Lesson Planning

The last two days, and indeed the rest of the week, has a focus on lesson planning. Specifically the elements which make a great lesson plan as opposed to an okay lesson plan. We have been warned that in the initial stages lesson planning will take a long time, but that over time it will be easier.

Ideas about the ingredients for the Raymond Blanc of lesson plans were given to us by Tom Boulter and through a lesson observation of a teacher at St. Nicholas'. For me, there was some discord between the two, but maybe that is the difference between secondary and primary... 

The key lessons I took from Tom's session was the necessity for great subject knowledge which is enhanced by a recognition of the underlying skills which are necessary to succeed in a given topic. I feel that as I have had TA experience of Years 3-6, my work with KS1 will be informed by the fact that I know what they will be expected to achieve later in the school. I would like to think this helps me to have high expectations of their work, however this will remain to be seen.

Tom also talked about AfL, which I may have muddled as a concept. So, when I finish here I shall be heading to the research Black et al. (2003) published to get a view of AfL from those who created the concept. Tom described AfL as information which informs planning. I may have done this in practice but not not acknowledged it as Assessment FOR Learning, which I think I may have thought was a set of strategies which was actually an Assessment OF Learning.

Today I planned a maths lesson for Thursday with my mentor. I made a note of some "essentials"  for a lesson plan on Monday. I have not cross-checked them yet but I hope I have remembered to include all those features. I am so nervous about doing a lesson which will be observed, the thought of which makes you worry about every verbal and non-verbal gesture you may possibly make during the lesson!

I am aware at this point I have retold what has happened without really reflecting on what happened, or perhaps not reflected as deeply as I might have wished. However, Lesson No.4 in Learning to Teach is that I have a lot to learn, and that I will make mistakes and that is okay as long as I see them as a learning opportunity. 

"A school of learning pupils requires a school of learning teachers" 

(Williams and Wegerif, 2006, p.109). 

(After I had written this post I checked my notes form Tom's session, and I realise that the length of the day made me lose some meaning that I had made during his session. I found a document he had given us on what makes a good learning intention. I have used that today for two activities and it has been incredibly useful- so as I concluded I hadn't fully reflected on all I had learned through the day! 12/06/13)