Lesson Planning in the Esl Classroom

What follows is a compendium of thoughts I have on the subject of lesson planning. As I want to make good use of this document when I start teaching again, I specifically formatted it like a “quick-look” reference sheet. In fact, its format speaks volumes about how I will apply what is listed below in the future.

A good lesson:

• Has a sense of coherence and flow (i.e., it is not just a sequence of discrete activities)

• Exhibits variety [*see varying a lesson below] – with some elements of predictability (e.g., text, classroom routine, etc.)

• Is flexible (i.e., it is not immutable, nor does it dictate how and what I teach) (Jenson, 2001)

When planning a lesson, I must consider:

• My own beliefs and principles about teaching and learning

• My students’ needs, interests, wants, and expectations

• How it will connect to what my students already know

• My students’ backgrounds – to include different learning styles and how to address these

• The proficiency level of my students and the lesson’s level of difficulty

• The main goal of the lesson

• The reasons why I believe it should be taught

• The skills to be taught, what I want my students to learn, and my intended outcomes

• What will help my students’ learning and what will hinder it

• How well I know the content and what steps I need to take in order to teach it confidently

• How I will communicate the purpose of the lesson and activities to my students

• Ways to involve all my students actively

• The way it will be structured, organized and sequenced

• How I will begin and conclude it

• The activities and reasons for using them

• The materials and how I will use them

• Transitions between activities

• How much time I will need for each activity, as well as how much time my students will need

• The grouping arrangements I will use

• Where the lesson may break down and what to do about it if it does

• Unplanned lesson changes (unanticipated directions) and any alternative plans I may need

• How I will check my students’ understanding

• How I will assess my students’ performance

• How to evaluate it after the class is over

• How it ties in with my overall course framework

• Connections to previous and future lessons

Structuring: Four dimensions of how lessons are organized

1. Openings – Procedures to focus students’ attention on the learning aims of the lesson

2. Sequencing – Format of the lesson (i.e., the ordering of activities)

3. Pacing – Extent to which a lesson maintains its momentum and communicates a sense of development (e.g., by avoiding needless or over-lengthy explanations and instructions, using a variety of activities, refraining from using predictable and repetitive activities, selecting activities that are suitable challenging, etc.)

4. Closure – How a lesson is brought to an end (e.g., by summarizing what has been covered in the lesson, reviewing key points, pointing out links between the lesson and previous lessons, showing how the lesson relates to students’ real world needs, etc.) (Richards & Lockhart, 1994)

Elements of effectively structured lessons:

• Start with a review of previous learning

• State my goals and objectives, or information or skills to be learned

• Preview the lesson

• Quickly