EDU431 METHODS OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND

SCIENCE IN THE PRIMARY/JUNIOR GRADES

Required Reading C: Analysis and Reflection.
Title:
How to Plan Effective Lessons
CITATION: Ullman, E. (2011). How to plan effective lessons. Education Update, 53(10).
ABSTRACT:

ANALYSIS/REFLECTION:

An effective lesson gets students thinking

and allows them to interact and ask
questions, tap into their background
knowledge, and build new skills. This
article offers practical tips for planning
engaging lessons that will help your
students retain more of what they learn.

There is a significant difference between an

effective and an ineffective lesson. Planning an
effective lesson requires more than just
including what is expected based on the
ministry documents. If the lesson is not
engaging for students, then it will be unlikely
that they are getting the most out of the
material. First and for most, there must be a
solid objective, that is, a reason for teaching the
lesson that lines up with the intended student
outcomes. Without this, the body of the lesson
will be close to impossible to plan effectively.
Open-ended questions allow for students to be
actively involved in what they are learning, and
motivates them to engage in higher-order and
critical thinking. Finally, there must be time
allotted for reflection and closure, which will
help the students solidify concepts and ideas.
Much of what was discussed in this article has
to do with having students think outside the box.
Confining students to a limited frame of mind
prohibits them from fostering their own
personal creativity. Another central argument
that that is continuously reinforced within this
article is the importance of capturing the
attention of the students. Effective lessons
require the students to be focused and interested
in the content material, and this is achieved
when lessons are relevant to them and they can
see the purpose of what they are learning. I
believe that effective lesson planning is crucial
for teachers so that students are inspired and
encouraged to reach their full potential, which
will allow them to succeed later on in their
lives.