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There were many things that this course taught me. I have come out of the other side of this course a lot more knowledgeable and well prepared to teach English as a Foreign Language. Amongst the many things that I have learned the most important for me was in regards to lesson planning. Lesson plans are very useful for any teacher regardless of their experience. The lesson plan helps to give structure to both the student and the teacher. This allows for the course to run more smoothly. For the teacher, a lesson plan keeps him/her on task while realizing modifications may become necessary. For the students, they know the teacher is prepared and have more respect for the teacher. If a teacher is absent, a lesson plan can make all the difference for the substitute teacher. The substitute is able to know where you left of and what needs to be covered for the course. Before actually beginning to write a lesson plan, the most important task for the teacher is to know what the objective of the lesson is, and the age of students and grade level being taught. The objective must also be conveyed to the students. The teacher needs to constantly evaluate the plan in order to know how well they are presenting it or if they need to change and improve the plan and themselves. While scripting is not helpful, knowing approximate times for each stage keeps everyone on task. The teacher must also gather the needed supplies for presenting the lesson and checking the equipment to see if it works and knowing how to work it. Before greeting the students at the door, the teacher should give one more check to make certain they are ready to go. This course teaches that the first step in the lesson plan is to engage the students. This can often be the most difficult part of planning, getting student to engage in the lesson. As a teacher, engaging the students is our first task. We need to find ways to make the classroom an interesting and challenging space for learning. There are many different ways to engage students and each student is unique. It’s important to have a variety of techniques when it comes to engaging students. This way you can maximize your effects on the expectations of the class. Some of engaging suggestions in the chapter that I particularly liked were games, songs, pictures, and using the overhead projector to clarify questions. The phase should only last no more 10 minutes. The second stage is the study stage. Here the students are given the opportunity to practice at their own level and speed. It usually includes vocabulary and grammar worksheets and teaching the whole structure of the material. This stage should be clear and the time when the teacher clarifies the details of the lesson. The final stage is to activate the newly learned material. This stage includes roleplay or partner question and answer activities as examples of communicating using the newly learned material. I think this stage is very valuable for communicating in the language. In conclusion, I will continue to work on lesson planning because it is so valuable to teaching. If you have a helpful plan, you are prepared and confident for every class.
