Download the Lesson Plan Format

Carefully prepared plans are essential for effective teaching. Good planning varies from subject to subject depending upon purposes, the needs of the children, resources available, activities involved and the content of the program. However, most educators would agree that the planning stage of teaching is vital to the successful accomplishment of the lesson.

Benefits derived by the student teacher from being well planned include the following:

1. An increased feeling of self-confidence.
2. Better selection of material through elimination of unimportant or confusing details.
3. Better use of class time.
4. More orderly presentation of materials to fit the teaching strategies used.
5. An available outline of content and procedures to be used as a guide and for analysis of a lesson.
6. A check to ensure the lesson is related to the objectives of the course.
7. A plan that can be used with adaptation for another group of students.

The student is required to have a written lesson plan for each lesson taught. Weekly plans should be submitted to the cooperating teacher a week before they are to be implemented. The plan should be checked by the cooperating teacher before it is taught, thus enabling the student teacher and the cooperating teacher to discuss possible problem areas and student reaction before presentation.

It is recommended that each student keep lesson plans in some type of organizer, such as a notebook. This should be made available in the classroom for use by the student teacher, cooperating teacher, college supervisor and substitute teacher in the student teacher’s absence.

A good lesson plan should:

1. Realize that which has preceded and what will follow.
2. Consider students’ interest, abilities, and needs.
3. Include basic concepts and processes to be taught.
4. Center on a specific objective.
5. Be meaningful to the students.
6. Assess whether or not objective(s) has been accomplished.

Ways to evaluate observable behavior:

1. essay test
2. short-answer test
3. multiple-choice test
4. solving problems
5. oral test
6. term paper
7. written plan
8. project report
9. oral statements made in class
10. participation in class
11. participation in discussion
12. performance in lab
13. performance in group situation
14. demonstration in class
15. creating something new using learned information
16. setting up criteria
17. testing
18. class participation