubles in
Japan.

Lesson plan sample

EJ1051515.pdf (ed.gov)

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2.5. Steps for preparing successful lesson plans

Steps for preparing successful lesson plans - Strategies_for_Effective_Lesson_Planning.pdf

2.6. Practical considerations in planning lessons

A good lesson plan involves consideration of more than just what is going to be taught (content/objective) and how it will be taught (materials, equipment, and activities). The following aspects also need to be thought about and planned for:

WHO ARE THE STUDENTS?

These are the pieces of information we have to know about our students:
*the number of students in the class (to choose a room, plan the seating and materials, decide if one-to-one, pair work, or group work will *be possible
*names
* age range (this helps in topic choice, concentration spans…)
* mother tongue

* target language level (placement test)

*books and materials already used (to avoid duplication)
* learners’ target situation (future job and English?)
* educational background (how cognitive and academic they are)

HOW LONG IS THE LESSON (Timing)?

Was the amount of time allotted for each part of the lesson sufficient? If the planned lesson finishes early, is there a backup activity ready? If the lesson wasn’t completed as planned, how can the next class be adjusted to finish the material? Do the activities move logically so learners are progressively building on what they already know?

WHAT CAN GO INTO A CLASSROOM?

We must know what there is to teach and learn.
* classes and people (time, territory, clothing, conduct, resources)
* language patterns (individual words, groups of words, grammatical patterns, functions)
* language skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)
* literature
* culture
* study skills (like “organization of time, place and materials; ways of consulting reference books eg: dictionaries, encyclopedias, and ways of using resource rooms and libraries; knowing what’s required of you in a particular task, making decisions about what to work on, when and how”
* other subjects (like computing)

HOW DO PEOPLE LEARN AND SO HOW CAN WE TEACH?

One of the first questions that many educators ask when they are learning to teach is how people actually learn.

To understand how people learn, we can pull these ideas together and produce a highly coherent working model. This does not have the status of a grand theory of explanation, but it may be a helpful way to think about things. Such a model would have these beliefs at its core:

Learning is a social process conducted, either more or less directly, with other humans.
People begin to learn by trying peripheral activities, then take on more complex activities as they grow in confidence and see other people perform them.
Individuals will repeat actions that are associated with a reward, including the approval of peers.
Even if the aim of the learning is not behavioral, having an associated behavioral outcome can make it easier to communicate and assess.
People learn most, and most profoundly, when faced with a dilemma or need to understand something relevant to them.

Encourage active learning. People need to learn something by doing it wherever possible, rather than simply hearing or reading about how to do it.

Allow people to have some control over their own learning.
Build connections between what is being learned and the experiences of learners, moving over time toward more complex ideas.
Encourage collaboration and conversation between learners.

These are four really important elements of learning a new language: exposure, noticing, remembering or mental storage, and now, use
and refinement. These different elements work together as shown.

four elements for learning a language.png

Independent Practice (Formative Activity)

1. Select one of the instructional sequence from this module (2.4. Commonly found instructional sequences ( lesson structures). Design a lesson plan to teach any topic or English language skills to young learners. Explain your lesson plan and the selected instructional sequence in class.

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