To ensure that students are well-behaved and focused during lessons, an educator must take Classroom Management seriously. A lesson or classroom session with well-spelt-out classroom rules prevents the students from behaving badly and allows the teachers to perform their duties adequately.
Despite the numerous benefits of incorporating elements of classroom management in a lesson plan, few educators know how to go about it successfully. This private music lesson teacher suggests that all educators must be well trained on how to design effective lesson plans.
Effective lesson planning is the most crucial aspect of a well-run classroom. As an educator, not planning your lessons can lead to disorganization or disarray, which might cause the students to lose focus.
The strategies used when creating a lesson plan also play a major role in how effective the lesson plan will be. An efficiently planned lesson can help free up classroom time. This free period can be used to address concerns and answer questions.
But before we go further, it is important that we first explain what a lesson plan is.
What is a Lesson Plan?
A Lesson Plan is a logical sequence or road map for the student to learn or achieve a learning standard. The plan should contain information about the Lesson, what should happen during the lesson, a working document, and a record of what has been taught.
A teacher’s lesson plan is a detailed outline of how the lesson will be taught. This is also called the “learning trajectory.” A teacher makes a daily lesson plan to guide class learning. Details will vary based on the teacher’s preferences, the subject being taught, and the student’s needs. The plan may have to comply with particular standards set by the school system. (1)
In addition, a lesson plan is the teacher’s guide for how to run a particular lesson. It includes the goal (what the students are supposed to learn), how the goal will be reached (the method or procedure), and a way to measure how well the goal was achieved (test, homework, worksheet, etc.). (2)
Contents of a Lesson Plan
Objective
This is the goal or the lesson. This section should contain details of what the students would have learnt after the lesson. The objectives of the lesson should be made known to the class before the class starts. They are clear, measurable statements that say what students should know and be able to do by the end of the lesson or unit. Objectives help teachers focus their lessons and tests on specific goals and enable students to understand the purpose of their learning.
Effective objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bounded. Hence, they should meet the curriculum standards and be challenging enough to encourage students to learn. The goals should be written in a way that students can easily understand and should be made clear to students at the beginning of the lesson or unit.
Objectives can be classified into three categories: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Cognitive goals are about what students should know or understand, affective goals are about how students should feel or what they should value, and psychomotor goals are about what students should be able to do physically.
Material
Materials are another important part of a lesson plan. They refer to the tools or supplies that teachers need to teach a lesson well. These are supplies needed to complete the lesson. They include things like textbooks and visual documentaries to keep the student engaged.
When choosing materials, teachers should ensure they match the learning objectives and are appropriate for their students’ age and level of ability. Materials should be interesting, relevant, and easy for all students to use. In addition, teachers should also think about the cost and availability of materials when choosing and making a lesson plan. They should select materials that are easy to find and affordable or have a plan for how to get them before the lesson.
Lastly, teachers should also make sure that the materials are arranged and easily accessible during the lesson. This includes putting things in a logical order, labeling them clearly, and ensuring they are in good condition.
Motivation
This section should contain details of how the educator plans on getting students hooked or focused on what they are about to learn. For example, motivation can be carried out through telling a story or showing pictures, reading a book, or probably showing a real-life item.
Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the student, such as a personal interest or curiosity in the subject. Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors, such as rewards or praise for achieving a goal. Effective lesson plans include ways to increase both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For example, teachers can use various teaching methods and equipment to make the lesson interesting and relevant to students’ interests and backgrounds. Teachers can also give positive feedback and praise to students who do well, and they can create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment that boosts students’ confidence and self-esteem.
Moreover, setting clear, challenging, but still attainable learning goals is another good way to get students more interested. Educators can inform the students clearly what they need to learn and give them regular feedback on their progress towards achieving the objectives.
Procedure
This is where the main work is. Here the educator will have to break down the steps that will be taken to complete the lesson. Details of the learning style that will be used will also be included in this section. The procedure usually has three main parts: an introduction, the main activity or lesson, and a conclusion.
- During the introduction, teachers try to get the students’ attention and get them interested in the subject. They can engage students by asking thought-provoking questions, telling a relevant story or anecdote, or using an eye-catching visual aid.
- The main activity or lesson is where most of the learning takes place. This part of the lesson plan includes the strategies and techniques that will be used to teach the lesson and achieve the learning goals. Teachers can help students learn in many ways, such as through lectures, discussions, group activities, or hands-on experiments. They may also allow students to practice and use what they’ve learned in different situations.
- Lastly, the conclusion is the last part of the lesson. It summarizes the most important ideas and points covered in the lesson. Teachers can use this phase to give students a chance to think about what they’ve learned and ask questions. They may also use formative assessments like quizzes, or polls, to help them assess their teaching and modify their instruction based on the results.
Closure
Closure is an essential part of a lesson plan because it gives students a chance to think about what they’ve learned, make sure they understand the main ideas and ask any questions they might have. Usually, the closing phase includes a summary of the lesson’s main points, a review of the learning goals, and a chance for students to ask questions or seek clarification about anything they failed to understand.
During the closing, teachers can also allow students to use what they’ve learned differently or connect it to the real world. This can help them better understand the ideas and remember them effectively. How and where the lesson closes is a significant aspect of any lesson plan. For a physical class, the lesson can be closed inside the class or outside the class, usually through a field trip or an excursion.
Teachers can also use the closure phase to give students feedback on how they did and how close they are to meeting the learning objectives. This can get students excited about their work and provide them with a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Assessment
This is how you know if the class meets the objective of the lesson. There are different ways to assess the students to see if they fulfil the lesson objectives. Some of which include.
- Observation: Here, the educator pays attention to each student in the class. They sometimes take notes of the student’s strengths and weaknesses while the class is going on.
- Demonstration: With this method, the teachers allow the class to practice and show what they learned.
- Conversation: Here, the teacher has a free conversation with the students to see how much they have learned. Having a conversation with the students also helps strengthen the relationship between the students and the educator.
What is Classroom Management?
Classroom management covers the various techniques and skills used by teachers to make sure the classroom runs smoothly. It helps stop the students from showing any form of disruptive behavior, or at least, it helps to control such behaviors to the nearest minimum.
Creating a structured environment for learning, where students understand that there are clear-cut rules to abide by, will help promote learning. It will also help curb the situations that could lead to troublesome consequences and help eliminate behaviors that will disrupt learning.
The approach to class management depends on the subject that is being taught, as well as the age group of the students. The number of students you have and your personality also determines your approach to class management.
Conclusion
The goal of every teacher is to produce academically attentive, focused, and productive students. Sadly, it could take years for a teacher to develop the appropriate and most effective approach to accomplish proper class management. As an educator becoming highly skilled in classroom management requires continuous learning and practising. For some, it is a lifelong learning process. However, effective classroom management benefits both the teachers and the students in so many ways.
References:
(1) O’Bannon, B. (2008). “What is a Lesson Plan?”. Innovative Technology Center * The University of Tennessee. Archived from the original on July 29, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
(2) “What Is A Lesson Plan?”. English Club. Retrieved 15 October 2014.