Lesson planning

There are no ready formulas for lesson planning. It may depend on many factors:

• learners’ level: are they elementary, pre-intermediate, etc.

• learners abilities: are they homogeneous or are they mixed

• learners’ needs and interests

• learners’ motivation: what activities, topics, materials motivate them

• the number of learners

• attendance of learners

• previous knowledge: what have the learners already studied

• anticipated problems: are there any discipline problems?

The reasons of lesson planning: For teachers

• It is important to conduct an effective lesson.

• It develops abilities to select, structure, and organize lesson content.

• It provides a framework or “road map” for the lesson: what teacher wants to do

• It determines the sequence and timing of activities.

• It helps to realize teacher’ principles and beliefs.

• It provides a record of what has been taught.

• It provides a sense of security.

• It is necessary for judgment

For learners

• It shows that the teacher thinks about the class.

• It shows the level of teacher’s preparation and professionalism

Problems

• lack of time for planned activity

• not all the students take an active part in the lesson

• the students forgot to bring the material done

• the teacher has already done the task

• the tape/ CD doesn’t work

Solutions: Good teachers should remember that a plan is not a fixed scheme. They should be flexible to cope with problems and adapt a lesson plan. Sometimes learners themselves can propose something interesting in the lesson (topic for conversation, or enjoyable activity). A good teacher should take it into consideration, adapt the proposal and let students do it if it is necessary.

The content of lesson planning The content of lesson planning includes the solution of the following tasks:

1. Define the role and place of the lesson in the curriculum

2. Define the connection of the lesson with last and the next ones

3. Choose the type (lessons of studying of a new training material, lessons of improving of knowledge, skills, generation and systematization lessons, the combined lessons, lessons of control and correction of knowledge, skills) and shape of the lesson. A good lesson needs to contain the blend of coherence and variety. A coherence means that learners should see the logical sequence of the lesson (preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation, expansion)

4. Define the peculiarities of the lesson in accordance with the knowledge, level, individual characteristics, interests of learners and class size

5. Set aims of the lesson

6. Choose the methodology of the lesson

7. Choose materials such as textbook, worksheets, or DVDs to interest the learners

8. Think about environment, space of the classroom to use in the lesson

9. Define the activities learners will do during the lesson, such as dialogue work, games

10. Define the order (sequence) of the activities, including opening and closing activities

11. Support learners in doing activities

12. Predict problems learners may have in doing activities or with language

13. Count time to spend on different activities

14. Choose the ways to involve every learner to do all the classroom activities

15. Define different forms of work: as a whole class, individually, in pairs or groups

16. Think over homework

The foreign language teacher must have a written lesson plan for each class. Lesson plan is a document that shows teacher’s thoughts and regulates the activity of a teacher and learners in the classroom and learners’ work at home. The teacher forms lesson plans in accordance with the curriculum and calendar and thematic planning on the subject. In lesson plans some teachers write down exactly what they are going to do in the lesson and note down each sentence that the learners are going to say. Others use notes to themselves. And there are teachers who keep the whole plan in their heads. However it is not good for other teachers, observers, institution and so on, because they can’t guess what the teacher has in his mind. There are a lot of formats of lesson plans. A format of a lesson plan usually depends on the personal preferences of teachers, institution requirements and exam schemes. In spite of a great number of plan formats they all have general components:

Subject:
Grade:
Time:
Theme:
Aims of the lesson on formation of competences: А) informative B) communicative C) problem solving
Type of the lesson:
Technologies:
Methods:
Subject connection:
Teaching aids and equipment:
Stages of the lesson:	Teacher’s activity	Pupil’s activity	Results
1. Organization moment (Warmer)
2. Checking up homework
3. Presentation of the new material
4. Explanation
5. Evaluation and home work
6. Reflection.