Lesson Plan Template
While some teachers may not be required to plan units, most will probably need to plan daily lessons based on a given curriculum. Included below is a lesson plan template that I created as a way to organize the components required for lesson plans in the Methods in Teaching Language Arts course at CSU, taught by Dr. Louann Reid. While many elements of the plan are fairly self-explanatory, some merit further discussion.
The portion labeled “standards” provides a space for the teacher to consider some of the underlying goals behind the lesson. In the United States, teachers are often expected to plan their lessons in conformance with state standards, which define those things that students at each level of schooling should be able to do. The standards that a teacher working abroad might teach to will differ depending on the context because there are no internationally recognized standards for the the teaching of English as a foreign language. The professional organization TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), for example, has created standards for the teaching of English as a second language in an effort to bring English language learners in the USA “closer to the educational mainstream by national standards that set high expectations for these students' command of English.” These standards, however, apply primarily to the teaching of English as an additional or second language in the United States rather than the teaching of English as a foreign language.
There is, however, at least one resource that provides standards relevant to the teaching of foreign languages, and it is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL actually focuses on foreign language learning within the United States, with a vision statement that emphasizes the importance of encouraging students in the USA to learn foreign languages, but the organization’s mission of “providing vision, leadership and support for quality teaching and learning of languages” suggests the potential usefulness of information obtained from ACTFL for English teachers abroad. In fact, the organization collaborated with three other groups to define eleven standards for foreign language education, which fall into the five categories of “communication,” “cultures,” “connections,” “comparisons,” and “communities” (Standards for Foreign Language Learning). While some teachers may find standards limiting, others may actually prefer to have a set of standards to refer to as this helps to ensure that crucial aspects of language learning are not overlooked. A more complete explanation and list of standards can be accessed at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3324.
Another component of the lesson plan that requires further explanation is the portion labeled “differentiation.” This component gives space for the teacher to consider the importance of planning a lesson that will support the needs of many different kinds of learners. For example, effective teachers will work to structure lessons in a way that supports the learning of students with diverse strengths, or, as Howard Gardner termed them, “multiple intelligences.” These include linguistic, logical or mathematical, musical, bodily or kinesthetic, spacial, naturalist, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and existential intelligences (Gardner 98). In addition, teachers differentiate instruction so as to challenge every student while also providing the necessary support for every student to be successful. Essentially, differentiation is the way that teachers try to teach each individual in the most effective manner possible.
While completing a chart like this one can be tedious, I think that it helps teachers make sure that their lessons are focused, that an appropriate amount of material is covered during the class period, and that all students are adequately challenged and supported.
The portion labeled “standards” provides a space for the teacher to consider some of the underlying goals behind the lesson. In the United States, teachers are often expected to plan their lessons in conformance with state standards, which define those things that students at each level of schooling should be able to do. The standards that a teacher working abroad might teach to will differ depending on the context because there are no internationally recognized standards for the the teaching of English as a foreign language. The professional organization TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), for example, has created standards for the teaching of English as a second language in an effort to bring English language learners in the USA “closer to the educational mainstream by national standards that set high expectations for these students' command of English.” These standards, however, apply primarily to the teaching of English as an additional or second language in the United States rather than the teaching of English as a foreign language.
There is, however, at least one resource that provides standards relevant to the teaching of foreign languages, and it is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL actually focuses on foreign language learning within the United States, with a vision statement that emphasizes the importance of encouraging students in the USA to learn foreign languages, but the organization’s mission of “providing vision, leadership and support for quality teaching and learning of languages” suggests the potential usefulness of information obtained from ACTFL for English teachers abroad. In fact, the organization collaborated with three other groups to define eleven standards for foreign language education, which fall into the five categories of “communication,” “cultures,” “connections,” “comparisons,” and “communities” (Standards for Foreign Language Learning). While some teachers may find standards limiting, others may actually prefer to have a set of standards to refer to as this helps to ensure that crucial aspects of language learning are not overlooked. A more complete explanation and list of standards can be accessed at http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3324.
Another component of the lesson plan that requires further explanation is the portion labeled “differentiation.” This component gives space for the teacher to consider the importance of planning a lesson that will support the needs of many different kinds of learners. For example, effective teachers will work to structure lessons in a way that supports the learning of students with diverse strengths, or, as Howard Gardner termed them, “multiple intelligences.” These include linguistic, logical or mathematical, musical, bodily or kinesthetic, spacial, naturalist, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and existential intelligences (Gardner 98). In addition, teachers differentiate instruction so as to challenge every student while also providing the necessary support for every student to be successful. Essentially, differentiation is the way that teachers try to teach each individual in the most effective manner possible.
While completing a chart like this one can be tedious, I think that it helps teachers make sure that their lessons are focused, that an appropriate amount of material is covered during the class period, and that all students are adequately challenged and supported.