A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Lesson Plans for New Teachers!
As a new teacher, writing lesson plans can seem intimidating, especially when you engage students and cover all the necessary material. However, lesson plans are essential to effective teaching as they keep you organised and on track. In this article, we’ll go over some tips and tricks to make the process of writing lesson plans smoother, as well as some resources to help you along the way.
Clarify Your Learning Objectives: Before writing your lesson plan, you need to clarify your learning objectives. What do you want your students to achieve during the lesson? What skills do you want them to develop? The best way to do this is by writing down what you expect students to learn or achieve by the end of the lesson. Also, consider how you will evaluate your students’ progress towards these specific learning objectives.
Plan Your Lesson Structure: Once you have identified learning objectives, plan the structure of your lesson. This includes deciding on the best way to introduce the lesson, whether through an icebreaker or a problem-solving activity. Sketch out the activities you plan to use in your lesson, making sure they align with your learning objectives. Consider engaging your students through interactive learning techniques that make it easier for them to understand and participate actively.
Consider Differentiation: Differentiation is a way of meeting students’ different learning needs. It's crucial to make sure your lesson plan caters to all your student’s learning abilities, styles, and needs. Think of ways to modify your lesson to include students who may be struggling and those who may be more advanced. For example, use visual aids to appeal to visual learners or use group work to engage social learners. Recognising diversity in the classroom is vital to creating effective lesson plans.
Use Online Resources: As a teacher, designing effective lesson plans is key to successfully engaging and educating your students. Thankfully, there are a plethora of online resources available to help you create engaging and interactive lessons. Teachers Pay Teachers and Share My Lesson offer a wide range of free or low-cost lesson plans and activities from other teachers that you can utilise or adapt to fit your needs. For even more creative options, platforms such as Classcraft and Canva allow you to add gamification elements and create visually stunning presentations and activity sheets with ease. Finally, don't neglect the power of social media! Pinterest and YouTube offer endless inspiration and fresh ideas for lesson planning, ensuring your future classes will be dynamic and engaging.
Seek Feedback: It's essential to seek feedback on your lesson plans from experienced teachers or mentors when starting your teaching career. Observations and feedback will help you evaluate your teaching performance and improve your lessons. Seek advice from colleagues or supervisors to refine your lesson plans and learn from them.
Writing effective lesson plans can seem daunting for new teachers, but with the right tools, tips, and resources, it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Start by clarifying your learning objectives, structuring your lesson, considering differentiation to meet individual student’s needs, and accessing online resources and seeking feedback. These steps will not only make the lesson planning process smoother but also make your teaching more effective. By implementing these tips and resources, you can write impactful lesson plans that engage and inspire your students, resulting in a rewarding teaching experience.
We hope you found this article useful. For more helpful tips visit our articles page.
Feeling inspired? Contact Polaris Personnel today at 0333 188 5555 or email emma@polarispersonnel.co.uk.