Lesson Organization
Three General Tips on Using Time More Effectively in Class
Lesson Planning is a skill that takes a practice, practice and practice. After writing How and What to Plan and Lesson Plans: Some Tips, I thought that a few general tips for organizing your time in class wouldn't hurt. We sometimes take a lesson as a given without the given context of time and organization. Here are a few tips to help get you started.
1.Think macro, less micro.
Planning a few lessons in advance gives you the bigger picture of where you want your class to go. Sometimes it’s hard to predict in advance what will happen the next lesson or think so far ahead, but having a few goals can help set up the expectation framework for your students. I like to work out for myself three learning goals for each class and then examine how my lesson helps cater to them. My file box of teaching ideas that I’ve collected over the years has come in handy for adding any activities that may strengthen or complement the lesson.
2. Keep overplanning to a minimum
Too much over planning ceases to become helpful when kids start complain that they don’t understand. Time and length are good predictors of this. How long will you need to complete the tasks? Be sure to take transitions into account as well.
3. Time in Class
I check off the tasks and goals on our advanced organizer for the lesson that I write on the side of the board under the date. I also write the amount of time set out for each part. This keeps my students on their toes!
Happy Organizing!
