Are You an Expert at Lesson Planning?

Steps for Creating an Effective Lesson Plan

• A lesson plan is a road map for what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during class time.
• To create a successful lesson plan, you need to identify the learning objectives for the class meeting, design appropriate learning activities, and develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning.
• The three key components of a successful lesson plan are specifying concrete objectives for student learning, designing appropriate learning activities, and checking whether the learning objectives have been accomplished.
• There are six steps to guide you when creating your first lesson plans: outline learning objectives, develop the introduction, plan the specific learning activities, plan to check for understanding, develop a conclusion and a preview, and create a realistic timeline.
• You should rank the learning objectives in terms of their importance to prepare for managing class time and accomplishing the more important learning objectives.
• You can gather background information from your students prior to class by sending them an electronic survey or asking them to write comments on index cards to shape your introduction, learning activities, etc.
• You should prepare several different ways of explaining the material to catch the attention of more students and appeal to different learning styles.
• You need to check for student understanding by thinking about specific questions you can ask students and deciding on whether you want them to respond orally or in writing.
• Conclude the lesson by summarizing the main points and previewing the next lesson to spur students’ interest and help them connect the different ideas within a larger context.
• A list of ten learning objectives is not realistic, so narrow down your list to the two or three key concepts, ideas, or skills you want students to learn.
• You can share your lesson plan by writing a brief agenda on the board or telling students explicitly what they will be learning and doing in class.
• Take a few minutes after each class to reflect on what worked well and what you could have done differently to adjust to the contingencies of the classroom.

Test your knowledge on creating effective lesson plans with this quiz! From outlining learning objectives to designing appropriate activities, and checking for understanding, this quiz will challenge your understanding of the key components needed for a successful lesson plan. See if you are ready to create a realistic timeline and gather background information to shape your introduction and learning activities. Take this quiz to improve your lesson planning skills and ensure that your future classes run smoothly.