It is very important to understand how the students engage and to obtain what they may already know by testing their knowledge with a quiz. This will help when preparing your lesson plan.
I need to be prepared for the class/lecture to end early and if it does, have some activities or discussions planned to utilize the extra time wisely. Same goes for not getting through the entire lesson plan for the day - need to pick up where I left off the next day and try to manage the class time more effectively. Also keep a journal or notes when this happens so the next time I can be better prepared.
In summary, lesson planning provides a roadmap for effective instruction, promotes organization and time management, facilitates adaptation to diverse learners, enhances student engagement, ensures alignment with learning objectives, and enables ongoing assessment and feedback.
I'm constantly updating my course content to match what our industry is doing, so I rely heavily on our TAC committees to provide me with relevant teaching topics I can later research for full content.
Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Use your resources.
Utilizing pretests greatly assist in understanding the knowledge level of each student. While I am an administrator and no longer teach in a classroom setting, this is information I can use greatly when providing professional development to our team.
Plan extra material because it usually goes faster than expected.
Having students fill out information cards or giving pretests prior to the class to test their level of understanding and knowledge of the material.
Time management is critical
I consider that this module is of great importance for the successful development of the class, I will keep in mind all the objectives exposed in the module to apply them during my next classes.
Flexibility and preparation are key to a great start in course development
This course opened my eyes to new ways to explore the various ways to engage each student in a way that maximizes their learning potential. An instructor who is flexible, adaptable and prepared to teach will have greater opportunities to ensure the success of their students.
Know your audience. Pre-test is a great tool, either formally or informally taken
For me , Adaptability for my students is key , change on the fly to adapt to the ever changing needs of the student as well as the environment and circumstances that are sometimes out of my control are essential to good planning, I like to have a back up plan just in case
Understanding the level of knowledge of the students that your students have will help you develop lesson plans that will better meet the learning objectives.
Very important to assess what the students know before class. Also showing them how what you are teaching is being applied in the real world.
Glad that it was pointed that not everyone comes in at the same level. Sometimes it really does take some adjustments of examples to get the class on the "same page"
Regardless of knowledge level of the students, always incorporate a "hook" to introduce the subject matter and get the students interested. This could an engaging introductory video, a surprise quiz to gauge knowledge, or a hands-on activity. Then engage the students in a variety of ways to keep the lesson moving, leaving ample time for questions and student input.
