Some Topics Can Backfire Without a Plan
You would think that easy topics you could get awaya without a plan, but you need at least an outline to make it work. In specific terms to help keep you on target! Make sure you at least write on the white board the topics and issues you wish to cover and it will help get the material covered.
Another reason for using a plan for an easy topic is to prevent you from running out of things to say and having extra time left over. Always include a few extra points to insert in case you have extra time left over...items that could always be left out if you run out of time.
I totally agree, I will admit I am bad about making lesson plans for the classes I teach, mainly because they are hands on and sometimes we don't have an even number of students to cover one modality so we need to maybe skip to a lecture rather than a lab. So sometimes I feel like a lesson plan would be a waste of time. But this course is showing me otherwise!
Agree. Also, it is always good (no matter how easy the topic) to introduce what one is teaching, then discuss the body of what is being taught, then summarize what was just taught to the students.
In regards to preparation, usually when I sit down to scribble out an outline of things that are to be taught I think of a lot of "details" that would be helpful to include in the lesson. Usually, I also tend to think of potential questions that the students may have during this preparation stage. I then can obtain visuals or facts from authoritative sources that are relevant to the profession being taught.
