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I’m sure there are many teachers don’t prefer using a lesson plan. But also there are some teachers know the importance of the plan. The first time I saw a lesson plan, I was going to secondary school. Although I was having one to one flute lessons with my flute teacher, she was always coming with her lesson plans to the classroom. I was a student and it was so surprising for me to see my teacher with a plan all the time those days. She was almost more prepared than me. I couldn’t understand the core meaning then. However, I began to understand her point as soon as I started to teach. Of course, it was much easier to go to the classroom without that kind of a plan. I was sure that I could teach without the plan. But after some weeks, I realized something so important. I had no records of the lessons, no weekly, monthly or annual written goal. Some students were improving so fast but some of them needed more support and I was not aware of those things happening in the classroom. At that point, I remembered my old flute teacher’s way of planning. Before each lesson, I started to do some preparations for my students. I began to note all the subjects that I wanted to teach and underline, the homework for the next lesson, the materials I used and some possible questions which my students could ask. Then I took some small notes during the lessons about the students’ performances, needs, improvements, lacks, absences, preparations et cetera. So, to plan a lesson not only requires the preparation before the lessons but also to take notes during and after the lessons. For me, this was the best way to keep record and plan a lesson which is so essential for teachers. Of course, a wise and well-experienced teacher can manage all the lessons without a written plan. Also, some teachers think about lesson planning differently. Their opinion is to plan a lesson can cause losing the creativity and the flexibility of the teachers. This is a possible scenario if the teacher tries to script every single detail of the lesson. Eventually, flexibility will disappear. But I think if someone who teaches or performs something, goes to the stage without any preparation, she or he can not be creative or flexible. Because being creative or flexible requires being sure about the subject, the lesson or the performance and a clear mind. When you think too many things at the same time, there is no free time and space to create something new freely. For sure, the experience can solve this problem too. As a future English teacher, my goal of the lesson planning will be finding the middle of these two extreme situations. I don’t prefer being so spontaneous, so lazy, so free or overthinker, so strict, obsessed just with the plan instead of the lessons. I will always try to find the balance, like in my life. Thank you Kind Regards
