TM4T LP-Squared: The Content

LP2 considers a number of questions: what kind of lesson planning do you need to do? how much lesson planning do you need to do? do you need to do any lesson planning at all?  Let's deal with the last one first: the answer is 'yes'.  It is worth asking the question though, because there are schools - in England, in our own space-time dimension - which are actually well organised. They have published curricula, with comprehensive schemes of work, with prepared resources to support differentiated needs, and well-written lesson plans for every element of each scheme.

For clarity: in schools like these, you still need to do regular lesson planning. No matter how well prepared your school is - and you are - you will always need to tune the content to your students' rate of progress, adapt resources to their differing learning styles, address issues and opportunities as they arise, and modify the teaching plan to match your own strengths and preferences. Now, it's unlikely you'd be reading this if you teach at one of these idyllic schools, but the scenario we've just described is important: that is exactly what you should be aiming for in your own individual teaching. You should do regular 'lesson planning', but it should really involve adapting and tailoring existing plans and resources.

Existing plans and resources? If they don't already exist, then you need to create them, in advance. This means you need to know in advance what you don't have, and that is where LP2 starts.

Step 1  Assess Existing Resources

Find out what you've already got so you don't re-invent the wheel. This is NOT a major exercise. You need to know quite a lot, but you don't need to know it in detail. Ideally at the start of term, a little detective work should suffice. You do need to apply a little focus and rigour, however. Don't base your planning on vague courtesies.  Find out what is actually available in your school; where it is kept (electronically or in paper-form); how useful it is; how easy it is to use. Paint yourself a picture of what resources already exist for you to tailor and tweak.

Schools and subjects are very different, so I can't prescribe what you need to assess, but there is a helpful list here.

Step 2 Timetable Analysis

You may have read in Step 1 about psychological benefits; these apply even more so in Step 2. Timetable Analysis is explained in detail here.  You may have read elsewhere about 'how long it should take to plan a lesson'; well the answer is 'as long as a piece of string'. Some of your lessons (pre-planned and shared by some generous soul) will take five minutes flat; others may take longer to plan than to study. You need to know this before you start.

Step 3  High Level Planning

Masochists wishing to understand the difference between High and Low Level Planning should click here, satisfy their needs, then use the Back button to rejoin us.

Now here's the thing about high-level planning: many experienced teachers would argue that NQTs don't really need to do any or even be involved much in high-level planning. As long as the day-to-day and week-by-week planning gets done, that's fine. Take care of the minutes and the months will take care of themselves. Well, we disagree. One of the underlying causes of stress in teaching involves a lack of control, and frequently a lack of perspective regarding our professional progress.

If you are not given a high-level plan for your classes, then develop one yourself. This means a Gardening Calendar for each class, and a Scheme of Work for each 'unit' of work. These are explained here and here ...

... and that is where LP2 ends.  If you have followed these three steps, you have a clear picture of what you will need to teach throughout the academic year, you will know what resources are available to you, and you will have a clear picture of exactly what you need to do. All that remains now is to do it...