Q: Please describe the steps you use to plan a lesson. A: A good lesson plan provides an outline for the accomplishment of specific tasks, while at the same time allowing for a measure of flexibility in terms of student interests and needs. My lesson plans consist of several critical elements. First, there must be a set of specific objectives. I know that a well-crafted objective has two components: The students for whom the objective is intended and the anticipated performance. Next, there must be an anticipatory set or motivational opening – that is, how will I stimulate student interest in a topic or subject. Next, I must provide a series of guided practice activities. These should incorporate several elements including specific instructional methodologies, creative thinking opportunities, “hands-on, minds-on” activities, and various ways in which students can practice the desired behavior(s). There must be some form of closure to the lesson. This can take the form of a teacher summary, a student summary, or some type of lesson product – a poster, brochure, mobile, or portfolio, for example. Finally, I need to address evaluation and assessment – not as something done solely at the end of a lesson, but rather as a concept woven throughout the entire lesson. Above all, I have to make sure that everything in a lesson is geared towards the identified objectives or a set of specific standards.
If you don’t know how to write a lesson plan you’re going to have a very difficult time convincing any interviewer you are a competent teacher. Make sure you know all the elements of a good lesson plan…cold!
