What Is A Lesson Plan? - How To Create One?

A lesson plan is helpful because it allows teachers to be more effective. A well-crafted lesson plan ensures that students are adequately exposed to necessary materials. Think of it as cooking with a recipe vs. not using a recipe. A novice cook who tries to replicate a favorite dish without a recipe may find the results disastrous. Even experienced cooks will use a recipe as a reference.

In a similar way, a lesson plan ensures that teachers have successful sessions with their students. The time spent in the classroom is optimized so that new concepts are taught and meaningful discussions ensue.

Below is a discussion of what should be included in a lesson plan.

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Lesson Objectives

What do you want your students to be able to do once they’ve gone through the lesson? These are the lesson objectives. They will indicate if your students have learned new concepts and skills. They are the goals that are set for your students.

First, it’s best to view your lesson objectives as goals for your class and students.

You should make sure these goals are specific and easily understood. The goals should also be attainable and the results should be measurable. Also, you should make sure there is enough time to teach the lesson.

Related Requirements

Make sure your lesson plans fulfill requirements that are defined by relevant agencies such as school boards, administrators, or certification organizations. Often you can find documentation that outlines what the requirements are for your particular situation.

Lesson Materials

Make sure you have a list of any materials required so that you can teach your lesson and also measure results. Lesson materials could include:

Student handouts
Visual aids
Necessary tools for the class – such as paint for an art class or microscopes for a science class
Computers or tablets
Textbooks or supplemental books

Lesson Procedure

This outlines the procedure that will allow you to cover the material in the time allocated for the lesson. It can be a detailed, step-by-step outline. It is important to make sure this is fairly detailed, not only to make it easier for yourself but also to allow a substitute to do a good job if necessary.

Good lesson plans allow students to explore and discover new concepts and then learn and practice them. Some time should also be allowed for students to reflect on what they have learned.

Assessment And Reflection

At the end of a session, it’s important to assess whether or not your students learned the information provided. This evaluates whether or not you met the objective for the lesson. Quizzes, writing assignments, homework, and group projects are all ways to provide this necessary feedback.

This feedback also allows you to reflect on how well you met your own objectives for the lesson. Were you able to teach the material in the time provided? Were students engaged? Did some students have a hard time grasping the material?

The answers to these questions will help you modify future lesson plans.

Using The Proper Tools

While creating lesson plans may seem daunting, there are software packages that can help. If you would like to know how to create a lesson plan template using software, check out Adobe Express. You will find numerous free templates that you can use as a starting point to set up your perfect lesson plan.