The essentials of lesson planning

Philip Haines
In this session:

1. The importance of a lesson plan

2. The purpose of lesson planning

3. Tips and strategies for lesson planning

4. Questions and conclusions

1. The importance of a lesson plan
Poll

How important is a lesson plan for you?

a) Very important
b) Not so important
c) Unimportant
 How important is a lesson plan?

New teacher
Very
important
In a training program

Have a good course book and teacher’s guide

Fairly experienced teacher with good Not so

classroom management skills important
Have to substitute a class at short notice

Very experienced teacher, can create a very Completely

effective class even with no material unimportant
http://itdi.pro/blog/2012/05/28/how-important-is-lesson-planning-scott-thornbury/
 How important is a lesson plan?

New teacher
Very
important
In a training program

Have a good course book and teacher’s guide

Fairly experienced teacher with good Not so

classroom management skills important
Have to substitute a class at short notice

Very experienced teacher, can create a very Completely

effective class even with no material unimportant
http://itdi.pro/blog/2012/05/28/how-important-is-lesson-planning-scott-thornbury/
 A physical
lesson plan ?
The process
of lesson
planning

2. The purpose of lesson planning
Who is the lesson plan for?

Another
Yourself
teacher

Your An external
coordinator assessor
Poll

Who normally reads your lesson plans?

a) Just you
b) You and someone else
11 Presentation name Presenter Name and Date
 The 3 As - teaching speaking (S. Thornbury)

Awareness raising = to make learners aware of

features of spoken language

Appropriation = to integrate these features

into student’s knowledge

Autonomy = to enable students to mobilize

these features in real time

Thornbury, S. (2005) How to Teach Speaking. Pearson Longman

The 3 As - of lesson planning

Awareness raising = to make teachers

learners aware of
features of spoken language
the lesson

Appropriation = to integrate these features

into teachers’
student’s knowledge

Autonomy = to enable teachers

students to mobilize
these features in real time
The 3 As - of lesson planning

Awareness raising = to make teachers

learners aware of
features of spoken language
the lesson

Appropriation = to integrate these features

into teachers’
student’s knowledge

Autonomy = to enable teachers

students to mobilize
these features in real time
The purpose of lesson planning

Enable
effective
learning
Automate the
teaching
process
3. Tips and strategies for lesson
planning
What to consider in lesson planning

• abilities • language level • room layout

• age • needs • sequencing
• aims • motivation • skills
• balance • objectives • stage aims
• competencies • pace • stages
• equipment • personal aims • strengths
• evaluation • possible problems • time of day
• exponents and solutions • timetable fit
• instructions • previous • timing
• interaction knowledge • topic
patterns • procedures • transition
• learning styles • rationale • variety
• language • resources • weaknesses
• roles
What to consider in lesson planning

• abilities • language level • room layout

• age • needs • sequencing
• aims • motivation • skills
• balance • objectives • stage aims
• competencies • pace • stages
• equipment • personal aims • strengths
• evaluation • possible problems • time of day
• exponents and solutions • timetable fit
• instructions • previous • timing
• interaction knowledge • topic
patterns • procedures • transition
• learning styles • rationale • variety
• language • resources • weaknesses
• roles
What to consider in lesson planning

• abilities • language level • room layout

• age • needs • sequencing
• aims • motivation • skills
• balance • objectives • stage aims
• competencies • pace • stages
• equipment • personal aims • strengths
• evaluation • possible problems • time of day
• exponents and solutions • timetable fit
• instructions • previous • timing
• interaction knowledge • topic
patterns • procedures • transition
• learning styles • rationale • variety
• language • resources • weaknesses
• roles
Write detailed procedures and instructions
Write detailed procedures and instructions

1. ‘Work in pairs’ (indicte pairs if neccesary)

2. ‘Look at the text and think of 3 or 4 questions about the text.’
3. ‘You both need to write the questions in you notebook.’
4. ‘So, let’s check the instructions.’
5. ‘Are you going to work individually or in pairs?’
6. ‘How many questions do you need to write?’
7. ‘Who needs to write the questions? One of you or both?’
8. ‘Where are you going to write your questions?’
9. ‘Which langauge skills will you be using? Reading,
writing, listening, speaking?’
Write detailed procedures and instructions

1. ‘Work in pairs’ (indicte pairs if neccesary)

2. ‘Look at the text and think of 3 or 4 questions about the text.’
3. Instruction
‘You both need to Checking Questions
write the questions (ICQs)
in you notebook.’
4. ‘So, let’s check the instructions.’
5. ‘Are you going to work individually or in pairs?’
6. ‘How many questions do you need to write?’
7. ‘Who needs to write the questions? One of you or both?’
8. ‘Where are you going to write your questions?’
9. ‘Which langauge skills will you be using? Reading,
writing, listening, speaking?’
Poll

Do you usually plan how you will check instructions?

a) Yes
b) No
What to consider in lesson planning

• abilities • language level • room layout

• age • needs • sequencing
• aims • motivation • skills
• balance • objectives • stage aims
• competencies • pace • stages
• equipment • personal aims • strengths
• evaluation • possible problems • time of day
• exponents and solutions • timetable fit
• instructions • previous • timing
• interaction knowledge • topic
patterns • procedures • transition
• learning styles • rationale • variety
• language • resources • weaknesses
• roles
What to consider in lesson planning

• abilities • language level • room layout

• age • needs • sequencing
• aims • motivation • skills
• balance • objectives • stage aims
• competencies • pace • stages
• equipment • personal aims • strengths
• evaluation • possible problems • time of day
• exponents and solutions • timetable fit
• instructions • previous • timing
• interaction knowledge • topic
patterns • procedures • transition
• learning styles • rationale • variety
• language • resources • weaknesses
• roles
Anticipate many problems and solutions

8 Stop the 1 Check 2 Model the

activity and instructions activity with a
play a game using ICQs student

7 3 Write target
Simplify the Students may
phrases on the
activity not speak white board

6 Get students 5 Model and 4 Do a quick

to write their drill target gap-fill with
phrases first phrases phrase on WB
 Yitzha Sarwono

When my lesson has been laid down to the very details, it

means not only have I taken a giant step toward owning the
content I’m teaching and the methods I’m using (an important
thing for me) but also that I can feel secure when I open the
classroom door. I have brought my umbrella should things go
wrong – and they will go wrong.

http://itdi.pro/blog/2012/05/28/how-important-is-lesson-planning-yitzha-sarwono/ame
Learn the main roads

I’m not lost. I am

learning new roads
Driving in a big city Lesson planning

Learn the main roads General structure first

I’m not lost. I am Give yourself time to

learning new roads get lost
Generic lesson templates
General structure first

1. pre-teach vocabulary
2. predicting answers to comprehension questions
3. read aloud in groups
4. students discuss and check answers
5. students write comprehension questions that other
students answer
6. activity on grammar/lexis in text
Build in flexibility at the end of the lesson
Give yourself time to get lost

Expand Sqeeze

Write
5. more questions
students Write
write comprehension fewer questions
questions that other
students
Talk answer
to several students Talk to only one student
Stand up and mingle Students stay sitting down

Review question formation No focus on formation

Plan from the middle or the end
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

While-
listening
activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

While- Post-
listening listening
activity activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

Pre- While- Post-

listening listening listening
activity activity activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

Pre- While- Post- Speaking

listening listening listening activity
activity activity activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

Pre- While- Post- Speaking

listening listening listening activity
activity activity activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

Pre- While- Post- Speaking Wrap-up

listening listening listening activity
activity activity activity
Plan from the middle or the end

A listening

Lead-in Pre- While- Post- Speaking Wrap-up

listening listening listening activity
activity activity activity
Regular beats

Students move Personalization

Pair work activity Play a game

A challenging question Form new groups

Use images / video Student as teacher

 Writing aims/objectives

Oxford Discover Integrated teaching Toolkit 1 (2014) OUP

Poll

How easy is writing aims/objectives for you?

a) Very easy
b) Kind of easy
c) Kind of difficult
d) Difficult
 One activity – multiple objectives

Soar, L. and J. Soars (2011) Headway Elementary 4th edition. OUP

vacation?
Tuesday

1. Each students
change 6 words.
Italy.
2. In pairs, students
read new version
to a classmate.
America? 3. The classmate
nervous. has to identify the
6 changes.

upload some
photos.
4. Questions and conclusions
To conclude

Think about structure and beats

Anticipate that it will go wrong

Plan your instructions and ICQs

Build flexibility into your plan

Good activities have multiple objectives

Thank you
Philip Haines
philip.haines@oup.com
References
• Richards, J. (1998) Beyond Training. CUP
• Seger, L. (1987) Making a Good Script Great. Silman-James Press
• Thornbury, S. (2005) How to Teach Speaking. Pearson
• Ur, P. (1996) A Course in Language Teaching. CUP
• http://itdi.pro/blog/2012/05/28/how-important-is-lesson-planning-scott-
thornbury/
• http://itdi.pro/blog/2012/05/28/how-important-is-lesson-planning-yitzha-
sarwono/
• http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109051/chapters/Lesson-Plans-
and-Unit-Plans@-The-Basis-for-Instruction.aspx