Now, in my fifth year of teaching, I think that I’ve finally settled on a lesson plan template that I am happy with. Every year, based on what I’ve seen colleagues use, and based on my own comments in the notes column, I’ve made slight changes to the format of my lesson plans.
Kept in my course binders, I cover my lesson plans with hand-written notes by the end of each lesson and need to adjust plans accordingly the next time I have the opportunity to teach a similar unit.
This year, in order to keep straight all of the necessary curriculum, I needed a more detailed sidebar. I hadn’t, for example, tracked all of the reading strategies that I wanted to cover, nor had I tracked the topics that the school board was championing.
I’ll make available here a PDF download, and a Word document as well, for anyone interested.
If you would like to see an example of a developed lesson, see the lesson plans from my Grade 12 Media unit, or from my King Lear unit. Though, just between you and me, they’re always evolving. Should I get the opportunity to return to King Lear in 2010, I have little doubt that my lesson plans will look radically different.
Wow. Just….Wow.
I read your blog regularly. I don’t know how you find the time. I’m always impressed and can’t believe you’ve
only been teaching 5 years.
Thank you.
Jen, thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving this comment. Teaching does take a lot of time, doesn’t it? I remember an Education professor at Lakehead University telling all of us would-be teachers that he and his wife (who was also a high school teacher) would say goodbye to each other every September! I see now that his comment was probably only a very slight exaggeration. Lucky for me, my wife is very interested in what I do.
Regarding the lesson plans… Certainly, one of my favourite things about being a teacher is PLANNING. Course Outlines. Unit Outlines. Lesson Plans. That’s my idea of a good time, I guess.
Brad, I just wanted to thank you for this amazing lesson plan template. I discovered it towards the end of my graduate studies in health education in Connecticut! I have grown so attached to this plan that I used it during my student teaching. All of the teachers and administrators have commented on how inclusive, detailed and organized it makes one feel simply by filling in our information for the lesson and then using it as a guide. Being a health educator I did modify it a bit to include information from the CSHE standards. I am still currently student teaching towards the end (here were are required to do 16 weeks and I have 2 weeks and 2 days left). Unfortunately, last week I was told I was not allowed to continue using your lesson plan for my student teaching portfolio and to use the horrible list format that the university provides, so they can develop some kind of unity when it comes to lesson plan writing. I hope to be able to use your format again when I get my first teaching position but until then I will miss it! Thanks again!