I see one large value is to save time when you teach the course again. If you teach the same course multiple times, you can continue to improve the lessons plans and maybe include alternate activities.
I understand why it is good to document but I have a hard time sitting down and typing out a lesson plan. I feel sometimes being that organized kills the spontaneity of a class and that is what can keep a class more interesting!
All my lesson plans are in 1'' binders above my desk. As I am scheduled for a class I review the upcoming lesson plans and am prepared for class. If I was sick another instructor would be able to know right where I left off and cover for me if needed.
There are several reasons why it is important to document your lectures. It is very helpful to have your lectures organized so that once you teach those topics again you already have it. Also, it is very helpful if you call in sick and someone else has your lecture to take over the class.
Glenn,
Keeping "physical" plans is a good idea. In addition, it is a good idea to have "electronic" plans, as a "backup", just in case the binder is misplaced.
Tremayne Simpson
April,
Excellent point. Nevertheless, I feel that it is a good idea to keep an outline of the course lesson plan (can be informal and does not have to extensive in detail), to ensure that the daily learning objectives are being met within the framework of the allotted class time.
Tremayne Simpson
Documenting lesson plans help teaching the subject material in the future. This is especially true if you include refection after completing a lesson. You should include successes and unexpected short comings. This will allow you to continue good procedures and improve those that were not so successful.
Primarily I document lesson plans for the benefit of a substitute instructor. As well as for administration for their information.
A documented lesson plan acts as Communication for your administrators and substitute teachers. It helps with organization, especially if you teach multiple classes. Time Management notes on how the class goes and for how long on each segment helps with a well laid out plan.
documenting lesson plans will definitly help in not missing any portions of the subject ,in future reference and for the substitue teacher
As a new instructor I create a file where I can put a daily folder in the file for each class to help me to structure and organize what and when things are covered in class. So far I have been given very general broad outlines of what the course is has covered that were left by past instructors. By creating files for each course with folder for each class time I can organize and give some structure to the content. Also I only teach these courses every few months so it give sme a record and reminder of what I have done in the past.
To keep me as an instructor on track and organized. The value in my opinion in documenting the lesson plan is being able to assess what worked and what didn't after the lesson. And being able to make improvements with that information for the next time.
I teach Cosmetology so I present a lot of my lessons on power point because I feel some students are more Visual learners than just utilizing a text book I save all my presentations so when I utilize them I can update information or keep it the same. Great source for Substitute Teachers
The purpose and value of documenting lesson plans for me is to keep topics on task and organized. It helps me to stay focused on the objectives especially when I have a student who likes to ask a lot of off subject questions. Lesson plans are a job requirement at my college for all faculty, so that when an audit is done, we are prepared to hand over the daily lesson plans to administrators. It helps me to reduce my stress level because I don't have to think about what material I have forgotten to cover or what resources I might need the next day because all the details I need are in my lesson plan. This makes it much easier for a substitute teacher to cover my class in case I am sick.
The same goes for me as well. I felt my lesson plans were unorganized and this was very helpful, especially with the visual examples.
Being an instructor in the Esthetics program, it is easy to have students excited and wanting to jump ahead.
Having a lesson plans allows me to stay on target, and make sure I am covering all the basics that I need to cover.
My main reason would be to stay on track with the overall plan and time frame. Depending on student interest and understanding of the information class can easily be derailed without a plan.
The purpose is to keep me on track, making sure I am covering everything that needs to be addressed. Also if you are out one day a sub can just step in and take the class for the day and not be lost. It also helps with deciding if a lesson went well or not and how you can tweek it for next time.
When you document your lesson plans you can easily go back over the lessons and tweak them when you teach the course again. There are always things that you can add or improve on and adjustments that can be made based on your previous class experience. Sometimes I change activities to include things that are relevant to current events. Sometimes I change assignments to include things that can be submitted to a current competition. It helps having things documented because then I can easily modify or drop something else into the course and hopefully provide an even better experience for my students.
There are several reasons to document lesson plans. It helps substitutes who may be covering my class. Administrators can use the information to ensure I'm following standards. I make mine accessible to students to avoid the "I wasn't here yesterday, did I miss anything?" Nope, we sat around and talked about how much we missed you. I also use mine to help me in planning for the next time I teach the course. I take some time to think about how the lesson went, things that worked and things that didn't. It helps my for the future.
