Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Hi Sarah,
Thank you for the kind words. I will be excited to hear about how this works out for you. I wish you much success in your teaching. If I can be of any further help please let me know.
Gary

Jamie Lockard

i too feel lost with this. i feel like i'm prepared before class but then i get in there and i get frazzled and tongue tiedf it goes away after 15 min but i feel like i've lost them by then what do i do?

Sarah Hildebrand

Hello Gary,
Thank you for the tools. I have found myself veering off course as I build the lecture material. A topic arises unfamiliar to me and I begin studying, (I am excited about learning myself). Therefore, my time is illspent developing the lecture and the result is not geting my lecture finished, or too much information is added. I will try the tools you gave me and determine what it is the student needs to know at the end of the course and build from there.

Sarah

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Hi Sarah,
Good question and one that often comes up from beginning instructors. It is a challenge to get a lesson plan developed with just the right amount of content. Start with your goal for the class. What is it you want the students to know at the end of the class? Then write down a list of objectives that will help you to achieve that goal. Under each objective list the key points, activities, examples and demonstrations that will help to achieve that objective. Do this for each objective and you will soon have a complete lesson plan for that class. Think of the trunk of a tree as the key knowledge point, the branches as supports to that key point. This way you won't get off course because after discussion you will come back to main point or the trunk.
Over prepare and see how your time flows. This way you will have enough content to fill the class.
If you have any questions about any of this please let me know and I will be glad to share additional information with you.
Gary