Outline of Planning a Lesson:
A. It is important for teachers to prepare a lesson outline or plan before teaching.
B. A teacher should decide what and how he/she will teach before the lesson.
C. If a teacher is well prepared he/she will be able to cope with unexpected circumstances.
Preparation:
- Before planning, teachers should know what they are teaching and why.
- Lessons should focus on helping learners develop communication skills – not finishing the curriculum, memorizing grammar rules or learning to transcribe words.
- They should consider learners’ ability, age, learning preferences, interests, available resources, previously taught information and the institutional program.
* What should be included in a lesson plan?
° The following ingredient are included in most lesson plans:
1. Objectives – what learners will accomplish during the lesson.
2. Resources – photocopies, tape recorders, markers, cards, books, etc.
3. Timing – how much time will be spent on each activity.
4. Activity format and type – will the activity be done individually, in pairs, in groups or as a class.
5. Activity type – reading, writing, discussion, role playing, debating, etc.
6. Questions the teacher will ask.
7. The theme of the lesson.
8. The date.
9. The level or group of students.
° The teacher may also include the following:
1. Homework assignments, review activities.
2. Stages of the lesson (preparation, presentation, practice).
3. Instructions, information that will be written on the whiteboard.
4. Mini-activities for learners who finish before others.
5. New vocabulary or grammar structures.
6. Number of students.
7. Page numbers for activities in the book.
8. Criteria for evaluating learners’ mastery of the subject.
* How should teachers write the objectives of their lessons?
- Objectives should clearly and concretely state the purpose of the lesson.
- Teaching objectives have two parts:
A) The new information, structure, vocabulary or skill (the geography of Algeria, present perfect tense, words that describe personality, writing a well-organized paragraph).
B) The communicative use of the information, structure, vocabulary or skill (give a 10-minute presentation, write a dialog about a job interview, describe their best friend, write a paragraph about ecological problems in our city).