Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator's guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Discussion, use of handouts and overheads
Materials and equipment Overhead projector Overhead lesson plan template of your choice Overhead 4.7: Lesson Plan Example A (2 pages) Overhead 4.8: Lesson Plan Example B (2 pages) Handout 4.9: Learner Profiles (4 pages) Handout 4.14: Lesson Plan Templates (5 pages) Various resources from your program (i.e., workbooks, readers) Note: The lesson plan examples are based on a composite of learners and are drawn from the author’s experience. They are meant to be a guide only and not an example of a perfect lesson plan. Preparation Copy handouts. Prepare overheads. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS Inform tutors that they will create a lesson plan in this activity. To help them get started, put up the overhead Lesson Plan Example A. Review the different components and what is written for each one. Put up the overhead Lesson Plan Example B. Review the components of this plan. Remember these are examples and are meant to be a guide only, not a perfectly created lesson plan. If tutors need further help with lesson planning, use this step to give them more practice before trying it on their own. Put up the blank lesson plan overhead you have chosen. Choose a learner profile different from the ones tutors have. Work with tutors to help fill in the lesson plan based on the profile. Tell tutors they can work individually, in small groups or all together. Using the learner profile they worked with before (in Section 3, Activity D) or their own learners, have tutors develop a possible lesson plan. Let them choose which template they want to use in developing a lesson. Keep one of the lesson plan examples up on the overhead. Tutors can use it as a guide for creating their own plan. Have a variety of resources available for tutors to include as resources or to look through for ideas. Have tutors share their plans if they feel comfortable doing so. Provide feedback and other suggestions as necessary.

Discussion, use of handouts and overheads

Materials and equipment

Overhead projector
Overhead lesson plan template of your choice
Overhead 4.7: Lesson Plan Example A (2 pages)
Overhead 4.8: Lesson Plan Example B (2 pages)
Handout 4.9: Learner Profiles (4 pages)
Handout 4.14: Lesson Plan Templates (5 pages)
Various resources from your program (i.e., workbooks, readers)
Note: The lesson plan examples are based on a composite of learners and are drawn from the author’s experience. They are meant to be a guide only and not an example of a perfect lesson plan.

Preparation

Copy handouts.
Prepare overheads.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Inform tutors that they will create a lesson plan in this activity. To help them get started, put up the overhead Lesson Plan Example A. Review the different components and what is written for each one.
Put up the overhead Lesson Plan Example B. Review the components of this plan. Remember these are examples and are meant to be a guide only, not a perfectly created lesson plan.
If tutors need further help with lesson planning, use this step to give them more practice before trying it on their own. Put up the blank lesson plan overhead you have chosen. Choose a learner profile different from the ones tutors have. Work with tutors to help fill in the lesson plan based on the profile.
Tell tutors they can work individually, in small groups or all together.
Using the learner profile they worked with before (in Section 3, Activity D) or their own learners, have tutors develop a possible lesson plan. Let them choose which template they want to use in developing a lesson. Keep one of the lesson plan examples up on the overhead. Tutors can use it as a guide for creating their own plan.
Have a variety of resources available for tutors to include as resources or to look through for ideas.
Have tutors share their plans if they feel comfortable doing so.
Provide feedback and other suggestions as necessary.

At the end of a lesson, tutors may have a sense of whether the lesson went well or not. However, coordinators rarely ask them to take the time to evaluate the lesson with their learners. The process below will help tutors know how to conduct regular evaluations. It provides some handouts tutors can use to find out how well a lesson went and how they are doing as tutors.

Variation

You can ask tutors to consider how they will check with learners to see whether a given plan fits for them. You could also explore how tutors could collaboratively develop some of the plans with the learners.

Activity D

Assessing lesson plans