LPs are absolutely critical to formulating a good instructional flow. It is the the way to make sure that you have planned out all of the requisit activities and learning skills necessary to complete the course content. It is also a very good mechanism for those new instructors who don't have teaching experience but a wealth of practical experience; keep us all focused on the task at hand. Our job to to do whatever is necessary to cause learning to take place in our students.
Hi Anthony,
I would check with your state department of education, the career-technical division. Most states have notebooks containing sample LPs. Also, most book publishers now include LPs for instructor use. You can take these and modify them to suit your use.
Gary
Instructor lesson plans need to be flexible, and a good instructor must be willing to sacrifice to bend to the class.
I have found that a good resource for developing a lesson plan are other experienced instructors or even professionals in the field to give feedback and information for the benifit of the students. This will keep the information relevant and to the point also ask them to be the class and present your class to them on a trial run, it's fun and informative.
Hi Jon,
Thanks for sharing your idea about an often overlooked resource, the instructor next door. All of us instructors need to look to others for input and assistance as we strive to improve our teaching skills.
Gary
I have to admit, this is one area I don't focus much of my attention. There are days where I really notice that deficiency. I have always been good at presenting with short notice, but that skill, I find, actually hinders me in developing lesson plans because I believe I can do without them because of that skill. I can probably say I will never have rigid plans, but I can see the benefit of having some better rough outlines for each day. This is an area I will be spending more time in the future.
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for sharing some of the realities of teaching. The pressure to get everything done and be prepared to teach. You are on the right track with your outlines because they will give you general direction. One thing I would suggest is after you teach a unit take your outline and jot down some notes about what you did and how the lesson went within the outline. This will be of great help to you the next time you teach the unit, since your notes will give you a "heads up" on how you need to prepare or content you need to select.
Gary
The Instructor's Guide that accompanies most textbooks is a great resource. You might also look on the publisher's web site for additional help.
I find lesson plans extremely valuable. I teach 3 seperate classes. Sometimes it is the same one multiple times and other times it may be different each session. Ocasionally I cover a class for a fellow instructor so I may cover 2 seperate groups of material content in one day. Reviewing the lesson plan prior to the start of class helps me to focus on the content and I believe provide the best learning presentation possible.
Hi Rick,
Good point about lesson plans. Something else lesson plans will help you with is when you teach multiple sections of the same class. It is hard to remember exactly what you have told each section. By making a quick review of the lesson plans you can refresh your memory on what you have and have not said.
Gary
making a lesson plan not only keeps in track but it helps student understand both lectur and lab procedures
Hi Victor,
Good point. Lesson plans helps students to move from theory to practice since they guide the instructor in delivery methods and segment options.
Gary
Lession Planning is a very important part in our everyday teaching agenda.. I feel it will help if our program director gathers us up and us as in instructors come together to try and be all on the same page on how and what we are teaching our students and given the materials that are needed.
Hi Teresa,
Coordination of curriculum is very helpful when teaching multiple sections of the same courses or when the courses work in sequence. By knowing what others are doing and how they are doing it you will know where your course fits in the flow and that you are doing the right things.
Gary