How to Write Lesson Plans for
​Excellent Teaching

In college we learn a lot about the theory behind lesson planning.  We are told to develop units and write very thorough, elaborate plans to submit to our professors.
 
Understanding theory is important to good teaching.  There is great value in the learning process we go through when we are training to be teachers.
 
However, writing lesson plans in this manner, is not practical in real-life-teaching.

​Many new teachers find themselves spending way more time on lesson planning than is really necessary as a result.  Don’t let this be you!
 
This post will help you understand what is involved with real life teaching and guide you in writing lesson plans that are effective and save you precious time.


​3 Key Components of Any Lesson Plan


At the bare bone foundation of any good lesson plan, is three key components:
 
#1 Lesson Objective
Every single lesson should have an objective. Otherwise, why are you wasting your time and that of your students?
 
Depending on your location or district, the lesson objective can be referred to by different names like a focus question, essential learning, or even be phrased as I can statements.
 
Essentially they are all the same thing:  What are your students supposed to learn from this lesson?
 
#2 Activities
Obviously these activities come in many different formats.  These activities include how you are exposing students to new content and what your students are actually going to do within your lesson.
 
Best teaching practices incorporates a variety of learning activities.  Exposing students to content in different formats appeals to different learning styles and helps deepen comprehension and understanding.
 
#3 Tools to Check for Understanding
Often referred to as an assessment, every lesson should have some way to check for student understanding.
 
When you first start teaching this piece can be a bit overwhelming and even a little confusing.  But it doesn't have to be. 
 
In simplest terms, this piece of the lesson plan wants a plan for how you will know if your students learned the objective and/or if there are any misconceptions.
 
Sometimes this piece can be in written format, like in a student notebook or a worksheet.  Other times it can be completing an activity or project. It can also be as informal as a thumbs up or down to a verbal question or as formal as an actual exit ticket or quiz.


​Format of a Lesson Plan

The format of your lesson plan must first and foremost be dependent on what is required of you by your school district. 
 
While some administrators may try to require certain formats or elements, I would encourage you to look into your contract or negotiated agreement to see what they can actually require of you. 
 
Most administrators will want you to submit your plans, and often that is done digitally.  But that doesn’t mean you have to make your lesson plans digital.  If you prefer paper pencil (like me) then just make a scan of your lesson plan book at the copier and send it as an email attachment.  Easy peasy.
 
Some teachers enjoy using a lesson plan book, but those have never really fully met my needs.
 
Whether teaching self-contained or middle school, I created a template using PowerPoint or Word and then printed copies to put into a binder where I could then write my lesson plans by hand.


​What Actual Written Lesson Plans Include


​Again, this comes down to what is required by your contract.  My contract stated I needed 3 parts: the objective, the activity, and assessment. 
 
These are the only 3 things I included on my written lesson plans that I submitted to my administrator, and they were written in a simple format.
 
Once that is done, I will frequently add small post-it notes to my lesson plans that are notes to myself about materials, questions, additional tasks/activities I think of, or items I don’t want to forget for the lesson.
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Using Lesson Plans to Execute Instruction


​While there are 3 key components to include on written lesson plans, there are 5 components to effectively executing instruction.
 
#1 Inform Students
Your students should know from the very start of class what they are supposed to learn that day.  This is where posting your daily lesson objective on your student information board comes into play. 
 
However, one piece many teachers forget about, is to make sure that lesson objective is written in student friendly language.
 
While many teachers point out the objective at start of a lesson, it’s just as important to revisit the objective at the end of the lesson as well.  Help your students reflect and see the connection of the class activities to the learning goal.  You should also utilize the learning objective within the assessment piece – whether informal or formal.
 
#2 Review
Every class period should start with a brief review of what has already been learned about your current unit of study.
 
Sometimes this review can be in-depth and sometimes it can be quick rapid fire questions. One thing to always include is key vocabulary in your review. 
 
You can really use class time efficiently if you ask review questions while you are collecting homework or passing out materials to students.
 
#3 Present New Content
There are many options for delivering new content to students. Presentations, explorations, textbooks, reading passages, and videos are just a few.
 
While students benefit from being exposed to a variety of delivery options, they also respond well to routine and consistency.
 
Consider using a particular delivery option for each unit. That way students gain experience with how to learn from a textbook or presentation by doing so routinely, but don’t get bored because they have to do the same thing for every unit.
 
For example, I often teach ancient Egypt with interactive presentations because there is so much fun stuff to talk about and students always have questions! Students also learn effective note-taking strategies for presentations.
 
Another example is ancient India, where we use the textbook but take our notes using graphic organizers.
 
A good blend of strategies, but with a little consistency works well on teaching students how to learn in different settings.
 
It’s also important to mention that no matter how you present new content, make sure you have a way to keep students engaged with the material in the process.
 
#4 Student Processing Time
After you present new content, you need to give students time to think about and work with the information.
 
This can include but is not limited to, writing a brief summary of what was learned and other organizational and response type activities to be completed in student notebooks.
 
You may choose to have students process independently, in pairs, or even small groups with guidance. Generally, a good mix throughout the unit is beneficial. Students will thrive when they are provided guidance on discussing their learning.
 
Students need the opportunity to gather their thoughts, think about material, and make connections so they can formulate questions to further their understanding. 
 
#4 Assessment
Again, this can be very formal or very informal. Often all that’s needed is a walk around the room to peak at what student work while they are doing their processing. This is the perfect time to address any misconceptions you see emerge.
 
#5 Wrap Up
Finally, as you bring your lesson to an end, take two minutes to recap what students have just learned and then inform them of what to expect next within your unit of study. This helps your students to come to class mentally prepared for the next lesson.
 
If you choose to give a homework assignment, an effective strategy is to go over instructions before passing out materials to students. And then allow 5 minutes of class time for students to get started on it, so they can make sure they understand what to do and ask questions if needed. This is also another good item to have posted on your student information board.

Lesson Planning Steps

Be sure you set yourself up for success and eliminate overwhelm by using a system for lesson planning.
 
It’s always good to start with a yearly plan at the start of the year – when you start and end each unit you will be teaching.
 
Then move to lesson planning by unit.  This will help you ensure you are not forgetting any important learning objectives.
 
Each week have a designated day to review the plans for the next week and prep materials.

Final Thoughts About Lesson Planning

Simply put, using a structure or a system is the best way to write effective lesson plans to eliminate overwhelm and build confidence.
 
My e-book is full of simple, effective strategies and systems that will streamline your classroom and instruction: NO FRILLS Playbook for Teachers.



Ready to keep streamlining your classroom systems? Let’s keep that 'organized teacher' energy alive! Here are three more strategic reads to help you reclaim your time, simplify your routines, and finally break your morning date with the copier.

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Teaching with Textbooks | Teach Like Midgley

​I’m Hillary Midgley, and I help teachers move from classroom chaos to streamlined success with no-frills systems that make managing student work easy. New here? Start with the Manage Student Work ebook.