Whats a plan?

It is a series of instructions regarding what we want our learners to achieve in a lesson (or a series of them), what we are going to do in that lesson and how we are going to do it.

Experienced teachers can think on their

feet, so they think planning is unnecessary.

Do you agree with this point of view?

Most teachers do not share this view and

prepare their lessons. Do you? How?

The resulting lesson plans range from very

formal and elaborate to a few hurried notes. But they are still a kind of plan.

What do students think about

teachers who plan? And about the ones that dont? For students, evidence of a plan shows that a teacher has devoted time to thinking about the class. (professionalism). A plan reminds us what we intended to do especially if we have forgotten our purpose.

Do

we have to follow everything written in the plan?

We have to be flexible and respond to what happens in the classroom, but we also need to have thought ahead, we need to have a destination for our students to reach, and some idea of how they are going to get there.

What if all the students are working

on preparing a dialogue except for two pairs who have already finished? Good teachers need to be flexible enough to cope with unforeseen events and try to prevent them when they plan the lesson providing possible solutions (before the lesson).

There is one particular situation in which

planning is especially important, and that is when a teacher is to be observed as part of an assessment or performance review.

It helps not only the teacher but the

observer, so that he/she can have a clearer idea of the aim of the lesson and then judge fairly.

A proposal for action

Lesson plans are not instructions to be

slavishly followed, but PROPOSALS FOR ACTION (as coursebooks).

What if there is an unexpected language

problem in the middle of activity?

a planned

Planning is a thinking skill

Planning is imagining the lesson before it happens. It involves: prediction, anticipation, sequencing, organising and simplifying. A written plan is the evidence that you have done that thinking.

Two main ingredients for a succesful lesson

A good lesson needs to contain a

combination of COHERENCE and VARIETY.

COHERENCE

means that Ss can see a logical pattern to the lesson. Even if there are three separate activities, there has to be some connection between them.

Whats the effect of a 45 min-class doing a drilling activity? ?? Variety in the choice of activity will keep the class lively and interested. tempo of activities (fast-moving to slow.) skills tone of voice seating arrangement level of difficulty content mood

All of the activities planned in each stage must be connected with each other and they all have the purpose of ACHIEVING THE MAIN AIM.

Whats an aim?