So I Am A Teacher, Now What?

: Effective Lesson Planning

Kelly Gibbons

EDD/585

07/21/2010

Suzanne Hardie
Effective Lesson Planning 2

Teaching is a job unlike any other. It is an occupation that gives an educator a chance to watch
a classroom of students grow in knowledge and confidence, help students to appreciate the “ah ha!
I get it!” moments and comfort them through personal struggles. Most importantly, teaching is an
occupation where an individual has the power to transform a student’s life, put a light at the end of
the tunnel and open up a door for opportunity and success. Yet, these things do not just happen by
themselves. Teaching also means countless hours of preparation, consideration and ongoing
correction of lesson plans, lectures and classroom activity materials and technology devices.
Creating an effective lesson plan is not just a one step process; there are many things that must be
considered when putting together an effective lesson plan. Considering state and district standards,
assessing the interests of the classroom population, choosing quality materials, designing a step-
by-step procedure for instruction, accommodating for students of all ability levels, designing a type
of assessment and personal evaluation are all components of a lesson plan that not only teaches
students material, but allows them to enjoy their learning process and appreciate the subject at
hand.
First, it is important for the teacher to take into consideration the state and district standards
that he/she is responsible for covering throughout the year. When designing a lesson plan, it is
important that the subject incorporate the material that students should be learning for their grade
level. These goals are put in place for testing scores and ensuring that all students are receiving the
same level of education throughout the state. The teacher should refer to the state website to find
the state standards and look into their district website to find what they are responsible for
covering at the district level. For example, if a Language Arts teacher is planning a unit on
sentence structure, the lessons should abide by the benchmarks that are set for the state. Illinois
State Standard 3. A. (for middle grade students) states, “students need to be able to use correct
grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure,” more specifically in section 3 of that
goal, “students need to be able to write compositions that contain complete sentences and effective
paragraphs using English conventions” (Board of Education, 2010). Considering this state standard
for Language Arts, District 200 in Illinois has composed a more focused statement of what they
would like teachers in their specific area to cover. Teachers in District 200 in Illinois according to
Essential Standard 1 under Goal 3, must help students master “writing paragraphs that include a
variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling,
capitalization and punctuation, construct sentences using correct grammar. Students must be able
Effective Lesson Planning 3

to identify and correct fragments and run-on sentences” (District 200, 2010). From considering
state and district standards, teachers can have an idea of the depth and detail that must be included
in the lesson. However, these standards should not be the sole foundation of a lesson plan. State
and district standards in sync with student interest can combine to help make a lesson plan both
informative and engaging.
The second thing that a teacher should take into consideration when planning a lesson is the
interest of his/her students. Student interest can be assessed through a classroom quiz, talking with
students or incorporating the latest trends into classroom instruction. It is the response of the
students that indicates the effectiveness of the lesson. If the lesson is one that the students have fun
with and are engaged in, then it is more likely that they are going to remember the material that
was taught. It is important for the teacher to recognize that each student has a different interest and
hobby. The teacher should accommodate for as many student interests as possible. For example,
the Language Arts teacher who wants to create a lesson on sentence structure can structure a
“exploring” activity where students use magazine advertisements to identify fragments and
complete sentences. Using magazines to help children find examples of sentences allows for the
teacher to accommodate interests in sports, fashion, history, etc. by providing magazines that are
from each genre. Student interests can be encouraged while they simultaneously learn about
fragments and complete sentences. By picking out fragments in a magazine or other type of
reading material, students can also recognize the importance of Language Arts in everyday life—
fragments and complete sentences are in everything they read. This helps them to connect school
material to their personal life, making it easier for them to remember the information when later
tested. For example, Joe may remember the baseball ad “Throw!” as a fragment because it does
not have a subject. On the test, when he comes across a problem without a subject, he can
recognize it as a fragment. After assessing student interest, teacher can choose to include these
interests with a variety of up-to-date materials.
Materials are a main component of an effective lesson plan because they often times give
students a chance to participate and understand the subject area in a visual, tangible way. Materials
have evolved with the generations, as the interests, styles and technology of the time advances. It is
important for teachers to consider the technology devices that can be included in a lesson, as a way
to link subject material to a familiar entity. Things such as PowerPoint, YouTube videos,
SmartBoards, etc. can help enhance a lesson, make it more understandable and relatable to the
Effective Lesson Planning 4

students in the classroom, as most students use these things on a daily basis. For the Language Arts
lesson plan, magazines are the main material used to help the students understand the subject.
However, the teacher must also take into consideration the other materials—things such as
worksheets, blackboard space, etc. These are things that will be used throughout the entire lesson
and preparation for lesson means that the educator should check to make sure that there will be
enough supplies and that they are readily available to use. To incorporate technology in the
Language Arts lesson, the teacher can have students pick fragments and complete sentences out of
commercials that are posted on YouTube or have the students make their own commercials using
complete sentences using another form of technology (video camera, tape recorder, etc.) Though
materials may not be a complicated or time consuming step in the lesson planning process, they are
undoubtedly one of the most important ways to make curriculum effective and entertaining for the
class. Once materials are chosen, the teacher must put the entire lesson together in a written step-
by-step procedure.
To ensure that the lesson is the correct time, length, and that all aspects of the subject are
present, the teacher should put design a procedure for the lesson presentation in the classroom.
Organization of the lesson may seem to be perfect, but it could be that a major step of the
process is missing when a lesson is only mentally prepared. A way to ensure that a lesson is
planned perfectly and check for completeness is to include a step-by-step procedure of how the
activity, class work, etc. will run in the classroom. In doing this, the teacher has mentally
prepared for the lesson delivery and will feel more comfortable once the students are in the
classroom. Having a lesson written out in detail can also help the teacher prepare for any
interdisciplinary learning that could be incorporated. For example, the Language Arts teacher
may see that magazines in the lesson can also include pictures or ads from a Social Studies
topic that the students are talking about or a Science lesson that is going to be done that week.
Connecting multiple subjects is beneficial to student understanding and comprehension of the
curriculum. Moreover, a written procedure allows for a teacher to recognize if the students are
going to need a break, if the lesson needs an extension or how classroom work should be
organized. The teacher is able to see the material in its full form and then make a decision as to
what instructional method would work best with the subject at hand. Clearly, this step is
important in making sure that the delivery of the lesson to the class is as perfect as the teacher
mentally envisions it to be.
Effective Lesson Planning 5

The finishing touches on a lesson plan come in the form of student accommodation.
There will be students of all ability levels in the classroom, regardless of the region or city that
a school is located in. It is necessary that subject material be challenging and meaningful for
children of all abilities—from advanced to remedial. By doing this, the teacher can ensure that
each student is working to his/her potential, but at the same time not being labeled or have
feelings of inadequacy among his/her peers. In the Language Arts lesson plan, students who
are at an advanced level may be asked to find many fragments or complete sentences and label
the parts of speech in each one, whereas the lower ability students may only be asked to find a
couple. The students will still be able to work together and discuss their findings, they will just
be working at different levels. The teacher may also accommodate for students by providing
many different levels of magazines. The higher ability students may search through magazines
with professional writing, more complicated sentences, etc. whereas the remedial level students
may search through magazines with a lesser amount of writing. Again, all students feel
included, but at the same time feel challenged and pushed to do their best. Accommodation can
also come in the form of teacher assistance. Teachers may include more examples or go into a
more thorough one-on-one discussion with a student who may be low-achieving. By including
more instructions or examples on a worksheet, a student can get more help, but in a subtle way.
Teachers can also walk around the classroom during work time and talk to those students who
may seem to be struggling or who may be confused about the material at hand. It is clear,
regardless of the accommodation strategies that preparing for differences is a way to teach a
successful lesson that is comprehensible to the entire class.
Finally, the last step in the lesson planning process is to design a personal and classroom
assessment. While often times the word “assessment” is linked to giving a written test, there
are many different ways for a teacher to test classroom learning. Assessment can come in the
form of a question and answer session at the end of the lesson, turning in a worksheet, taking a
class survey, giving a quiz, having students write a reflection, etc. While students may not
enjoy this part of the lesson, as much as the activity, it is important for the teacher to see what
the children have learned, how well they understand it and if the lesson covered the material as
in depth as intended by the instructor. Teachers must find what assessment works best with the
lesson, as often times a written test is not practical. In the Language Arts lesson plan,
assessment could come in the form of a test, however, a more effective way to test what the
Effective Lesson Planning 6

students have learned would be through a class discussion. The teacher can ask a student to
write a sentence they found in a magazine on the board. The teacher can then ask the class to
conclude if the sentence is a fragment or a complete sentence. By calling on the students and
discussing responses, the teacher can gauge which students understand the material and which
students may need more help. From these question and answer responses the teacher cannot
only assess the students, but assess him/herself. Based on the student learning, the teacher can
see whether or not the lesson that was taught was effective. If the lesson had a positive
response, the teacher knows which strategies work for the class. If the lesson did not have a
good response, the teacher can reevaluate the lesson plan and make changes accordingly. It is
important for both assessment to take place, as a way for a teacher to become the best
instructor as possible for the students in the class. After the preparing for the lesson plan, it is
important for the teacher to decide on the instructional method that is best-suited for the
classroom learning needs and the specific subject material.

For the Language Arts lesson that has been referred to throughout this paper, and
for most lesson plans in general, I feel that exploratory activities ensure the lesson to be
effective and fun for all. Exploratory activities, as an instructional method, are great for many
reasons. First the class is able to “explore a topic of interest within the curriculum guidelines”
(Manning & Bucher, 2009, Ch. 7). A child is able to connect to the material in a way that is
linked to their life outside of school. As mentioned earlier, the teacher should survey the class
interests and be aware of what his/her students enjoy. By knowing this information,
exploratory activities can easily be prepared, as the teacher must simply connect any material
to the students needs. In the Language Arts lesson plan, this would be the teaching asking the
students about their interests and then providing magazines to suit these interests. However,
these activities are not so fitted to the student that they do not abide by the curriculum
guidelines. State and district standards still remain at the heart of the lesson, as they are focus
of the lesson objectives—the students are still learning about complete sentences and
fragments, but just using personalized material to do so. Exploratory activities allow for the
best of both words, a tailored lesson that also achieves any standard put forth by the state or
district.
Exploratory activities also encourage a student’s personal opinion and thought process.
These connections of personal life to subject material helps motivate a student to make
meaning of the material given to them and foster psychological, critical thinking and problem
Effective Lesson Planning 7

solving strategies that can be used for testing, interdisciplinary linking, etc. Activities, such as
magazine sentence searching not only help adolescents make meaning of complete sentences
and fragments, but allows for the student to work individually through the lesson. The teacher,
in this instructional method, “identifies individual interests to include in the lesson” and then
serves as guidance and resource for the children during the learning process (Manning &
Bucher, 2009, Ch. 7). By having the teacher fill this role, the student gets a sense of
independence, but also feels that the teacher is there if help is needed. It allows for the student
to develop confidence in his/her ability, but also have the support that is needed if the material
is overwhelming or confusing.
The teacher, in this instructional method, “identifies individual interests to include in the
lesson” and then serves as guidance and resource for the children during the learning process
(Manning & Bucher, 2009, Ch. 7). The instructor must still prepare lessons as explained above.
It is necessary that state and district standards are researched and written down, unique and
interesting materials to be used, procedures to be designed and accommodations to be made in
exploratory teaching. Each of these steps ensure that the teacher has prompted the students
with enough information and confidence to carry on with the material independently. However,
in the procedure, the teacher must be sure to state the purpose of the exploratory activity to the
student, as well as the expectations for the students during this work time. The teacher must
also make it know that he/she is available if any help is needed or a question arises. For the
personal/classroom assessment, it would be beneficial for the teacher to assess the students
through personal reflections on the lesson or a question and answer oral quiz at the end of the
lesson. This allows for the students to reflect on what they have learned and express the
opinions they have formed; things that often times cannot be done on a written exam.
It is obvious, that creating an effective lesson plan is not just a one step process;
considering state and district standards, assessing the interests of the classroom population,
choosing quality materials, designing a step-by-step procedure for instruction, accommodating
for students of all ability levels, designing a type of assessment and personal evaluation are all
components of an effective lesson plan. In considering each of these steps in lesson
preparation, it is important to also focus on an instructional method—explorative activities—
that both accommodates for the students needs and sticks to the objectives at hand. Teaching is
a profession unlike any other. A job full of fun, liveliness and enjoyment, but one that should
not be undermined for the time, effort and preparation that is done to make education
something fun, meaningful and a key to a success in a student’s future.
Effective Lesson Planning 8

Works Cited

Board of Education. (2010). Illinois State Board of Education. Retrieved from

District 200. (2010). Community Unit 200 School District. Retrieved from

Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. (2009). Teaching in the Middle School (3rd ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson Education.