t

Planni^g Lessons
LINDA JENSEN

"t-esson Planning" chapter serves as a guidefor novice teachers Jensen's who needto create formalized less;on plans.The chapter covers why, when, andhowteachers planlessons, aswellasbasic lesson planprinciples anda lesson plan template, A sample lesson plan is provided in the contexl of a weekly overview module overview andcourse overview.

INTRODUCTION: DEFI NITION OFA LESSON PLAN

All good teachers havesometype of plan when theywalkinto their:classrooms. It canbe assimple asa mentalcheckllist or ascomplexasa detailed q?ed hsson plan that follows a pretwo-page scribedformat. Usually, lessonplans are written just for the teacher's own eyesand tend to be rather informal. Ilut there may be timeswhen the plan hasto be written asa class assignment or givento an observer or supervisor, and therefore will be a m<lre{brmal and detaileddocument. This chapfer will serve as a guide for creatingthesemore formalized lesson plans. A lessonplan is an extremelyuseful tool that serves as a r:ombinationguide, resource, and historicaldocumentreflectingour teaching philoqophy, student population,textboola,and most importantly,our goSls for our students. It can be described with rnanymetaphorssuchas road. map, bluep,rint, or gam" pluo (see Ur 1996);but regarclless of the analogy,a lesson plan is essential fcrrnoviceteachers and convenient for experienced teachers.

our students. As previously mentioned, a lesson plan is alsoa record of whatwe did in class; this record serves as a valuable resource when planning assessment measuressuch as quizzes, midterms,and final exams. A recordof previously taught lessons is also usefulwhen we teach the samecourseagain,so that we havean accountof what we did the term or yearbeforeto avoidreinventing the wheel.When we haveto missclass, a lesson plan is a necessity for the substitute teacher,who is expectedto step in and teach what had beenplannedfor the day.In addition, just as teachers expecttheir students to come to classpreparedto learn, students come to class expectingtheir teachers to be prepared to teach. A lessonplan is part of that preparation. Yet in spiteof the importanceof planning, a lessonplan is mutable,not written in stone;it is not meant to keep a teacherfrom changing the duration of an activityor forgoing an activity altogetherif the situationwarrants. A goodlesson plan guidesbut doesnot dictatewhat and how manystakeholders: we teach.It benefits teachers, administrators,observers,substitutes, and of course, students.

WhyWePlan
Decidingw-hat to teach,in what order, and for .how much time are the basic componentsof planning-,Thelessonplan servesas a map or checklistthat guidles us in knowing whatwewant to do next; thesesequences of activities remind us of the goalsarrd objectives of our lessons for

When and How We Plan

To be perfectlyhonest,a certainamount of lesson planningtakesplacethe night beforea class just hours is taught.This planning, takingplace before entering the classroom, should be the fine or micro tuning of the lesson, not the big picture or macro planning that is basedon a

philosophyor syllabus design. programmatic A good lessonplan is the result of both macro planning and rnicro planning. On the macro level,a lesson plan is a reflectionof a philosophy of learning and teachingwhich is reflectedin the syllabus, the texts, the methodology, and the other coursematedalsand finally resultsin a In brief, an actuallesson specificlesson. plan is the end point c,fmanyother stages of planning that culminatein a dailylesson. Beforea teacher steps into the second languageclassroom, he or she should havedeveloped his or her own understanding of second Ianguage learnLing and teaching. This background includes knowledge of theories of second language acquisition and learnercharac(see teristics Oxford'schapterin this text) aswell as familiarity with both historical and current (seechaptrendsin second language pedagogy tersby Celce-Murcia and Savignon in this text). This backgroundknowledge will createa personal philosophythat is realizedwhenever the teacheris preparinglessons, teachingclasses, or grading assignrnents or tests.A good teacher cannot help but bring his or her own sense of good learning and teaching into the classroom. Ideally, thisphilosophywill be consistentwith the teachingmethodology employedby the institution sincethe methodologywill then helpimplement the syllatrus and influence the choice of for m.ost textbooks programs. Once the syllabusand texfs have been decided, planrring for the year or term takes place.For manyteachers, especially newlyhired ones, these der:isions have alreadybeen made and the macroplanninghasbeen takencareof by colleagues or:supervisors. In somecases, however, the newteachermaybe responsible for the mdcro planning as well as the micro planning. Consulting or planning with fellow teachers aboutsyllabus dlesign and textbookselection can be very helpful in this rype of situation (see chaptersby Nunan and Byrd in this text). In rare cases, nothLing maybe in placesoit maybe entirelyup to ttreinstructorto designthe course syllabus,choose the teaching materials,and plan the dailytressons. Generaily,the oppositeis true for the novice teache4however, who will

havevery little input at first in terms of macro and even micro planning. (SeeAppendices B, C, and D for examplesof macro planning: a course overview,a module overview,and a weeklyoverview.)

What a LessonPlan Looks Like

Although there are a varietyof fCrrmats to use when creating a lessonplan, most templates share certain characteristics. When creating a lesson, a teacher must consider the background of the students, the objectives of the lesson, the skills to be taught, the activities, the materials texts, and the time constraints, and the conrrec. tions to previousand future lessons. Like most activities, a lesson plan hasstages: a beginning,a middle, and an end. fu mentioned previously, the amount of detail actually written down will vary with individual preferencesand experience.Someinstructors like to keep notebooks of lessons plans for eachclass; others may use note cardsor loosesheets of paper that can be shuffledaround.Manyinstructors nowusecomputersto write up lesson plans;the advantages of this are that the lessons are neatlytyped,easy to save, and can readilybe copiedand modified asneeded. Keeping at least one papercopyfiled away in case of a technological breakdown is also a goodidea. Mostplansbeginwith a brief description of the class and students; for example,the name of the courseand the level, and the background of the students are usefulto note. It is alsoimportant to add the date aswellasthe weekand dayof the course.Given the trend of adhering to comandpublished a petency requirements standards; lesson plan rnayalsoneedto includethe competencies and standards that the lessonaddresses, Some teacherslist the grammaticalstructures and keyvocabulary termsthatwill be introduced aswell. Teachers aisofind it wiseto note what has been covered during the previousclass or what studedtsalreadyneed to knowfor the particular lesson, if it will beginwith a review"of especially previousrnaterial.The day's go4lsand otljectives, should be included as should a list of texts,

materials,and equiprnentsuch as audiovisual aids.Someinstructors find it helpful to lisr the day'smaterials and audiovisual aidsin a box at the top of the page to serveas a reminder of what they needt,r bring to class. If more elaborate material preparation is necessary before class, teachers mayalsolist the steps necessary to prepare thesematerials. Noting anyhomework or assignments to be returnedor collectedthat day is also useful information to have at the beginningof the lesson plan. The middle component of a lesson plan is the lessonrs content;this includes procedures or activitiesalong with transiLion notes,as well as time managementand class management notes suchasthe studer:Lts' seating arrangements for different activities. Noviceteachers shouldalsotry to anticipate whatrnaygo wrongor proveto be protr. lematicsothat contingency plansarepreparedin advance andwritten into the lesson plan. Lessons usually beginwith warm-up and/or review activities. Teachers need to decide how theywill connect the day's lesson to the previous class rneeting and how theywant to interestand motivate their studentsfor the day'sactivities. Once warmed up,,the class is then readyfor the presentation and practice stages of the lesson. Thesestages havebeenreferredto with a variety of labelssuchas;into, through, (Brinton, beyond Goodwin,and R.Lnks 1994) study, actiaate ; engagq (Harmer 1998) ekcitation, explanation, ; lead-in, accurate reproduction, and immed,iate creatiuity (Harmer 1991 and uubalization, automatization, ); and autonory (\Jr 1996). All of these labels describe in which first, the language stages form or contentis intrirducedand presented; second, comprehensionis checkedbefore a form of guidedpractice is implemented; and third, some :less type of structured,communicative activity takesplace so that studentscan practicewhat just learnedin a lesscontrolled, theyhave more natural situation. The communicative stagealso provides an opportunity for students to integrate the new knowled,ge presented in the lesson with previous knowledge,Finally, teachersand studentsshouldevaluate howwell the newmaterial has been learned in order to determine the shapeof futurelessons.

Someteachers find it useful to write brief commentson a lessonplan that help with the transitionfrom one activityto another,so that the lessonflows well and the variousactivities havea sense of connection. For example, when transitioningfrom a listeningactivityto a reading activity a teachercan discusshow certain listening strategies can be adaptedas reading strategies. Creatingsmoothtransitions and links can be challenging for noviceteachers, so planning thesemoves and noting them in a lesson plan is worthwhileandvaluable for both instructors and students. Time management can alsobe challenging for beginning teachersand even experienced teacherscannot always accuratelypredict how long a certainactivity will take or whena discus. sion will becomeso engagingthat it should be allowed to continue longer than planned. Nonetheless, it is importantto note the number of minutesallottedfor eachactivityin the margin of the lessonplan; this also meansthat the teacher shouldweara watchor be ableto seea c,lockin the classroom in order to be awareof the time. More often than not, an activityis underestimated in termsof length,so teachers shoulddecideaheadof time what part of a lesson could be skippedor shortenedor saved for the next class. This doesnot meanthatteachers should not overplan.There are timeswhen an activitywill take lesstime than anticipatedor suddenly seemstoo easy or difficult, so the teacherwill decideto sacrifice it; good teachers err, on the side of overplanning andfor have some useful five to ten minute supplementary activities available in their repertoireof teaching tricks.It canbe a veryfrighteningexperience for the noviceteacherto look up at the clock and seethat shehasten minutesleft until the end of class and no ideaof whatto do. Initially,it is useful for inexperienced teachers to plan their lessonsso that eachminuteof class is accounted for beforetheystepinto the classroom, Seatingarrangements for variousactivities shouJdalso be noted in the lessonplan; Preplanningpair and groupwork seating arrangementsis rnoreefficientthan standingin front of the class and rnovingstudentsaround randomly.

There are times when random pairs or small groups may make sensebut there are many other timeswhen a rationaleis needed in deciding who works with whom. Often we want groups to contain a mixture of talkative and quiet students;we probablywant to mix languagegroupsor separate best friendswho talk only to each other. Planning these seating arrangements beforehandhelps the classrun smoothly and saves time.Most teachers alsofind it useful to give instructions for group or pair work to the class asa wholebeforebreakingthe classup; once studentsstart rnoving around, they may become so active that getting their attentioncan ta.ke up valuable class time. Teachers also need to anticipatewhere a lessonmay breilk down.Especially when trying out a new activityor teachinga grammarpoint for the first time, noviceteachers need to think aboutwhat may go wrong.What part of the lessonmaybe difficult fbr the students? Whatkinds of questions can the instructor expect? Wll there be problemswjLth student-student interactions? This typeof forethoughtis especially importanr for lessons that relyon technology or equipment that may fail or not be availableas planned. Anticipatingproblemsand thinking of solutions beforehand makesboth noviceand experienced teachers feel nrore comfortableand confident when theywalk into the classroom. The final sectionof a lessonplan should include comments that end the lesson suchasa reviewor sumnlaryof the lessonand that indicatehomeworkor other assignments. Nthough homeworkmay be noted at the end of a lesson plan, it is probablynot a good idea to wait until the end of class to assign it to the students. Find a placeon the board where homeworkcan be consistentlyposted so students alwaysk-now whereto checkfor it. Postit there at the beginning of classor during the break so that everyone hasa chanceto write it down before those final hectic minutes of class when students are packing up the:ir beiongingsand running out the door, Sorn-e teacherslike to leavea space on their lessonplans to commenton what needsto be coveredduring the next classsession basedon

whatwenton during the day's lesson. Perhaps an activityhad to be placedon hold or a teaching point needs to be covered again.Someteachers alsolike to note students' queslions unanswered in order to research their responses beforethe next class meeting. It is alsoa good idea to inciude spacefor lessonevaluation by the teacher afterthe class is over.The evaluation componentof lesson planning provides an opportunityfor honestreflection about what activitiesworked or did not work andwhy,aswell ashow the lesson could be improvedor modified the next time.around. Teachers also find it useful to add comments concerningstudentreactions to the lesson. It is theseevaluative comments that can make a lesson plan a truly useful resourcefor future course and lesson planning.(See Appendices A and E for a lessonplan templateand a sample plan.) Iesson

BasicPrinciplesof LessonPlanning
fu with anyshill,lesson planningbecomes easier over time. As teachers gain experience in the ciassroom, they learn certain principlesabout planning.\t\4ren seasoned teachers are askedto list sorne basic principlesof lesson planningthat novice teachers should be awareof, the ones that are frequentlymentionedare actually basic principles of good teaching: coherence, uariety, and flexibility. Theseprinciples haveprovenuseful for all teachers, not just the second /foreign language teacher. 1. A goodlesson hasa sense of coherence and flow. This means that the lesson hangs together and is not just a sequence of discrete activities. a level, On macro links or threads should connectthe variouslessons over the daysand weeks of a course.On a micro level, studentsneed to understand the rationale for each activr$i also, they learn bestwhen there are transitions from olie activiry to the next. This variety 2. A good lessonexhibitsvariety, needs to be present at both the macro ' and rnicrolevels. a for moststudents. \A/hile

certain degreeof predictabilityin terms of the'teacheE the texts,classmates, and certain administrative proceduresis comforting; however, to avoidboredornand fatigue, lesson plansshouldnot follow the same pattern day after day.On a macro level,there should be ',arietyin terms of topics (content),languagen andskillsoverthelengthof the course.On a micro level,eachdaily lessonshouldhavea certainamount of varief in termsof the paceof the class, suchastime spent on variousactivities, dependingon the dfficuity or easeof the materialbeing covered. The percentages of teacher-fronted time and studentcentered activities should vary from Lesson to lesson;there are days when we want our studentsto participate and be active, but thereare other days when we want them a bit calmerin order to be receptiveto new material or practicea listening or reading strategy.Some teachertrainershavereferredto this asthe abiliryto "stif" or "settle"our students depending on the need.F,ach lesson shouldalso have some varietyin terms of classroom organization such as whole-class, small-group, pair, and individual zLctivities. The mood of different lessons will vary as well; mood shifts can reflect.the teacher's disposition on a certain day,the chemistryof the mlX of students, 'the weathe:q current events, or something unexplainahle. 3. A good lessonis flexible.Lesson plansare notmeant[o be toolsthat bind teachers to some preord.ainedplan. Good teachers think on their feetandknowwhenit is time to change a.nactivity, regardless of whatthe lessonplan says.An interesting student questioncan take the classin an unanticipated direr:tion that createsone of those wonderful "teachingmoments,"not to be missed. A hrilliant idea can come as the teacheris writing on the board; sometimes pursuing.theseideasis well worth a risk ' of failure. Even failure can be a valuable lessgn for both the noviceand:experienced teacher.

coN'clustoN
Knowing how to go about planning a second/ foreign languagelessonis the result of many other stages of preparation.The teachermust be familiar with the principlesof second language learning and teaching,as well as the

form a learning experiencethat benefitsboth the teacher and the students.

DrscusstoN QUESTTONS
1. Howwill your knowledge of second language acquisitiontheories inform your decisions in lessonplanning? Give some concrete examples. 9 Listwhatyouconsider to be the characteristics of goodstudents and good teachers. How will this affectyour lesson planning? 3. Flowmuch detail do you feel is necessary in writing your own lessons plans? Would this change if a supervisor wantedcopies of your lesson plans? 4. As a noviceteacher, what aspects of lesson planning are the most daunting?How will 'yciu go about gettingassistance in planning your lessons? 5. How much autonomy are you comfortable with in termsof lesson planning? Would you prefer a teaching situation in which lesson plansaregivento youandyouareexpected to ' closely followthem,or wouldyoupreferbeing handeda textbookand told to write'yourown daily lessonplans?What are the aivantages and disadvantages of eachsituation?

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
t. ObserveseveralESL/EFL classes and ask eaehinstructorfor a copyof the day's lesson 'plan, How closelydid the instructor follow the plan?H.owis the plan similar or diffeient from the actuallesson? 2. Interview one or two experiencedteachers , about their ov,n lessonplannifig strategies. Ask if you can look at some of tlieir lesson plans.fuk if overthe yearstheyhavechangeC the waythe;z plan lessons. 3. Exarn:inean ESLIEFL texr rhar you may liaye the opportunity to teach in the future. Createthree samplelessonplanswith a variety of skill'r:rlanguage foci. How would you avoid marching through the text page by page?How would you incorporatesupplementaryma.terial? 4. Createa lessonpian for an ESL/EFL class in a computerlab (seechapterby Sokolik, this volume). lVhat lessonplan considerations need to be made for teachingin this situation? 5. T,ist avariety of openingand closing activities. Compare your list with the lists of others in your cla;s.How do theseactivities reflect individual teachers' personalities?

FURTHER READING
Harmer,J. 1998.How to Teach Engli;fr. (Chapter 12: How to plan lessons). Harlow,UK:Longman. Excellent discussionof lesson planning for the inexperienced or novice teachir.Includes a "Task File" with a sample lesson plan on teaching the comparativedegreeto a low-level class aswell asuseful activities. Harmer, J. 1991. The Practice of EnglishLanguage (NewEdition).(Chaprer Tbaching 12:Planning). Harlow,UK Longman. A moredetailedchapter on lesson planningthan Howto Tbach Englishwith a focuson the teacher's backgroundknowledge. Also includesa "specimen plan" for an interrrediateadult class.' Nunan, D. 1999, Second LanguageTbaching and Learning. Boston,. MA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers. A very humanistic and personalaccount of second language learning and teaching. Enjoyable to read,especially for noviceteachers. Ur, P. 1996.A Course in Language Teachi,ng: Practice and, Theory (Module 15: Lesson Planning). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. A reflective approach to lesson planningthat is especially usefulfor experienced teachers. Woodward, T., and S. Lindstromberg. 1995. Planning to Lessan: A Wory of MakingLesson from Lesson Planning Ea^sfar Harlow;UK: Longman. Lots of lesson planning ideas basedon the metaphorof usingthreads to create continuity.

APPENDIX A
LessonPlan Templatefor a 5O-minute Class
To do before class:

r; Bring to class:
i1

:, Notes:
I, transrflons ,: seatingplans

troublespors r potential

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r q questions/homework ue5Ltuils/nutltew9rK

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APPENDIX B (10Weeks) Overview Coutrse ESL IT,C/IJCLA Service Courses

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in-class essays Forei'well to Moinzanar (FM): : , , weekly paced andtimedreadings out<rf-class essays 3-5 pp.research paper journals , ,'., wegldY ' (SM) I St Mortin\Hondbook LIST.ENING diag. dict,

READING WRITING SIPEAKING Module l-The lmmigrarii irtAmerica (History 160)

I r:ssV diag. prevlewtng sl<imrning/ scann In8 2 FlA brief def. relativeclause paraphrasing extendeddef. ' diag. essay intros diag.

group work

hist.iect.I notetal<ing

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hist.lect.2 notetaking/ summary

IN-CLASSWRITING groupwoi-l(
comp./conc. cause/effect exams . essay SM ch.6/46 : hist.lect. 3 notetaking/ summary I

M t6-2"2

[N.CLASSWRITING ': arcicles

work q|oup

ModLrle ll*Kinship andMarriage (Anthropology 9) - : - .

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APs

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verbtenses '

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conferencing

notetalcing/ summary

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work r group ' peerresPonse drlbate ,, qeerresppnse conferencing

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notetaking/ summary anthro. lect. 3 l : finalexam notes/summary :

APPENDIX C Modrnle overview(5Weeks) ESL\\C/UCIA Service Courses

enca
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ntrast , , , ', , , , , .- . r .
ill

Multiskill,Componenrs A. . Listening:Videotaped Lecture-Prof..fohn Laslen l. Notemking ', 2: Outlining 3. Mappins 4. Summaries B. Speal<ing l. Group worl< 2. Presentations C. CoreReadings Reading:
h l .

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PreviewinglSkimming

for Details 2. Scanning 3. Vocabulary Development 4. Comprehension Questions 5. Rate Development D., Wriiting/Structure l. Paraphrasing

l. lournals ,
:

2. VideoNotetaking:Outlininglsummaries
1 ,

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3, Rgading:Outlinin$/Summalies

APPENDIX D weekly (week overview 3) ESL\\c/ucl,A service courses

;. R E A D I N G

using relative ciauses in definitions briefandextended dcfinitions 23 #3 Ilp.l24,Task l Jour.nal

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pie-dictjng exatnconterlr LISTENING videoseg.2"V:rriables of Assimilation" videoseg. 3 "The,Melting Pot Modei"

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SPEAKING ' won( ,. ; group class discussions

LESSON SBQUEI\.ICING
Hourone:-lnsrghtsp.|l6-videoseg.2..Variab|esofAssimi|atiorr'' "' ',' HourTrvo: FM3-S,APS p.54(discussion questions) hw:APS pp. 2B-30, 34-37(exrended definirions) . r
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' par:aphrasing APS pp.28*30 / SMpp 596*600,6t7*.618

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APPENDIX IE Lesson Sarnple Plan(Wk.3/Hr.5) ESL:I3C/UCLA Service Ccurses

BackgroundInformation: (advanced ESL 33C multi-skills)/
content-based course studying models of assimilation UCLA undergrads/mostly Asian Sbjectives: to beprepared for in-class writing nextclass Skills focus: writing extended definicions/
:. ' ,

, Bring to class: / ,, lnsights

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:

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predicting content of a rnidterm J/yl Texts/materials: lnsrghts /, St &lo,-tin's f4ondbook, t, Foreweil to Monzanor
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Previor.ts class worl(: group work writing anextended definition of amalgamation Worl< to be collected and returhed: return #2icollect #3 Journal Journal ;. ! tme Frame (in minutes)
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Procedures;
: Warm-up: greetings/questions aboutweelcend . plans/check roll ": extended definitions Share of amalgamation for hwipickone to ,puton ovrhd.proi. finished Group presentations of amalgamation definitions on a trahsparency in front,cf class class of in-class writing(extended Remind on Monday dgfinitlons) i Brainstorm possible ' '. .define ,' : lenns,to Class discussion of FM ch.9-l | (discussion p. 53) questions in AFS, hw:FM:ch. | 2- I 5 for next Friday/review for in-class wridng

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Notes:

I whole class :: 5 smallgroups at tables

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on ,, givefeedback rclativeclauses ,1, ", list on board

large circle