By Aleks Prighozin, Department of English and Teaching Consultant at the Chicago

Center for Teaching

The list below it contains the basics of good classroom management, logistics, and
built-in daily reflection on the teaching process. It is by no means complete or
unalterable, but it covers most of the daily essentials that provide the ground for
success in the classroom.

Before Class:

 Read any assigned materials

 Read/grade student assignments (Chalk posts, etc.)

 Review notes from previous day/week—-is there unfinished business?

 Draft a lesson plan considering all of the above

 Prepare any teaching aids you might want to use, such as a slideshow, the
board, handouts, movie clips, etc. Test-run if possible

During Class:

 Take attendance if it forms a part of the grade (you can make this more
meaningful by asking the students to share one thing they’ve learned from the
reading for the day or what puzzled them about it, if the class size allows. If not,
use a sign-in sheet)

 Announce the agenda, writing it on the board (ideally, it will be up throughout the
lesson). An agenda is a concise version of the lesson plan that you share with
 the students, to hold each other accountable for accomplishing the goals of a
class

 Review the previous day/week, relying on the students as much as possible—-

see what they think they’ve learned

 Keep the class on track and manage the time spent on individual tasks or
discussion topics. Announcing the agenda at the beginning will make this an
easier task

 Keep track of student participation to maintain a productive and welcoming

learning environment, and for the purposes of assigning a participation grade

 Take time for review and questions on the day’s lesson as a whole near the end
of class, again relying on the students, to see what they’ve learned; if necessary,
give a concise summary of what the class has accomplished (be honest)

After Class:

 Return any graded work at the end of class

 Review your notes on the lesson (if any) and write up (for yourself) a 150\- to
200-word summary of the day: What was accomplished? What issues remain
unresolved? Which tool/approach worked well? Which didn’t? Which classroom
dynamics would you like to change, and which would you like to encourage?