Ganado, Texas TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

UNIT 9 – LESSON PLANNING This unit describes the basics of lesson planning. While there always needs to be an element of flexibility in lessons (so as to best tailor a course to the needs of the students), it’s important to also have a written plan. This aids time management, and helps keep the lesson on topic and keep a record of what was done (and what materials were used etc.). The unit makes it clear that lesson plans are very variable, with experienced teachers simply jotting down key information. On the other hand, lesson plans at the beginning of a teaching career can be very important safety nets. The unit lists some things that can be added into a plan, including learner and teacher objectives, language point, any teaching aids needed, anticipated problems, procedure, timing and phase (which refer to the ESA lesson structures and help the lesson run smoothly), interaction at each stage, number of students (which can affect the previous point), and other basic information (class level, date/time, names of anyone involved). Personally, I really appreciate the addition of a blank lesson planning template in the pdf, which can be used for future lesson planning, ensuring new teachers don’t forget any key information. Furthermore, the self-evaluation table really does encourage teachers to reflect on how well a past lesson have gone, which is something that all teachers should do (even those with several years of experience). This would help prevent the reoccurrence of past mistakes, and improve the overall learning experience for students. The unit finishes with a quick comment on planning a series of lessons, followed by some really nice and clear materials for use in different lessons. Overall the unit was detailed and interesting, and a very valuable resource for teachers that are just starting out in their careers.