I document my lesson plans on a daily basis to make sure going forward I am not repeating something that didn't work as well as I thought. Also, in the event that there is a substtute, I need to make sure everything I wanted covered is done so the class won't get behind or feel frustrated later.
Although lesson plans take a long time to create, they will come back ten fold in saving time in the future. How nice it is to have a lesson plan available at your finger tips.
Lesson plans keep you on track and organized. They allow you to add and improve the content of your lesson plan.
Prior to teaching my very first class quite recently, I comprised a crude lesson plan although the concept of a lesson plan had never been formally introduced to me. I did this instinctually (out of fear!) I was so afraid that I would forget to relate or discuss an essential topic or concept that I had to write it down. As discussed in the ED109 course, I have already found my lesson plans useful in contemplating what changes I will make in future lectures. When I devise exams for the course, I look back to make sure I've presented all the pertinent information to the students. Sometimes I find that I left something crucial out. In that case I can go back to the class and fill in the missing material prior to delivering the exam.
I like the idea of using excel and having the multiple tabs to seperate things. And having attendance handy could show you who still needs to learn that particular lesson or if for record keeping.
I find that documenting my lesson plans really helps me when I teach that class again in the future. I can reacal what part of the plan worked and what did not. It can serve as an outline to improve my lessons as I grow as an instructor.
Kimberly,
I agree. In addition, documented lesson plans be effective, when you are scheduled to teach a class that you have not taught in a long time. Reviewing and updating lesson plans, is a lot easier than creating an entirely new set.
Tremayne Simpson
Having your class documented has helped for me in that area of needing a substitute for that class and just being able to pull from my binder is easy. And it has especially been easy for the next term when I have to teach it again.
The purpose of documenting my lesson plans is to have a guide to follow, so that student will no what to expect for the next class perior. Also, in the event that I am out someone in Administration will be able to carry out my lesson plans.
Documenting lesson plans makes it easy for me to keep pace in a class and not skip over information if discussions go on tangents. It also makes it easy for a sub should I be out.
Documenting lesson plans become even more important when dealing with courses that have many objectives or complexities. The greater the granularity you develop a lesson plan, the easier it can become to "pick up" where you left off when the flow of the lesson is interrupted.
I also find that by planning my courses in detail down to the hour, I can make changes to my instruction or delivery and easily see any "gaps" that I may have to address in time management. By documenting these plans not only do I get a better picture of what the task is ahead of me - other instructors, administrators, and even students are better prepared for then course and how the plan meets and delivers the said objectives.
I create my lesson plans in Excel and include a section for attendance. This allows me to have a reference for student attendance and assists the substitute in taking attendance. I also utilize my documented lessons as a base and update them as relevence to the standards/ practices in the field change.
Documenting my lesson plan, keeps me update for the next rotation and class of what ever change I made to improve my teaching delivery. It also helps for substitute teachers to found out how to follow up with my students, but also help me not forget topics and update and not get confused when I teach multiple classes.
Kathryn,
These are excellent methods for appropriately documenting your lesson plans. I especially like the idea of having a "binder", in cases where there is technical difficulty, it is a good idea to have printed copies of lecture notes and Power Points.
Tremayne Simpson
I have a large binder for my class. It contains lesson plans, Student Learning Outcomes, PowerPoint lectures, quizzes and demonstrations. There is a pocket where I keep the flash drives. The book is a constantly evolving document. I constantly refer to it to make sure all of the necessary content is covered. New material is added and outdated material is removed. Without this book my class would probably descend into chaos. I like the idea of having more than one copy. Having a copy at work would be extremely useful if I became ill and someone had to jump in for a lecture or two.
oriole,
In addition, this procedure also follows the new guidelines, for several accreditation agencies. New mandates require a specified "outside of classwork" allocation, that is based on the amount of course credit hours. Listing this information on the syllabus, can be used as proof that the guidelines are being followed.
Tremayne Simpson
We do it every term. We keep a notebook for each class with the mco, expected number of hours that will need to be spent on homework, the syllabus, lesson plans and handouts. We do it for the students and as proof of what we are teaching to the state.
Everything is documented in my school.
I like to have a complete package to give the student the first day of class. We spend 30 minutes going over everything. This gives the student more control over their time management. Including the hours expected the homework should take has really helped here.
The first reason that comes to mind is to protect them against fire,loss, etc. However, that being stated, I like to back them up for personal selfish gain. They allow for point of reference when the student surveys come out as to reflect with them (their comments) and make adjustments as necessary to keep motivation and interest at a peak all the time.
Documenting lessons plans are important because it allows one to go utilize it at a future date. it also allows for additional updates as curriculum changes.
Preparing for the subsitute teacher is the best reason to document my lessons. It's not easy ot convey to the sub what I'm teaching or what I taught last lesson.
