Documenting my lessons plans is a great way to stay organized. It helps me make sure I hit all the important topics so my students get the full experience of the class and they are better prepared for future.
There are a multitude of reasons to document your lesson plans. First, you are able to have a concrete visual of what has been taught in your class, in case, there is ever a question, that a certain topic or objective was or was not covered (for instance, in an exit exam, where a student states "they have never heard of an item"). Second, for continuity of classroom management, if you are unable to make it to your class; your substitute will have a general plan to follow, as well as, specific guidelines, to keep the class on schedule. Third, as a format to add new, current, or future information, which was not known at the time of your original lesson plans.
There are several purposes. The most important is so that substitutes can pick up instantly. The school admin. demands current plans from all of the instructors twice a year and it helps stay very organized on a daily basis, especially if I'm teaching the same class to different full time and/or part time classes, especially if they happen to synchronize (which they often do).
I also keep copies distributed on 3 different computers in 3 different locations, in case of a 'disaster'. Better safe than sorry!
To make sure everything is included, in case there were any questions about content, and to keep the class on track. Focus!
Documentation of lesson plans offers a variety of controls. It allows for ease of transition due to unforeseen circumstances. A substitute can start where I left off, which allows for students to stay on track and not have set backs. Lesson plans are a great resource if students miss class and/or are struggling in certain areas. I can refer back to what was taught during their absence and cover the materials as necessary.
Another great reason for lesson planning is to track trends in learning. If a class starts to fall behind...as a teacher, you can go back and review based upon needs.
I have the same issue come up once in a while. Keeping detailed notes of where you are in the LP with what group can really make a difference.
I document all my details of course lesson plan and my weekly/daily lesson plan mainly so i can continually improve upon course material each quater based on my students learning. It also greatly assists if I have the need for a substitute instructor.
I have the same students for six hours a day, five days a week. I document each day in one hour segments, but I keep it brief. I like the sample lesson plan in the Introduction to Formatting Module and will incorporate some of the items in my current documentation.
By creating a documented lesson plan, you have the comfort of knowing that you aren't left high and dry should a storm hit and you can't make it to class. Also, I use my lesson plans to note what works and what doesn't, planned vs. actual time spent on various class procedures and lecture topics as well as giving me great direction for the following quarter. I can restructure or simply readjust as necessary.
The main reason for documenting my lesson plan is to help me mentally organize each class. This gives me a path to follow and helps me stay on track. Another reason, is our department does a lot of team teaching since each one of us has a special area of interest. So when I fill in for another instructor or they fill in for me, they know what I covered or what I want them to cover.
I am a new instructor and putting together my lessons plans for the first time. When I teach this class for a second time it will hopefully be much easier because of the documentation and organizing that I am doing now. Hopefully my prep time will be greatly reduced. I also have made notes on what worked and what didn't so I can make some adjustments before teaching the subject again.
Lesson plans help the instructor track how effective class content was in helping the student reach the objectives for the class. It is a good teaching tool for instructors to critique their methods of teaching. It also is a wonderful tool for subsitutes to use and keep the class on track.
It is very important to document our lesson plans because they are detailed and consistent. They are valuable to all of my Instructors because they all had a chance to help develop and improve our lesson plans. We all need to be consistent in what we teach and we need to follow the time line that meets the requirements of our accrediting body. I use our Lesson Plans as the ultimate training tool for new Instructors and they all have appreciated the structure and completeness of the plans.
For me, in order to make the subject as relevant and practical, I always try and be detailed and uniform as I can in my lesson plan so that I can adjust the timing or subject as is needed and help the students understand the material in a very assuring way.
The biggest reason is because it helps me to stay on target and also helps me to remember something from the past that I might have come up again.
Miriam,
Documented lesson plans also serve as great "working documents" that can be used as a personal development timeline for the instructor. From time-to-time, it is a great idea to compare past lesson plans to current, in order to see the instructional growth.
Tremayne Simpson
Miriam,
Documented lesson plans also serve as great "working documents" that can be used as a personal development timeline for the instructor. From time-to-time, it is a great idea to compare past lesson plans to current, in order to see the instructional growth.
Tremayne Simpson
The purpose of documenting your lesson plans is so you have a hard copy of what you will be instructing on in class either for yourself to reference at a later date, a substitute to reference when they are filling in for you or to give to your Department Head. The Value of documenting your lesson plans is to help you see your progression through the class from the first time you taught it until the present day. You will be able to see how you have change the topic subjects and difficulty based on the type of students that you may have in class.
Documentation is extremely valuable as a resource for substitute teachers, supervisors, and the school. More so it helps the instructor to prepare for the future and make positive changes to the lessons if needed.
Amy,
Being the first to teach a course can be quite challenging. On one hand, you have the opportunity to set the parameters for the course, however you will also have to constantly evaluate and make revisions, after each class session.
Tremayne Simpson
