5 Common Mistakes in Writing Lesson Plans - How to Avoid Them?

by: Dr. Robert Kizlik

Successful teachers are invariably good planners and thinkers. In my career as a teacher and teacher educator, I have read and evaluated thousands of lesson plans written by education students at all levels. On a consistent basis, I see mistakes that distort or weaken what the plans are supposed to communicate. You can improve your lesson-planning skills by first thinking carefully about what the lesson is supposed to accomplish. There is no substitute for this. In teaching students how to develop lesson plans, the following are mistakes I have observed that students make most often:

1. The objective of the lesson does not specify what the student will actually do that can be observed.
2. The lesson assessment is disconnected from the behavior indicated in the objective.
3. The materials specified in the lesson are extraneous to the actual described learning activities.
4. The instruction in which the teacher will engage is not efficient for the level of intended student learning.
5. The student activities described in the lesson plan do not contribute in a direct and effective way to the lesson objective.
   

A lesson plan that contains one or more of these mistakes needs rethinking and revision. Below is a rationale and guide to help you develop effective lesson plans and avoid the five common mistakes.

• FIRST, YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO PLAN

The purpose of a lesson plan is really quite simple; it is to communicate. But, you might ask, communicate to whom? The answer to this question, on a practical basis, is YOU! The lesson plans you develop are to guide you in helping your students achieve intended learning outcomes. Whether a lesson plan fits a particular format is not as relevant as whether or not it actually describes what you want, and what you have determined is the best means to an end. If you write a lesson plan that can be interpreted or implemented in many different ways, it is probably not a very good plan. This leads one to conclude that a key principle in creating a lesson plan is specificity. It is sort of like saying, "almost any series of connecting roads will take you from Key West Florida to Anchorage Alaska, eventually." There is however, one any only one set of connecting roads that represents the shortest and best route. Best means that, for example getting to Anchorage by using an unreliable car is a different problem than getting there using a brand new car. What process one uses to get to a destination depends on available resources and time.

So, if you agree that the purpose of a lesson plan is to communicate, then, in order to accomplish that purpose, the plan must contain a set of elements that are descriptive of the process. Let's look at what those elements should be.

• THE LESSON PLAN

1. Preliminary Information - The development of a lesson plan begins somewhere, and a good place to start is with a list or description of general information about the plan. This information sets the boundaries or limits of the plan. Here is a good list of these information items: (a) the grade level of the students for whom the plan is intended; (b) the specific subject matter (mathematics, reading, language arts, science, social studies, etc.); (c) if appropriate, the name of the unit of which the lesson is a part; and (d) the name of the teacher.

2. The parts each part of a lesson plan should fulfill some purpose in communicating the specific content, the objective, the learning prerequisites, what will happen, the sequence of student and teacher activities, the materials required, and the actual assessment procedures. Taken together, these parts constitute an end (the objective), the means (what will happen and the student and teacher activities), and an input (information about students and necessary resources). At the conclusion of a lesson, the assessment tells the teacher how well students actually attained the objective.

In a diagram, the process looks something like this:

Input => process => output

• Let's look at each part separately - Input

This part refers to the physical materials, other resources, and information that will be required by the process. What are these inputs? First of all, if you have thought about what the lesson is supposed to accomplish, the inputs are much easier to describe. In general categories, inputs consist of:

1. Information about the students for whom the lesson is intended. This information includes, but is not limited to the age and grade level of the students, and what they already know about what you want them to learn.
2. Information about the amount of time you estimate it will take to implement the lesson.
3. Descriptions of the materials that will be required by the lesson, and at some point, the actual possession of the materials.
4. Information about how you will acquire the physical materials required.
5. Information about how to obtain any special permissions and schedules required. For example if your lesson plan will require a field trip, you must know how to organize it. If your lesson will require a guest speaker (fire chief, lawyer, police officer, etc.) you must know how to make arrangements for having that person be at the right place at the right time

• Process

This is the actual plan. If you have done the preliminary work (thinking, describing the inputs), creating the plan is relatively easy. There are a number of questions you must answer in the creating the plan:

1. What are the inputs? This means you have the information (content description, student characteristics, list of materials, prerequisites, time estimates, etc.) necessary to begin the plan.
2. What is the output? This means a description of what the students are supposed to learn.
3. What do I do? This means a description of the instructional activities you will use.
4. What do the students do? This means a description of what the students will do during the lesson.
5. How will the learning be measured? This means a description of the assessment procedure at the end of the lesson.
   

As an example, here is a template that has been used successfully to teach students to write lesson plans:

• Lesson Plan Format:

Teacher________________________________ Subject_________________________
Grade Level_____________________________ Date___________________________

1. Content: Indicate what you intend to teach, and identify which forms of knowledge (concept, academic rule, skill, law and law-like principles and/or value knowledge) will be included in the lesson.
2. Prerequisites: Indicate what the student must already know or be able to do in order to be successful with this lesson. (You would want to list one or two specific behaviors necessary to begin this lesson).
3. Instructional Objective: Indicate what is to be learned - must be a complete objective.
4. Instructional Procedures: Description of what you will do in teaching the lesson, and, as appropriate, includes a description of how you will introduce the lesson to the students, what actual instructional techniques you will use, and how you will bring closure to the lesson. Include what specific things students will actually do during the lesson.
5. Materials and Equipment: List all materials and equipment to be used by both the teacher and learner and how they will be used..
6. Assessment/Evaluation: Describe how you will determine the extent to which students have attained the instructional objective. Be sure this part is directly connected to the behavior called for in the instructional objective.
7. Follow-up Activities: Indicate how other activities/materials will be used to reinforce and extend this lesson. Include homework, assignments, and projects.
8. Self-Assessment (to be completed after the lesson is presented): Address the major components of the lesson plan, focusing on both the strengths, and areas of needed improvement. A good idea is to analyze the difference between what you wanted (the objective) and what was attained (the results of the assessment).

Of course, there is an immense difference between being able to plan and actually being able to carry out the plan. However, if you have thought carefully about where you are going before you begin writing your plan, the chances of your success, as well as the success of your students, are much greater.


More informations and free lesson plans:
www.forlessonplans.com

What Is A Good Teacher Lesson Plan?

Writing a new and innovative teacher lesson plan for every class can be tiring, and many teachers report that this is their least favorite part of their jobs. Unfortunately, most public schools require that teachers work from plans instead of just from the top of their head.

The reason for this is consistent education and, while most teachers understand this, it doesn't make the lessons any easier to write. Luckily, there are many tools available that will help even the most frustrated educator create better lessons.

Many teachers will attempt to take courses on how to write a better teacher lesson plan. This is a great way to get some templates or forms to help with the process. If nothing else, many teachers find that they need to be better organized when writing their plans. Organization is key to making the lessons flow and be something that teachers would not only submit to their supervisors but would also be proud to teach to their students. Well written lessons don't have to be difficult to write, but it is time consuming and it is easy to see how many teachers are on the verge of pulling their hair out when they are done.

Other tools that teachers may use to aide them in writing a teacher lesson plan are planning books, templates, forms, and even computer programs. Programs that utilize computers are the latest craze, as many are very versatile. Many teachers like to buy programs that have all of the forms and such that they need so all they have to do is input information and teach. This is a very practical way to go about it, because the computer will help you stay organized and there is no dealing with confusing forms to make the process even more difficult.

In addition to these tools, many teachers find that if they supplement their teacher lesson plan with plans that have already been created for them, they feel a lot less stressed. There are tools available to teachers right now that can provide them with the templates they need in addition to the fully planned lessons that will give them a break when they need it. These allow teachers to turn on the computer and teach instead of refining their plans again and again and feeling the stress that goes along with that. This type of teaching is becoming very popular among educators of every level.

Author: Iprwire Staff Writer

Get Help Writing Your Computer Lesson Plan

Writing a computer lesson plan is very easy for some teachers, but a lot of teachers find it very difficult. The most passionate teachers will find that writing lessons for their computerclasses is very difficult. The reason for this is that a passion for computer doesn't always translate into the ability to organize a cohesive educational lecture or class. Teachers that have difficulty putting their passion into a computer lesson plan often need some tools to help them put it all down on paper or even a computer. This may take some practice, but every teacher can learn how to write great lessons that will take your passion and make it the passion of your students, as well.

There are many tools that you can use as a computer teacher to enrich your lessons writing process. First, you can use a planner or planning book. These are usually a great way to write down a rough idea of what you plan to teach from day to day, but they are not always enough. If you are organized you can write down the objective of all of the lessons and what you plan to tie into the lesson in the way of worksheets, crafts, textbook assignments, research papers, etc. Many teachers try this approach and have a lot of success while others find that they cannot form organized lessons in the planners and similar tools. Organization is key when using this type of tool, because you want your lessons to flow from one day to the next.

If you have found that writing a computer lesson plan using all of the traditional tools doesn't work well for you, or you just want a break from writing your own lessons, you might want to look into some of the spectacular software that is currently available to teachers. Much of the computer software that is on the market has fully prepared lessons for teachers to use with their students. The lessons are written by teachers for teachers, so there is no need to worry about content or how complete the lessons may or may not be. You might not want to use the lessons for all of your teaching but you might find that they are a good supplement to your own lessons.

This type of software can be very helpful for teachers of all levels of computer who want to take a break from their computer lesson plan writing but still want an enriching educational experience for students. For one of the best options on the market teachers may want to visit the http://www.lessonplans.com.au for some of the best software programs available. These programs are very easy to use and can help teachers introduce the use of computers in the computer classroom. The programs are very affordable, and if you are not satisfied with the product for any reason you can return it for a full refund, no questions asked. Great software is hard to come by, but this is one of the best companies to work with on the Internet and with a full refund possible, you have nothing to lose!

Author: Iprwire Staff Writer

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What Is A Good Lesson Plan?

Even the best teachers often struggle with writing a high quality lesson plan that will allow them to teach to the best of their ability. Plans that are not well organized or clear in their direction can be hard to follow and the educational experience of the students suffers as a result. Many teachers are required to write their plans in advance, and this can be good and bad. Teachers often rush through the process to get the plans into their supervisor, but then they suffer later on when they attempt to teach from the plan.

There are many different tools to help teachers prepare their lesson plan including planning books, templates, and forms. How well any of these plans will work for you is based on how dedicated you are to using the format provided. Writing lessons requires organization, and even if you use these tools and you are not organized, you may find that they do not help all that much. At the end of the day, if you are a teacher that has to write your own lessons, you might find that you are tired, exhausted, and just frustrated by the process.

Many teachers benefit from some of the programs that are on the market today that actually provide ready made lessons. This can be very helpful for teachers that just need a break or need something to guide them through the lesson plan writing process. Some of these aren't all that great, but there are a few products that are of superior quality. Programs that are written for teachers by teachers, so you know that all of the information is valid and something you can work with for your students, is the best choice. You do not want to simply work with something that is written by someone who does not know much on the subject.

Another great aspect to utilizing a lesson plan program based around computers is that it can introduce computers into every classroom setting. Many students never work with computers or see the validity of them until they take a computer class or until younger students become much older. Teaching from a computer will show your students that there is a place for them in every classroom, despite the subject at hand. This enriches the educational experience because students may learn something that they didn't know before and that is that computers can be an important asset in every educational environment.

Author: Iprwire Staff Writer

10 Steps To Developing A Quality Lesson Plan:

1. The first thing to consider, obviously, is what you want to teach.
2. To make sure your lesson plan will teach exactly what you want it to; you need to develop clear and specific objectives.
3. You would probably find out exactly what materials you are going to use later, but they should be shown early in your lesson plan.
4. You may also want to write an Anticipatory Set, which would be a way to lead into the lesson plan and develop the students' interest in learning what is about to be taught.
5. Now you need to write the step-by-step procedures that will be performed to reach the objectives.
6. After the procedures have been completed, you may want to provide time for independent practice.
7. Just before moving on to the assessment phase you should have some sort of closure for the lesson plan.
8. Now you want to write your assessment / evaluation.
9. Adaptations should also be made for students with learning disabilities and extensions for others.
10. It's also a good idea to include a "Connections" section, which shows how the lesson plan could be integrated with other subjects.

Finding A Free Lesson Plan For Teacher

Most educators are always looking for new and exciting ways to write their lessons. The reason for this is that it is one of the most time consuming and difficult parts of the job for most. A free lesson plan for teacher sells a lot of educators on a certain product or tool that will make the process easier. Of course, the example needs to be something worth using to get educators to buy anything for themselves, but educators should never turn away a sample of a tool that may help. All over the Internet there are websites that may help with the process of writing lessons; you just may have to look around to find what works for you.

When you look around the internet for tools that will help you write your lessons you will find things big and small, free to expensive, and very simple to very complicated. If you are a educator that struggles with writing lessons every school year than you may want to search the Internet for a new tool or tools that will help you with the process. If you look around you are bound to find something that takes the pain out of writing lessons, in fact you may actually find a way to become very efficient at writing lessons so that you don't dread them so much.

Educators may find more organized lessons books that will help them. Anywhere that you can jot down all of your thoughts and plans for particular dates is a good thing, as long as they are organized. If you don't have a tool that will help you be organized you might find it hard to put together a cohesive educational experience for your students and they won't want away with as much as they should. Planning books are great, but only if you can keep them organized. If you find a planning book online that looks good, see if they offer a free lesson plan for teacher or example to see if it is worth purchasing.

As an educator you'll find that there are workshops on just about every subject you can think of, and then some. One of the workshops that you will probably be invited to attend at least once a school year is on planning your lessons. You will likely be offered a free lesson plan for teacher for coming, which can be very beneficial. Even if you do not purchase any of the software or tools that are offered at the workshop you may come away with some great ideas that will help you out a bit in the planning process.

One of the most exciting trends right now is computerized lesson plans. There is software that offers fully planned software on just about any subject as well as free lesson plan for teacher templates or forms. One of the most informative and helpful software options can be found on http://www.lessonplans.com.au where you'll find fully planned lessons on every subject that you can think of and then some. This is very high caliber software that will allow every teacher to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy teaching again!

Author: Iprwire Staff Writer

Tips On Writing Lesson Plans (RPP) Like A Pro

Aside from the grade level, writing lesson plans generally follows a format much like the outline below. While different teachers - and curricula - alter the format somewhat, the basics are the same.

Overview
This section contains the subject matter and an assessment of how much ground the class has covered in the topic area. The overview addresses the importance of the lesson within the context of the subject matter. It the topic is Supreme Court decisions, the overview might discuss the impact of high court decisions on everyday Americans.

Purpose
This section defines the overall goal of the lesson, both mandated academic requirements and actual educational value. Writing lesson plans should always include both elements, but it is important that the mandated goal not overshadow the learning involved.

* Personalize the educational goal. Write the lesson plan to define your purpose for each student: 'Every student will understand the importance of the First Amendment within the context of his personal life and the context of any professional goals he might have.'

Objective
The objective defines the activities to be completed and the learning to be accomplished. The students will have examined ten Supreme Court decisions and discussed their constitutional impact. They will have learned the manner in which cases come to the court, and impact that rulings have on current statutory law.

* Provide an example drawn from real life. Discuss how a civil rights decision forced dozens of states to rewrite school requirements. Writing lesson plans should include drama provided by dynamic examples.

Resources/ Materials
When writing lesson plans every teacher lays out the material requirements for the lesson to be taught. This includes textbooks, specific library access requirements, any multimedia tools to be employed, and current events materials such as newspapers or magazines.

One site to consider is: http://4booklovers.com

* Ask the student to bring forth an example of the lesson topic’s impact. A little guidance here will produce interesting stories. The relationship between Title XX of the Civil Rights Act and our professional female athletes, thirty five years later. As much as possible, write a lesson plan that highlights the potential impact of the topic on the individual student

Activities and Procedures
Usually, when writing lesson plans these sections discuss the classroom specifics. There is a list of daily activities that proscribe development of the overall lesson.

* Include a timetable. Don’t just keep it in your head; itemize it in your plan.

Trying it all Together/ Closure
This section can be not only a summation of the lesson, but a look forward. Here the lesson plan can connect what the students knew at the beginning and where the lesson has taken them. When writing lesson plans, you can also hint at what is to come next time.

About the author :
Teresa Styles helps parents and teachers become more effective helping children learn and enjoy learning. She is a contributing author at EducationGold. For more teaching ideas go to: http://educationgold.com.