Section 4

Lesson planning

For those tutors who are new to teaching, it will be challenging to create a meaningful lesson plan. This section walks through the reasons tutors should use a lesson plan, what should be included in a lesson, where to get lesson ideas and how to evaluate lessons. Tutors will then have the opportunity to practise creating a lesson plan for a learner.

Lesson plans grow out of understanding our learners’ goals and interests. Once we have determined their goals and created a big-picture learning plan, we can use it to create individual lesson plans. The learning plan is the road map to where we want to go. Lesson plans are part of the highway that helps us get to where we want to go.

Activity A

Planning a lesson

Reflection, discussion

Materials and equipment

Flip chart and markers

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

  1. Ask tutors to share with a partner what they know about lesson planning. Have they ever planned a lesson? What did they do to plan it? How did it work? What did they learn? If you have a smaller group of less than four, discuss the questions together.
  2. Have tutors talk to a partner and discuss what would be important to consider when planning a tutoring learning session.
  3. As a whole group, discuss their findings and record their ideas on the flip chart. Bring out the following points if not covered by the group:
    • the purpose of the lesson
    • the length or time of the lesson
    • the shape of the lesson -includes a variety of activities -provides lots of time for practice and review

Thought-provoking questions

The language of lessons and homework fits into a learning environment. You can invite tutors to reflect on how school-oriented language may trigger negative associations or anxiety for some adult learners, based on past experiences with learning. Are there other words tutors could use in place of lessons and homework? How could tutors open up a dialogue about school-based language with their learners?