Whether you're substitute teaching or running your own classroom, without the structure and focus that an effective lesson plan provides, even the best teachers can get off track and waste crucial teaching time with their students.
And with the ever-expanding world of the Internet, teachers can become frustrated by the knowledge that there are millions of free lessons out there. So...
- ...how do you find lessons that are appropriate for the grade level you teach?
- ...how do you evaluate the quality of a lesson plan?
- ...what are some basic lesson plans that every elementary school teacher should have at her fingertips?
- ...how can I find lesson plans for a specific subject?
Why Do We Need Lesson Plans?
As beginning teachers, we are all taught in our teacher credentialing program that the purpose of a solid lesson plan is to ensure that our teaching efforts are matched to specific learning objectives that are measurable and in line with district and state standards.
Without lesson plans, our teaching can lose focus and veer away from the quantifiably purposeful. Our students and their parents deserve results. Our administrators demand results from us and will evaluate us based on our students' achievements. Strong lesson plans help us stay on the right track and accomplish these goals.
So What Are The Essential Ingredients Of An Effective Lesson Plan?
Several years ago, my BTSA evaluator talked to me about what she looks for when she's assessing a new teacher's lesson effectiveness. If you want to see what your administrators are looking for in your teaching, you simply must read this outline of a professional evaluator's criteria for what a great lesson looks like to observers. Invaluable insight, I'd say!
