Being prepared with back up documents is important if you are not available to teach your class. During an emergency or planned time off someone will need to teach your students. Providing them lesson plans can help guide them and help your students stay on track. I have a back up usb on my desk that has detailed information incase I am not able to be on campus.
Kathryn,
I have a similar binder. My binder also includes labs and tests for each module. Technology changes often, so my binder also evolves every time there is an update to the ciriculum because of technology changes.
As you start each course and you get to know your students, you can adjust that lesson plan depending on how slow or how quick the class is. Without a lesson plan you could easily lose what section your suppose to be teaching that day.
Some reasons: One purpose is to provide documentation not only of curricula, but that it was taught with the appropriate time and accuracy as directed. A documented plan also aids in keeping on track and is an effective time-management tool. Having a plan available for a substitute instructor is invaluable to them as well as insuring the class stays on pace during the term.
To keep myself on tract and for future classes
Documenting our lessons plans would help us to standardized the way we teach.
Kelly - I usually get with an instructor who has taught the course before, or I connect with our Dean/Director of Education. I can then glean what works and flows better for the course while making sure students get key concepts. I had my Lead Instructor sit down with me and help make lesson plans that make sense.
I documet my lesson plans to help me stay on track and oragnized. I like to stay prepare just in case need some to fill in and they can pick up right were i have stopped.
I also teach courses every few months. Documenting my lesson plans and keeping them in a folder, keeps me fresh and on-track.
There are several purposes and values for documenting my lessons plans. First, it allows my program director to know what I am covering in my classes to ensure that I am meeting the objectives of our program. Second, it allows me to know where I am in each class whether it is for a given day of the week or to just see what I have accomplished versus what I still need to accomplish in a term. Third, in the event I am not able to be in class another instructor can step in and keep my class rolling because they know where I am at and what I am covering. And lastly, these lessons plans are placed in my personnel file, therefore these plans could provide helpful ideas to other instructors (brand new or a veteran) at other schools as to topics and projects that can be done in a given class.
I think that documenting lesson plans are a great way to stay organized and focused and to all keep consistent from class to class. I especially appreciate lesson plans that keep getting tweaked over time to make it better and more effective each time we teach the class. When I step in to substitute for another teach, especially when it is an unexpected absence, it is really fabulous to just be able to walk into the classroom and pick up where their Instructor left off. It shows that the whole faculty team and school is well organized and knows what we are teaching. :D
Great subject and previous posts. Thank you.
By documenting my lesson plans I help myself stay on topic and can check back to make sure that I have covered all topics for that lecture. It is a way for me to stick to the topics and use stories or illustrations to support those points.
It helps the instructor stay on track in hes/her lesson plan. It also makes it easier for substitute teachers or if the lesson plans are lost in a tragedy.
Documenting your lesson plans is important to:
-Assist in planning for other courses
-Review previous classes/lesson plans as a reference point
-Organizing for efficiency
-Printing and organizing for quick reference (vs. having to access lessons plans on the computer)
-Have a copy of the lesson plan available for administrator during course evaluations
-Readily available for a substitute instructor
For me, documenting the lesson plans helps to assure that all of the instructors who teach the same class are all on the "same page" with regard to content and time management.
I always like to write notes to myself after implementing a lesson so I can constantly work on perfecting each lesson plan. As the years pass, my teaching abilities continue to improve.
The purpose of documenting lesson plans would be for future use for the instructor to look back on as a reference for questions from students and administration.
I usually teach multiple sections of a course. Documenting my plan helps me keep organized as to what I will be teaching day by day. In addition, I have my plans in place for the next time I teach a that same course. Of course, it also gives me an opportunity to change things up and spice up the lesson each time I have to teach the course.
It's similar to a map for locating a place; the more detailed and specific the map is, the more like you are to reach your intended destination.
I document my lesson plans so that the next time I have to teach this subject I can come back to it for a guideline. It also helps me with time management and if a substitute needs to teach they can use my lesson plan as a key.
