I am still learning what makes a good lesson plan.
At the beginning of my practicum, all I thought that a good lesson plan needed was to stick to the curriculum, a hook, an activity, an assessment, and a plan for early finishers.
I have slowly been learning that there is a lot more to lesson planning to keep the students engaged.
An activity is the main part of the lesson plan, but I have learned that it needs to be broken up into chunks, with variety. For example, some lecturing, then play a video, then do a brain break, then do a think pair share, then a short individual assessment.
I also learned that it is important to take the attention off of the teacher for part of the lesson. The teacher cant be talking to the class for 75% of the lesson. Kids need to gain some independence by having group discussions, or by doing research on the computer.
I also didn’t realize that every lesson doesn’t need an assessment piece. Some content may take a few days to get across, and sometimes assessment can be as simple as a thumbs up or down.
I am also starting to see the value in brain breaks. When students have been working hard, they need a break. Additionally, when they are a bit wound up, they also need a break to get their energy out. In this scenario its helpful to follow with a breathing activity or something to get them settled after.
So much to learn every day. I never imagined practicum being as educational as it has been!