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Message board > LESSON PLANS: I īd like your opinions....
LESSON PLANS: I īd like your opinions....
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Mar0919
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LESSON PLANS: I īd like your opinions....
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Hello all!!!! Mmm... I īd like your opinion on this topic: LESSON PLANS.
I know the majority of the members here are teachers, although there are also some students, but I īd like to hear the opinion of teachers around the world.
As a Coordinator, I swear to God I want to pull my hair out sometimes, because my teachers just do not understand the importance of preparing their lesson plans in a correct way. Mmm... hope I can explain myself. See, I tell them, the point IS NOT to hand in the lesson plan per se. The point IS... to help THEM have a better class, more organized, well prepared, and not improvising. Although as a teacher I know that there are times, where you HAVE TO improvise. Sometimes the activity we planned is not working, maybe that day the ss were fidgety, sleepy, or what not, so we have to have the creativity to think up something quick. BUT... based on something already planned.
I absolutely hate it, when my teachers cut and paste the "lesson plan" that is in their teacher īs book. Where are their own ideas? their own touch? They simply do not like to elaborate lesson plans. They tell me: but, I know what I have to do... so why should I have to explain with such detail? the answer is, that as coordinator, I have to KNOW what they will do and HOW.... because maybe the strategy, technique or method they are using for a give topic is not understood by the ss precisely because of the way it īs presented to them, thus having poor results at the end....
So.... teachers out there, please give me your opinion on elaborating lesson plans. Is it too difficult for you? is it a burden? Do you do it just as handing in useless paperwork?
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11 Sep 2010
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mona90
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I find lesson plans very useful; for young teachers, they are really necessary. In Romania, young teachers in their 1st year of teaching have the duty to prepare lesson plans for all the English classes during the school year. |
11 Sep 2010
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Mar0919
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Hello, Mona... thank you for your opinion. Here in Mexico, lesson plans are also an obligation for all teachers, especially in private schools. But... teachers are always complaining about so much "paper-work"... that īs the way they see a lesson plan: paper-work. How sad is that????
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11 Sep 2010
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Amandina
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Dear Mar
I have to say that I agree with your teachers. After a few years of teaching experience, lesson plans turn into additional paper-work, because a good teacher is not someone who thoroughly plans his or her lessons (although plans are definitely necessary for inexperienced teachers). A good teacher is someone who can motivate and inspire his or her students and no plans are needed to do that. In my opinion, it is a lot more important to keep teachers motivated and inspired by giving them some freedom and showing them that you trust them. Most of them know and love what they are doing, so it can be contraproductive to expect them to do silly tasks.
Amandina
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11 Sep 2010
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anitarobi
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Dear Mar, we have the same problem here. We have even made something like an official table which you simply fill out with notes and the lesson plan is finished (frankly, I use it because it īs really simple, divised from practice and really helps me prepare and keep up the rhythm), and even that is too difficult for some people. Some, however make every lesson plan a whole thesis (with introductions and elaborations and images and what have you) and then their lesson turns out to be a complete disaster!!!! I mean, if it takes one three hours to write something that takes 45 mins to do in practice, than how do their prepare for a 5-6 lesson day (with different groups, levels...)... but, there are people who want to learn, and we should cherish them. My boss once told me a really good thing about training teachers - if they don īt listen to your advice and show progress in about two months, they never will. And she īs right.
Personally, I never see it just as paperwork. I īve been teaching for 17 years and I know I can teach without preparation if I have to - I am capable of improvising. But to teach properly and have continuous progress, I simply need it.
I agree with you, Mar. It can be frustrating. It īs part of the work we do, and disrespecting that, how can we expect parents, students and colleagues to respect us? |
11 Sep 2010
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manonski (f)
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Hi
I īm both a teacher and a coordinator. If you looked at my planning book, you would be disappointed because I īm at the same place as your teacher. I don īt need to spend many hours reading and planning. Once I know the overall guidelines of a lesson plan and my material is printed and ready to go with my students, I barely write anything down in terms of planning. I īm very transparent with my students. I tell them the purpose of the lesson plan and what will be the final task.
The fact that not much is written during the unit in terms of day to day planning does not make me "unplanned". I know exactly where I am going and how I īll go about it. Maybe it īs the same thing with your teachers. |
11 Sep 2010
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Mar0919
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Thank you all for your opinions. In some things I agree with you, in others I don īt. As several of you have said, a "good" and "experienced" teacher does not necessarily have to plan... ok, I can go with that. But, unfortunately here in Mexico, or at least in the small city where I live.... it is sooooooo hard to find good AND experienced teachers!!!!
Some people (here) think that the fact of KNOWING how to speak English, is enough to be a teacher!!!!
On the other hand, I request detailed lesson plans, because since I have groups of my own (ALL the groups have English class simultaneously) I īm in class at the same hour they are. Without a lesson plan from them, I cannot know what and how they are doing things. ( yes, I know, I know! hehehehe! give the teachers freedom!!!) Like I said, unfortunately I don īt have very experienced or good teachers. And since I have class at the same time, I īm not able to come and observe their classes as much as I īd like. I also have many complaints from the students that the classes are BORING!!! that the teacher just goes to the board & writes & writes & writes.
We all know that bored students = trouble = indiscipline.
How can I blame ss for misbehaving, if it is the teacher that does not motivate the class? if all she/he does is scream in order to be heard above all the racket!!! A teacher should definitely NOT have to scream at all.
How can I know if the activity he/she "has in his/her mind" (not in the lesson plan) is appropriately presented to the group? If I see her activities on her plan, maybe I can suggest some tips to make things work better for her.
I am totally agains teachers that only go by the book!!!! that is: open your book to pg.. X, the next hour: go to page...X... next day, let īs do exercise on pg... X.....
Get my point? all I see in their lesson plans is: book, book, book!
I have told them about this wonderful site, where they can get so many ideas and exercises.... but I guess they are just plain lazy!!!!
Anybody share my frustration????
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11 Sep 2010
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mariannina
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In Italy we have to prepare our lesson plan and write it in a special register. It is about what we think we are going to teach: grammar, language structures, revision, etc. I īve never respected those plans not because I don īt mind them but because when I "face" my students I feel what they need and if it is the right moment to present a topic or not, even if it is in the week plan.
Ciao
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11 Sep 2010
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Amandina
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Dear Mar
I see what you mean now. And I have to agree with you. You definitely need plans from inexperienced teachers, but maybe the problem lies somewhere else. Do you have a say in who is hired by your school? Can you choose your teachers? If yes, then have a close look at them during the interview. Ask yourself, is this person suited for this kind of job? Does he or she have a certain passion for teaching, are they charismatic (I know we can īt see passion or charisma in somebody, but still, is there some kind of fire in them?) ? I think that even the best plan doesn īt make a good teacher. A boring person stays boring whether they structure their lessons carefully or not.
Hugs
Amandina
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11 Sep 2010
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imelda
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hi mar, my question is that if you dont trust your teachers or dont consider them to be good teachers why did you hire them or why do they continue working for you? i suppose that they had to present some kind of class before you hired them so that you would know how they were as teachers. I would like to suggest that if you have no time for observations because you are in class yourself why dont you try helping your teachers by organizing some small training sessions where you can have them do warm ups and presentations ,sharing activities, material elaboration or grammar presentations to give you more of an idea of what they are doing and to give them more tools to improve:) |
11 Sep 2010
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Mar0919
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Hello, Amandina! thanks for your opinion. and yes, I do have a say in who is hired, but like I said, it is soooooooo difficult (nearly impossible) to find good teachers! Actually this school year, I had to just accept the first teacher we found, as we were beginning the school year in one week and I was still short one teacher!!! Another of my teachers has more or less good class control, but he is book, book, book. I have NEVER seen him play a game with any of his groups!!! another of my teachers, has good ideas, good teaching methods, but no group control!!!!
It has been good to hear your opinions on the matter, because what I am looking for is to understand the teacher īs point of view in order to help them!
A lesson plan is also useful for me, so when teachers are absent, I can sub for them, or put another person to sub, but the class will continue to advance in content as if they were here...
Any more thoughts???
Mar
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11 Sep 2010
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