Personalizing a lesson plan
While many lesson plan outlines are provided I think it is important to personalize it with your expertise
I have tried to use other instructor's lesson plans. It did help me to stay on track with the objectives. I moved much slower though and my class wasn't as interesting. Writing my own lesson plans helps me to be a better teacher. When I know I will need a substitute, I write a generic plan. I also try to communicate with them before that day, so they have time to look over the specific chapter we are on.
i couldn't agree more. The more personalized, the less generic the lesson plan will be. The less generic the lesson plan, then the more the students feel you are prepared with a fun and impactful lesson.
I believe everyone has their own way of learning so they have their own way of teaching. So designing your lesson plan to fit your personality of teaching will give you originality and also set you apart.
Leigh,
I agree that creativity is important, however I would not completely discount the supplements that are provided by the publishers. Most of the online supplements can be customized and provide unique viewpoints to the lessons that are presented in the chapters.
Tremayne Simpson
I am just utilizing lesson plans and it was very important I had a template to use! I still have not been using long enough to "make it my own" but I suppose it will come with time.
I am a very creative, expressive, multifaceted person with a multitude of multicultural experiences. I find most of the materials provided by the institutions & text book companies, dull, lifeless, & BORING!!!
Most do NOT match my students interest or capability level. I always CREATE my own material & supplements. I always have a high level of student engagement. On the same note I am the only instructor teaching my course & the other classes I teach I DO collaborate with the other instructors...I often design the worksheets & write the lesson plans that we all use...
I believe CREATIVITY is a MUST !!!
Richard,
This is an excellent point. Nevertheless, this can be used as an opportunity for instructors to establish a curriculum action group, which will enable them to work together, to create a more standardized curriculum. With this, instructors and administrators can be assured that students are receiving similar learning experiences, regardless of which section of the course they are registered for.
Tremayne Simpson
Richard,
This is an excellent point. Nevertheless, this can be used as an opportunity for instructors to establish a curriculum action group, which will enable them to work together, to create a more standardized curriculum. With this, instructors and administrators can be assured that students are receiving similar learning experiences, regardless of which section of the course they are registered for.
Tremayne Simpson
It is great that in most organizations there is room to personalize a lesson. The standars are just that; the besics of what the lesson should cover. How to deliver it, it is up to the instructor and it depends on the audience as well.
I believe that to much professionalization is wrong when multiple instructors teach the same course within the same institution. it may confuse and ultimately change the course for a student that may transfer in from another class.
I agree, there is nothing worse then using a template and not making it your own and it makes you look out of place in teh classroom.You need to be comfortable in your role.
Our program supplies all the standards, procedures, powerpoints and materials needed to teach the courses. I like to add my own twist by selecting websites and videos that are relevant to the lesson. I also incorporate worksheets, handouts and puzzles into the lesson plan so I know when to have the student do them and for any substitute to have things for them to do.
I agree with this. Some programs do have a set standard regarding lesson plans. But it is important to personalize especially after you had taught the class several times.
Being in a industrial,vocation school, gives me the opportunity to bring my decades of on the job experiences as referances to what we are discussing in the classroom. I think that this gives the students a view into their future careers and how this classroom instruction can be applied to real world applications. This has lead to the students entering in to discussions on how the knowledge of the course content is used in day to day applications.
My issue with this is that some instructors dont have the personality to be given the opportunity to make it personal.
It is also helpful to go back and see what worked and what didn't work last time you taught this course. It is always easier to remember when it was personalized last time, just makes more sense to you.
Douglas,
Great point. Even if the lesson plan is standardized, there are subtle ways to autonomized it in order to reflect your individual approach to instruction. Generally, administrators will highlight the areas of the lesson plan that can be revised by the instructor.
Tremayne Simpson
Very important. Even though you may be given a lesson plan(s), you need to make it YOURS in order to be an effective teacher.
It is very important! Instructing Massage students, I make have experiences that other instructors may not, and they may have some I do not have. I feel it is my responsibility for my students to learn everything about the field they are going into that they possibly can, including the things you cant learn out of a book!
