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DIDACTICS AND INNOVATION IN LANGUAGE

TEACHING
Key ideas
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Index

● Table of content:

1 Planning a lesson
2 Resources to support planning
3 Planning importance
4 The 3 types of lesson plan
5 The 5 parts of a lesson
6 Final thoughts

● Development

Planning a lesson?
Planning for a lesson is a teacher's detailed description of a lesson which is prepared
before they start teaching. It covers the learning trajectory and course of action for
each lesson taught and acts as a comprehensive daily guide for what students are
going to learn. It also gives insight into how it will be taught.

It's useful to think about how a student's learning can be measured, as this really
shows how useful the lesson was and what needs to be improved and worked upon
in future lessons. The plan itself will vary based on each teacher's individual
preference, what subject is being covered in the lesson as well as the needs of each
student in the class.

Resources to support planning

If you're looking for tools to help you plan, head over to our PlanIt pages to find
complete units of work containing differentiated lesson plans linked to curriculum
aims. Not only that, each downloadable lesson pack also contains the lesson
materials you need to teach such as PowerPoints, activity sheets, success criteria
and more.

Planning importance

Planning a lesson is a really effective tools to use in the classroom, it makes the best
use of class time and ensures as much lesson time as possible is used to teach new
concepts, build on students' prior knowledge and to promote meaningful discussions.
It gives teachers a detailed outline to follow, so it helps them be even better teachers.
It plays a role in the learning experience of students and how engaged they will be in
their subjects.

Even if it can feel a little overwhelming to pin down specific objectives and outcomes
for every lesson you teach, approaching students with a clear path in mind is so
important to get your entire class on the right track. That isn't to say it's always a bad
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thing if lessons follow their own path, sometimes lessons need to be adapted in the
moment to address individual student concerns or ideas. Yet most of the time, you at
least need some context of what your lesson is trying to achieve to ensure it is
successful. The idea of what the lesson will about should be shared with students, so
they are aware of what they should be learning.

The 3 types of lesson plan

There are 3 types of lesson plan you can use, and the one you choose depends on
how prepared you like to be and what specific criteria you are looking for your lesson
to follow.

Detailed lesson plan

A detailed plan covers everything and gets teachers fully prepared for the lesson
ahead. It covers what to teach and all the activities students will complete that lesson.

Semi detailed lesson plan

Semi-detailed plans are less intricate than detailed, but they still focus on what you
want to cover for that subject on that day. They act as a general game plan for what
will go on in the lesson.

Understanding by design (UbD)

Understanding by design is more of a framework. This "backward design" looks at

outcomes first to design curriculum units and is focused on improving student
achievement using it.

Comparing the 3 types of lesson plan

The main difference between the 3 types of lesson plans is that UbD includes
understandings and essential questions for students whereas the other two don't
include this. UbD includes procedures and evaluation as well as particular activities
but only in the learning plan. Detailed plans focus on conversations and questions
and answers between students and the teacher, but semi-detailed plans leave out
the student activity. Detailed and semi-detailed plans have separate sections for
subject matter and assignment, whereas UbD includes materials and other
references in the resources section. For UbD, assignment is usually found in the
assessment evidence.

What are the 5 parts of a lesson?

Out of the 3 types of lesson plan, detailed and semi-detailed plans are the ones that
can be broken down into 5 parts. The 5 parts of a lesson plan differ across websites
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and even across primary schools as there are many variants, but the most common
ways of dividing lessons are listed below:

1. Objectives

This is possibly the most important out of the 5 parts of a lesson plan, they are the
reason the lesson exists and should drive the activities. It is realistically the first thing
a teacher should do, giving the whole lesson a statement of purpose. Objectives
should answer what students will be capable of doing by the end of the lesson, this
is what teachers should start with. They may include things such as explain, create,
define or use as just a few examples.

Often objectives use SMART criteria, they should be specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant and time-based.

The aims you look at should be specific enough to be achieved in that particular
lesson, even if the lesson works towards a greater overarching aim.

"To develop an appreciation of creative writing"

"To develop an appreciation of creative writing in the short story 'The Looking Glass'
by Anton Chekhov."

In the examples above, the second aim is much more appropriate in one single lesson
as it is something that can be achieved in one lesson.

2. Subject matter

The subject matter includes the specific topic and how that relates back to the
National Curriculum. It should include the sources of information or references -
whether that is websites, textbooks or some other material.

It likely also lists any objects or tools teachers may use to enhance their lessons.

2. Procedure

The procedure makes up the body of the plan, it is an explanation of how the lesson
will progress step-by-step.

For detailed plans, this includes the expected routines, the activities that will go on
and the questions and answers. For semi-detailed, this is more about the procedures
or steps and the methods that teachers will use to get there.

4. Evaluation
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Evaluation is where teachers weigh up how well children understand what they've
been in that lesson, this may be as simple as some multiple-choice questions or a
formative test. Teachers will then want to look at the proportion of class who got the
answers right.

5. Assignment

The assignment component of a plan is made up of questions, exercises and set of

practice specified by the teacher including focused specific questions.

What are the parts of Understanding by Design?

Stage 1: Desired Results

1. Establish goals

2. Understandings

3. Essential questions

4. "Students will know"

5. "Students will be able to"

Stage 2: Assessment Evidence

1. Performance tasks

2. Other evidence

Stage 3: Learning Plan

The learning plan composes both the learning activities and WHERETO elements
which include:

Where are we going? What's expected of this lesson?

How will we hook students in?
Equip students for expected performances
Rethink/revise - what are likely or predictable misunderstandings going to be in this
unit?

Evaluation - how will children self-evaluate and reflect on their learning?

Tailor learning to varied needs, interests and learning styles
Organize sequence learning
Planning for learning
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Planning can be tricky, even for the most experienced teachers. After all, even if
you've got it nailed down to an exact science, finding the time to plan lessons can be
tricky. So, if you're wondering how to write a plan for your class or child, then here
are a few pointers to help you out:

The first step to planning a lesson is to identify what you'd like to cover in your lesson.
For teachers in state-mandated schools, this might mean browsing the National
Curriculum aims, or a related scheme of work like the White Rose Maths scheme.
After this, you'll have to determine the individual needs of your students. For teachers
of mixed-ability classes, this might mean using differentiated activities or worksheets.
Consider how you're going to engage your students. Using rich media, like videos, is
a great way to do this.

When you've presented all the information to your class, you should give them plenty
of time to practise. If you like, you can browse Twinkl PlanIt for a collection of
worksheets and activities.

Always spend a few minutes at the end of each lesson to recap what you've learned.

Prepare Assessments that Cover Core Skills

Whenever you prepare a lesson plan, focus on what specific concepts and skills you
aim to assess from your students. Working backwards from the end goal allows you
to develop an assessment that covers the objectives of the lessons with results that
will directly evaluate your students' understanding of that topic.

2. Encourage Students' Participation in Class

An effective lesson plan balances both verbal and written skills. As their teacher, you
should create a plan for encouraging active students' participation by including your
students’ interests during in-class activities. Build rapport with your students and plan
activities designed to discover what those interests are.

3. Use a Teaching Style that Promotes Learners’ Critical Thinking

To make your classes more engaging, you should tap into your creativity through
ideas like:

Organizing students in pairs or small groups and design activities that allow students
to collaboratively apply the concepts they learned.

During these activities, choose example problems to solve based on the content and
let the student pairs or groups work them out together. This process of working
together will not only promote the skill of effective collaboration but critical thinking as
well.
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If any group gets stuck, have a class discussion on that particular challenge and get
group feedback from other students.

Effective Practices for Your Lesson Plan Ideas

Ensure You Have All of Your Materials

Before entering the class, make sure you have all the necessary materials and
student supplies you need. Prepare your teaching tools and notes in advance so that
you don't have to waste any precious time (and lose any student engagement)
searching and setting them up in the middle of the lesson.

Set the Class Objectives Before Each Discussion

You should always be ready with a list of learning objectives for each class and
convey them to the audience before diving in-depth into the content. This simple yet
effective practice fuels student motivation and dedication to achieve the target while
making lesson expectations clear.

Follow the SMART Strategy for Objectives

Every plan starts with a particular objective that it aims to achieve. So, to make sure
your plan performs reliably, ensure it is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
relevant, and time-bound targets).

Examples:

By the end of the lesson, students will determine six causes of water pollution with
80-90% accuracy.

By the end of this blog, you can effectively design a lesson plan for your class.

Ensure You Tap into Your Student's Attention

Engage your students by involving common real-life examples or experiences to

establish connections and build curiosity among your students. After all, one of the
major goals for education is for students to be able to transfer their skills and
knowledge to contexts that are outside of the classroom.

Demonstrate the Content in the Best Way Possible

One of the best ways to engage students is to create content that is easy to follow
and relatable. You can discuss each topic in-depth to make sure the students can
establish a personal connection with it.
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Demonstrate all content clearly using visual methods like flowcharts or teaching
everything using a step-by-step modeling process. Using these visuals, your students
can interpret the presented information more clearly and retain the information longer.

Jot Down Your Observations for Reflection

The teacher should always analyze where their class stands in terms of the
curriculum. Continuous evaluation of students will show you what works and what
doesn't while giving you the opportunity to adjust in the future for better results.

Examples:

In which areas did the students need the most assistance?

Were the objectives fully met by all the students?

What areas of the lesson will need to be revisited?

Be Creative with Your Lesson Plan

Making the learning process more fun can be challenging but pays huge dividends.
Using illustrations, infographics, vidoes, and animations can bring life to your lesson
plan ideas and stimulate your classes.

Allot Time for Recall in Your Lessons

Before starting with the next lesson, you must allot time for recall so your students
can review the previous lesson. This ensures that the flow and transitions of your
discussions are smooth and that your students can understand how your lessons are
interconnected. One way for you to do this is by picking students to discuss what the
lesson objectives of the previous sessions are so that you can assess whether your
students have retained the information.

What Should be The Format of Your Lesson Plans?

Your lesson plans should primarily require six key sections:
Lesson Objectives

Lesson Materials

Teaching Strategies

Assessment Methods

The Lesson Reflection

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You can further break these into smaller sections to include more specific information
and additional detail as required by the curriculum. Teachers can use several
effective practices in their teaching procedures to encourage students to explore,
learn, practice, reflect, and apply their learning to problem-solving.

Benefits of Implementing Effective Lesson Plan Ideas

Having an effective lesson plan can:
Make learning and teaching easier for students and teachers, respectively

Promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students

Motivate students and keep attention focused on the learning in the class

Assist the teacher with delivering quality content even with different classes

Help list clear-cut learning objectives for teachers to plan the lesson

Conclusion
It’s essential to teach your students using careful time management and effective
methods. You can prepare an effective lesson plan by researching your content
thoroughly and implementing successful teaching methods. By doing so, your lesson
plan ideas and strategies can help motivate your students to always strive for
excellence.

Bibliography

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Instructional Accommodations, and Fairness: Three Profiles . The Teacher Educator
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Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Granada Learning.

Brown, G. T. L. (2002). Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment . (Doctoral dissertation,

University of Auckland.

Pierce, L. V. (2002). Performance Based Assessment: Promoting Achievement for

Language Learners. Center for Applied Linguists (ERIC/CLL News Bulletin), 26 (1),
1 3.

Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2002). Methodology in Language Teaching: An

Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667190

Shapiro, E. S. (1987). Behavioral Assessment in School Psych ology , by Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates, New Jersey, London.