I started out writing very detailed lesson plans, but my "planning" has evolved. Here's how:
First of all, please note that I don't like following textbooks lesson by lesson so I end up creating my own lessons (even though I sometimes use textbooks as a guide or resource for the students).
When I first started planning lessons, I used a lesson plan form that helped me organize my thoughts and plan my day. So, on the form I listed all of the goals for the day, skills to be taught, etc. I then outline each activity with the approximate time it would take to do it, what materials would be needed for each activity and how the students would demonstrate their new skills/knowledge.
This was a great help to me because I had everything down on paper and knew exactly what to do next and what materials to set out for the day.
Especially as a new teacher this was a great help because it was almost like a script to help me make sure I covered everything I wanted to cover.
As my teaching and lesson planning evolved, I got to the point that I would be able to write the basic activities into my calendar because I knew the activities and had a better sense of what would work and how long each activity would take.
Sometimes, though, when I design a new activity I go back to the lesson plan form to, once again, get my ideas down on paper so that I can visually see what I will be doing during that time. Other times, I just throw together a new activity based on what I know works and what the students respond to at the spur of the moment because I've found an idea that I want to try.
Kind regards,
Shelley
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