In my previous blog post, I introduced the SIOP approach and how it can help us reach our English learners.
Today, I’d like to focus on the actual components of an effective lesson plan and incorporate SIOP supports (and to invite you to my Lesson Planning Masterclass!)
So what are the steps to be taken in order to deliver an effective lesson?
Objectives
Background building/review/motivation
Presentation
Practice (guided and independent)
Assessment
Extension
Before I dive into greater detail, there are a few things I would like to mention/review.
Preparation
It is important to think about your lesson beforehand and collect all the necessary materials that you will use: books, textbooks, realia, pictures, etc.
Strategies
In your lesson plan, it is a great idea to list the strategies that you will use. For example, does your lesson lend itself to lots of pair or group work? Or are your students complete beginners and you need to keep in mind that your speech should be more targeted?
In reality, not every lesson plan will look super detailed. However, it is good to write it out completely a few times so that you get used to the procedure and it becomes natural for you to teach this way. At the same time, writing a detailed plan allows you to think about it and see what activities will or will not work and whether it all makes sense.
For lesson preparation, teaching strategies and ideas, check out my Recommendations page, where I have a wealth of materials.
So without further ado – what should an actual lesson plan look like?
Objective
A lesson should have an objective, which clearly states what our goal for the lesson/unit is. It should be detailed enough so that it is possible to measure (assess) and should state the end result of your lesson, i.e. what the students will know and be able to demonstrate after the lesson is completed.
As I mentioned in my last blog post, SIOP approach distinguished between making two sets of objectives for your lessons, if your teaching situation allows. A language objective will cover what you want your students to know about, say, grammar or vocabulary. A content objective will cover the new concepts that are usually taught in science, math, social studies and other subjects.
For example, if you are working on a lesson about Romeo and Juliet, your objective(s) could be as follows:
Language objective: The students will be able to use previously taught vocabulary when speaking in complete sentences.
Content objective: The students will be able to define tragedy and give examples of it from real life (media, movies they’ve seen, etc.)
or
Language objective: The students will be able to use vocabulary that is necessary to effectively compare and contrast in speaking and writing.
Comparison: in comparison, similarly, the same way, like, likewise
Contrast: in contrast, different, differently, unlike
Content objective: The students will be able to compare and contrast the main characters in the story Romeo and Juliet and the musical West Side Story.
Background building
This is a very important part, where the teacher “hooks” the students so their brain is primed for the next part of the lesson. Depending on the level of your students, the background building of your lesson could include questions that would elicit what the students already know about the topic. It could also include showing them a short video that is related to your topic and having a short discussion after.
Basically, questions, pictures, or games that allow your students to get into the frame of mind and thinking about what you are about to introduce takes place in the background building section.
Presentation
Presentation is the main body of the lesson where you present your topic. This is where you teach the objective – vocabulary, simple sentences, the definition of a tragedy or provide information on how to compare and contrast, etc. This is also the part where you use comprehensible input – teaching students just above their level that ensures they get the most out of the lesson. In the presentation part of the lesson, you will dive into any and all strategies that will allow your students at different levels to understand what you are teaching them.
Practice
It is very important for the students to practice. But before they practice on their own, it is just as important for you to clearly demonstrate what and how you want them to practice.
A simple formula of I do – you do – we do will help students of all ages understand what your expectations for practice are.
For example, if you want them to practice speaking in pairs, you should first demonstrate with a student volunteer how you would like them to proceed and what you will be looking for in their interaction.
If you want your students to do a simple worksheet, make sure you go over instructions with your students and check for understanding before they begin the exercise.
First, it is great listening practice. Second, you will get the most accurate picture of how well your students have grasped the material and whether you need additional practice or additional information in your presentation section.
Review/assessment
Before letting the students leave, have them reflect on what they had learned. A simple review strategy could be an “exit ticket”, where you could ask the students to answer the questions “what is one thing that you learned today? and what is one thing you still have questions about?”. Any activity that allows the students to review the key concepts and vocabulary will serve as a review of a lesson and will allow you to continue planning.
Extension
Although not all activities may readily lend themselves to an extension of a lesson, it is good to have because it allows the students to tap into their higher order thinking skills. An extension of your teaching could be an assignment that you give your students that requires them to use either the concepts or the vocabulary or both in a new context.
I often give my students a super simple assignment to listen for vocabulary that we’ve learned in class in their other classes and everyday life. Quite often they come back and report to me that they heard a word used in a certain context that made them feel empowered because they knew it or made them question the meaning of the word even further because it did not make sense.
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What has worked well for you when planning lessons for your English learners? Share in the comments below!