Teachers, remember the long, detailed lesson plans we had to produce during our practicum rounds of university? Was it the first thing you ditched when you went out into the “real world” of teaching? Yes, we know that it was too time consuming to be sustainable, but what was lost in the process? What really does makes a good lesson plan? Fun? Engagement? Accurate content? How do we evaluate our lessons? Let’s explore!
- Reflection - for both teachers and students, reflection is the key that solidifies learning.
- Curricular alignment - our students need to know the learning target if we want them to hit it, right?
- Assessment: How will I know my students learned and understand what is taught? I need to design my lesson set them up for success when they are asked to show evidence of learning.
- Instructional strategies - Important questions here: What will my students be doing during the lesson? How will this experience empower them to interact, process and build their understanding of the concept or skill?
- How can the physical environment help students have ownership of their own learning?
- Sequential learning - How do these lessons build on each other in complexity to deepen student understanding?
- Vocabulary - Do my students have the language development or the background knowledge to engage with this learning experience?
- Inclusion - Can all my learners engage with this learning in a meaningful way? What supports do they need to ensure they can?
Whew! Seems like a lot! So are we back to the long, detailed lesson plan? Well… no.
Instead, our AI Lesson Plan tool has streamlined the process! It takes the teacher through the reflection of all these pedagogical elements in just a few moments. In doing so, it keeps you, the teacher, at the center of the decision making! So use AI to help, but never, ever, take yourself out of the loop. Have your AI work with you not for you. Your professional reflection and voice matter and result in higher quality educational experiences for your students! It’s win-win. Save time, but trust that your lessons are built on pedagogy that gets results!
Let’s share! What are your favourite lesson plan activities that work time and time again?