How to Make a Lesson Plan
Know your objective., Write your overview., Plan your timeline., Get to know your students., Use multiple student interaction patterns., Address a variety of learning styles.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your objective.
At the beginning of every lesson, write your lesson plan goal at the top.
It should be incredibly simple.
Something like, "Students will be able to identify different animal body structures that enable eating, breathing, moving, and thriving." Basically, it's what your students can do after you're done with them! If you want to do a bit extra, add how they might do this (through video, games, flashcards, etc.).
If you're working with very young students, you may have more basic aims like "Improving reading or writing skills." It can be skill-based or conceptual.
See the related LifeGuide Hub on how to write an educational objective for more specific information. , Use broad strokes to outline the big ideas for the class.
For example, if your class is about Shakespeare's Hamlet, your overview might include covering where in the Shakespearean canon "Hamlet" resides; how factual the history described might be; and how themes of desire and subterfuge might relate to current events.
This depends on the length of your class.
We'll cover about half a dozen basic steps to any lesson, all of which should be included in your overview.
You're welcome to have more, however. , If there's a lot to cover in a fixed amount of time, break your plan into sections that you can speed up or slow down to accommodate changes as they happen.
We'll use a 1-hour class as an example. 1:00-1:10:
Warm up.
Bring class into focus and recap yesterday's discussion on great tragedies; relate it to Hamlet. 1:10-1:25:
Present information.
Discuss Shakespearean history briefly, focusing on his creative period 2 years before and after Hamlet. 1:25-1:40:
Guided practice.
Class discussion regarding major themes in the play. 1:40-1:55:
Freer practice.
Class writes single paragraph describing current event in Shakespearean terms.
Individually encourage bright students to write 2 paragraphs, and coach slower students. 1:55-2:00:
Conclusion.
Collect papers, assign homework, dismiss class. , Identify clearly who you are going to educate.
What is their learning style (visual, auditory, tactile or a combination)? What might they already know, and where might they be deficient? Focus your plan to fit the overall group of students you have in class, and then make modifications as necessary to account for students with disabilities, those who are struggling or unmotivated, and those who are gifted.
Odds are you'll be working with a pile of extroverts and introverts.
Some students will benefit more from working alone while others will thrive in pair work or in groups.
Knowing this will help you format activities to different interaction preferences.
You'll also wind up having a few students that know just about as much as you do on the topic (unfortunately!) and some that, while smart, look at you like you're speaking Neptunian.
If you know who these kids are, you'll know how to pair them up and divide them (to conquer!). , Some students do well on their own, others in pairs, and yet others in big groups.
So long as you're letting them interact and build off each other, you're doing your job.
But since each student is different, try to allow opportunities for all types of interactions.
Your students (and the cohesion of the class) will be better for it! Really, any activity can be manipulated to be done separately, in pairs, or in groups.
If you have ideas already mapped out, see if you can revamp them at all to mix it up.
It often just encompasses finding more pairs of scissors! , You're bound to have some students that can't sit through a 25-minute video and others who can't be bothered to read a two-page excerpt from a book.
Neither is dumber than the other, so do them a service by switching up your activities to utilize every student's abilities.
Every student learns differently.
Some need to see the info, some need to hear it, and others need to literally get their hands on it.
If you've spent a great while talking, stop and let them talk about it.
If they've been reading, come up with a hands-on activity to put their knowledge to use.
They'll get less bored, too! -
Step 2: Write your overview.
-
Step 3: Plan your timeline.
-
Step 4: Get to know your students.
-
Step 5: Use multiple student interaction patterns.
-
Step 6: Address a variety of learning styles.
Detailed Guide
At the beginning of every lesson, write your lesson plan goal at the top.
It should be incredibly simple.
Something like, "Students will be able to identify different animal body structures that enable eating, breathing, moving, and thriving." Basically, it's what your students can do after you're done with them! If you want to do a bit extra, add how they might do this (through video, games, flashcards, etc.).
If you're working with very young students, you may have more basic aims like "Improving reading or writing skills." It can be skill-based or conceptual.
See the related LifeGuide Hub on how to write an educational objective for more specific information. , Use broad strokes to outline the big ideas for the class.
For example, if your class is about Shakespeare's Hamlet, your overview might include covering where in the Shakespearean canon "Hamlet" resides; how factual the history described might be; and how themes of desire and subterfuge might relate to current events.
This depends on the length of your class.
We'll cover about half a dozen basic steps to any lesson, all of which should be included in your overview.
You're welcome to have more, however. , If there's a lot to cover in a fixed amount of time, break your plan into sections that you can speed up or slow down to accommodate changes as they happen.
We'll use a 1-hour class as an example. 1:00-1:10:
Warm up.
Bring class into focus and recap yesterday's discussion on great tragedies; relate it to Hamlet. 1:10-1:25:
Present information.
Discuss Shakespearean history briefly, focusing on his creative period 2 years before and after Hamlet. 1:25-1:40:
Guided practice.
Class discussion regarding major themes in the play. 1:40-1:55:
Freer practice.
Class writes single paragraph describing current event in Shakespearean terms.
Individually encourage bright students to write 2 paragraphs, and coach slower students. 1:55-2:00:
Conclusion.
Collect papers, assign homework, dismiss class. , Identify clearly who you are going to educate.
What is their learning style (visual, auditory, tactile or a combination)? What might they already know, and where might they be deficient? Focus your plan to fit the overall group of students you have in class, and then make modifications as necessary to account for students with disabilities, those who are struggling or unmotivated, and those who are gifted.
Odds are you'll be working with a pile of extroverts and introverts.
Some students will benefit more from working alone while others will thrive in pair work or in groups.
Knowing this will help you format activities to different interaction preferences.
You'll also wind up having a few students that know just about as much as you do on the topic (unfortunately!) and some that, while smart, look at you like you're speaking Neptunian.
If you know who these kids are, you'll know how to pair them up and divide them (to conquer!). , Some students do well on their own, others in pairs, and yet others in big groups.
So long as you're letting them interact and build off each other, you're doing your job.
But since each student is different, try to allow opportunities for all types of interactions.
Your students (and the cohesion of the class) will be better for it! Really, any activity can be manipulated to be done separately, in pairs, or in groups.
If you have ideas already mapped out, see if you can revamp them at all to mix it up.
It often just encompasses finding more pairs of scissors! , You're bound to have some students that can't sit through a 25-minute video and others who can't be bothered to read a two-page excerpt from a book.
Neither is dumber than the other, so do them a service by switching up your activities to utilize every student's abilities.
Every student learns differently.
Some need to see the info, some need to hear it, and others need to literally get their hands on it.
If you've spent a great while talking, stop and let them talk about it.
If they've been reading, come up with a hands-on activity to put their knowledge to use.
They'll get less bored, too!
About the Author
Alexander Ruiz
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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