Are Lesson Plans Flawed?

I have been reflecting  a lot this week on lesson planning and design as I am teaching a new subject for the second year in succession. The time required to create NEW resources, and learn NEW knowledge can be exhaustive (although I am somewhat reassured that having “advanced content knowledge” is worth only 4weeks learning, so if I get my act together I should be able to recover this deficient).

This aside, I know I have to move my students on. Here is how I intend to do, my teaching mantra for this years RE classes.

First I aim to start the lessons with a ‘Thunk’ either sourced or based on the topic. Setting a tone for reflecting and investigative thinking.

Second, to clarify and share learning intentions and criteria for success. As much for me, as for the students.

Third, I am aim to openly and actively encourage students to look for opportunities for further and deeper discussion using the ABC question framework of (Answer, Backup or Contest).

Pupils taught to look for things and have discussion or wrote about what they think believe. @richards_james

Forth, I am going to try and write one significant hinge question, to really get to the bottom of whether students know what it is we are discussing and it is at this point my lesson planning has faltered.

If I want to assess and evidence learning midway through the lesson, the lesson has to be responsive right? To be able to adapt in real time to meet students’ learning needs? Agreed? If you are in agreement, how do you then plan for flexibility? I am certainly not planning 2 or even 3 possible second halves to the lesson?

Fifth, I am using Classdojo for feedback, for both classroom behaviour management and rewarding proactive learning behaviours. Its quick, instant and visual.

The final two steps are getting students to assess their own and one another’s learning. Both self-assessment and peer-assessment will focus on the examination structure and learning how to be ‘great’ PSRE exam takers. I believe that this skew is possible given the emphasis of the points.

Still, that leaves me with an unfinished lesson plan. I am going to have to get comfortable with being ‘uncomfortable’ working with incomplete lesson plans.

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