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why is generating lesson plans so awful?
I want to know so I can get my head round it.
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
Scroll to see replies
You don't do lesson plans when you teach. You do termly planners etc and units plans . Don't stress it.
I think people stress about it because a lot of detail can be required, particularly when preparing for an observation lesson or creating lesson plans that you know will be part of your portfolio - you need to show that you have thought of *everything*. I know that if I do it properly my lesson plan (for just a one-hour lesson) will be at least 3 pages even for a basic lesson.
The reality of teaching on a day-to-day basis, though, is that these things get easier over time and certain elements become automatic (am speaking after 6.5 years of teaching here). Depending on your school (lucky me, I teach in the private sector!) you won't be expected to produce such detailed plans once you are qualified. Your day-to-day plans tend to be rather sketchier - a few lines, really. Maybe a paragraph, tops. Not looking forward to digitising my lesson plan book at the end of this year though
The reality of teaching on a day-to-day basis, though, is that these things get easier over time and certain elements become automatic (am speaking after 6.5 years of teaching here). Depending on your school (lucky me, I teach in the private sector!) you won't be expected to produce such detailed plans once you are qualified. Your day-to-day plans tend to be rather sketchier - a few lines, really. Maybe a paragraph, tops. Not looking forward to digitising my lesson plan book at the end of this year though
So once you have a reliable template established (or found via ye old google) it's all about filling in the details? Is it the actual writing that's so time consuming or the coming up with ideas?
I wish I wasn't such a wuss grr lol! I'm doing my second masters and am coping with the workload more than fine. I plan my time and it's been enjoyable and not too stressful at all. Do yous think I'm giving the pgce and teaching horror stories more credit than I should?
I wish I wasn't such a wuss grr lol! I'm doing my second masters and am coping with the workload more than fine. I plan my time and it's been enjoyable and not too stressful at all. Do yous think I'm giving the pgce and teaching horror stories more credit than I should?
Original post by laurakate1988
So once you have a reliable template established (or found via ye old google) it's all about filling in the details? Is it the actual writing that's so time consuming or the coming up with ideas?
I wish I wasn't such a wuss grr lol! I'm doing my second masters and am coping with the workload more than fine. I plan my time and it's been enjoyable and not too stressful at all. Do yous think I'm giving the pgce and teaching horror stories more credit than I should?
I wish I wasn't such a wuss grr lol! I'm doing my second masters and am coping with the workload more than fine. I plan my time and it's been enjoyable and not too stressful at all. Do yous think I'm giving the pgce and teaching horror stories more credit than I should?
Both.
My first placement wanted lesson plans written in the absolute minutest of detail.... and each lesson plan was pages AND PAGES long. It did also take me quite a while to decide on the activties, because as a trainee, it's hard to know how long things will last/ how long it will take them to do the work.
On your lesson plans as a PGCEr, you will have to show you have thought of everything.
A few e.gs:
Who your SEN kids are - how will you differentiate for them?
Who are your more able kids - how will you stretch them?
What are you doing? Why? What are the kids doing? Why?
How will they learn?
Real world context?
Assessment methods? AfL - formative/ summative? How will you assess each part of the lesson?
What specifically will they be able to do by the end of the lesson?
How does what you planned link to their prior learning?
I haven't written a lesson plan since qualifying (apart from when I give an observer one, so couple of times a year). I just scribble notes in my planner ... doing the above becomes innate and you can do it without consciously knowing you're doing it. If I were writing lesson plans for every lesson, I would need an extra 4/5 days in a week!
Teaching's awesome, imho.
Original post by laurakate1988
I want to know so I can get my head round it.
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
Lesson plan is several pages long. It is very detailed. You need to do one for each lesson. It is time consuming, Doing 12 lesson plans per week on top of the actual lesson, plus your PGCE journal, subject knowledge development, marking and the occasional essay is no easy task.
So once you've done the written lesson planning for pgce and observed lesson purposes, people get off your back as long as you can deliver based on your own notes?
Original post by rachel.h
Both.
My first placement wanted lesson plans written in the absolute minutest of detail.... and each lesson plan was pages AND PAGES long. It did also take me quite a while to decide on the activties, because as a trainee, it's hard to know how long things will last/ how long it will take them to do the work.
On your lesson plans as a PGCEr, you will have to show you have thought of everything.
A few e.gs:
Who your SEN kids are - how will you differentiate for them?
Who are your more able kids - how will you stretch them?
What are you doing? Why? What are the kids doing? Why?
How will they learn?
Real world context?
Assessment methods? AfL - formative/ summative? How will you assess each part of the lesson?
What specifically will they be able to do by the end of the lesson?
How does what you planned link to their prior learning?
I haven't written a lesson plan since qualifying (apart from when I give an observer one, so couple of times a year). I just scribble notes in my planner ... doing the above becomes innate and you can do it without consciously knowing you're doing it. If I were writing lesson plans for every lesson, I would need an extra 4/5 days in a week!
Teaching's awesome, imho.
My first placement wanted lesson plans written in the absolute minutest of detail.... and each lesson plan was pages AND PAGES long. It did also take me quite a while to decide on the activties, because as a trainee, it's hard to know how long things will last/ how long it will take them to do the work.
On your lesson plans as a PGCEr, you will have to show you have thought of everything.
A few e.gs:
Who your SEN kids are - how will you differentiate for them?
Who are your more able kids - how will you stretch them?
What are you doing? Why? What are the kids doing? Why?
How will they learn?
Real world context?
Assessment methods? AfL - formative/ summative? How will you assess each part of the lesson?
What specifically will they be able to do by the end of the lesson?
How does what you planned link to their prior learning?
I haven't written a lesson plan since qualifying (apart from when I give an observer one, so couple of times a year). I just scribble notes in my planner ... doing the above becomes innate and you can do it without consciously knowing you're doing it. If I were writing lesson plans for every lesson, I would need an extra 4/5 days in a week!
Teaching's awesome, imho.
I think the issue is that when you first start teaching, you have no idea what to include in a lesson.
Actually filling in the lesson plan form, for me, was a 15-minute job at the end of an agonising 4-hour process involving sitting with my mind completely blank for ages, having ideas, deciding they were rubbish, scrapping them and starting again, then eventually settling on something that was STILL rubbish and going ahead with it, making my powerpoint and worksheets, then filling in the lesson plan proforma.
As other people have said, once you're qualified you don't (unless you're in a super-controlling school which expect written lesson plans so they can scrutinise you - avoid at all costs!) have to do written lesson plans very often. I have done 5 lesson plans since my PGCE - 3 for my NQT year observations, 1 for a job interview and 1 for my performance management observation this year (I'm in my 2nd year of teaching).
Nowadays, my planning a lesson consists of - deciding my topic/main objective for the lesson, scribbing a few bullet point notes on the back of an old worksheet, making/finding resources, then binning the notes.
Actually filling in the lesson plan form, for me, was a 15-minute job at the end of an agonising 4-hour process involving sitting with my mind completely blank for ages, having ideas, deciding they were rubbish, scrapping them and starting again, then eventually settling on something that was STILL rubbish and going ahead with it, making my powerpoint and worksheets, then filling in the lesson plan proforma.
As other people have said, once you're qualified you don't (unless you're in a super-controlling school which expect written lesson plans so they can scrutinise you - avoid at all costs!) have to do written lesson plans very often. I have done 5 lesson plans since my PGCE - 3 for my NQT year observations, 1 for a job interview and 1 for my performance management observation this year (I'm in my 2nd year of teaching).
Nowadays, my planning a lesson consists of - deciding my topic/main objective for the lesson, scribbing a few bullet point notes on the back of an old worksheet, making/finding resources, then binning the notes.
I agree with all the above.
I think one of my mistakes when I first started teaching was trying to fit too much into one lesson. Many of my old lesson plans for one hour can be stretched over 2 or 3 lessons in reality.
I also used to be very worried about not fitting in EVERYTHING that was on my lesson plan so used to race through at breakneck speed and then go on to the next lesson plan regardless of how well the kids were progressing. Screw that
If you need to stretch it over more than one lesson, then do. If you need to go over it again, then do. Plenty of stress can be caused during the first year or two of teaching due to all of the above
I think one of my mistakes when I first started teaching was trying to fit too much into one lesson. Many of my old lesson plans for one hour can be stretched over 2 or 3 lessons in reality.
I also used to be very worried about not fitting in EVERYTHING that was on my lesson plan so used to race through at breakneck speed and then go on to the next lesson plan regardless of how well the kids were progressing. Screw that
If you need to stretch it over more than one lesson, then do. If you need to go over it again, then do. Plenty of stress can be caused during the first year or two of teaching due to all of the above Original post by laurakate1988
So once you've done the written lesson planning for pgce and observed lesson purposes, people get off your back as long as you can deliver based on your own notes?
Yes. I can't even imagine where I would find the time to write one for every lesson I taught in a week. That said, you're still expected to DO everything that would have been on there... the writing it up would be the easiest bit!
I've just started making lesson plans on my first block placement. My Uni gave me a list of essential elements to include and the school has provided me with a template which I've adapted. At the moment lesson planning isn't taking too long, it's mainly making all the resources that go with it that takes the time. I've spent most of my evening making worksheets and number cards. There are lots of ready made resources out there but I find they often don't quite fit the bill so I end up making them from scratch.
I think lesson planning is like anything else. The more you do it, the quicker and better you'll get at it. You build up a bank of ideas and resources. Eventually you should aim to just make weekly overviews without having to be really detailed all the time.
I think lesson planning is like anything else. The more you do it, the quicker and better you'll get at it. You build up a bank of ideas and resources. Eventually you should aim to just make weekly overviews without having to be really detailed all the time.
I find lesson plans to be helpful, and help to layout steps to reach the goals and objectives of my syllabus. They are a big help when you just want to come into school, have a cup of coffee, and chill out for a minute before school starts. It helps me to prepare for the next day, week, month, so I'm not scrambling.
I'm not sure if there's a difference here between primary and secondary.
From the two schools I was at during my school direct course and the school I'm currently doing my NQT year in, I've never experienced a primary that didn't expect weekly plans to be written for numeracy and literacy.
These usually involve maybe 2-10 points covering objectives and main teaching activities, then a section to briefly explain what high, middle and low ability are doing as their main task, and a little section for details of a plenary.
For afternoons, a weekly plan is produced that briefly outlines the afternoon lessons for the week. For me, that usually involves 'science - objective/title - see medium term plan'.
The medium term plans are briefer than numeracy and literacy, basically outlining key teaching points and the activity low / high pupils will complete. We produce these for science, topic, re, computing. MFL and music we just follow schemes from county etc.
it can be time consuming typing it, when you know in your head already what you're going to do.
From the two schools I was at during my school direct course and the school I'm currently doing my NQT year in, I've never experienced a primary that didn't expect weekly plans to be written for numeracy and literacy.
These usually involve maybe 2-10 points covering objectives and main teaching activities, then a section to briefly explain what high, middle and low ability are doing as their main task, and a little section for details of a plenary.
For afternoons, a weekly plan is produced that briefly outlines the afternoon lessons for the week. For me, that usually involves 'science - objective/title - see medium term plan'.
The medium term plans are briefer than numeracy and literacy, basically outlining key teaching points and the activity low / high pupils will complete. We produce these for science, topic, re, computing. MFL and music we just follow schemes from county etc.
it can be time consuming typing it, when you know in your head already what you're going to do.
Original post by laurakate1988
I want to know so I can get my head round it.
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
Being asked to do a lesson plan is like being asked to dig your own grave with your bare hands. Nothing you plan will ever be good enough and nothing will go to plan. The more you plan, the more you can be clobbered on the head with.
Original post by Johann seez
I find lesson plans to be helpful, and help to layout steps to reach the goals and objectives of my syllabus. They are a big help when you just want to come into school, have a cup of coffee, and chill out for a minute before school starts. It helps me to prepare for the next day, week, month, so I'm not scrambling.
But you don't need to do the full 3-5 page lesson plan for every lesson in order to avoid this scenario.
I still plan my lessons in advance (say a day or two before delivering them) but as mentioned, they will take a sketchier form. To make a note of your starter - main activity - independent work - extension work - plenary can, as mentioned, just be a paragraph's worth. That's enough for you to know what you are doing. I have records on my computer of my medium/long term plans that I've adapted over time.
FWIW I'm in secondary.
Original post by laurakate1988
I want to know so I can get my head round it.
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
I'm weighing uo whether a pgce is for me but I want to know what lesson planning consists of. What's so awful about it? Why does it take so long?
I just want to know what's so awful about it to help me make an informed decision. All I ever seem to hear is horror stories about excessive paperwork and sixty hour weeks. What's it all about?
Hey, I wanted to ask you. Do you like problem solving?
Original post by kimberlybaskett
Hey, I wanted to ask you. Do you like problem solving?
Yes
have you got a job offer for me lol Original post by laurakate1988
Yes have you got a job offer for me lol
have you got a job offer for me lol Good teaching is exceptionally challenging, and in writing a good lesson plan you're attempting to (a) plan out your next many months, which is always hard, (b) adapt to what you expect from your class or classes, which is always unpredictable and emotionally challenging, (c) you need to keep up with your bureaucracy's expectations of you in terms of content and tests (and depending on the bureaucracy, that can be maddening), and (d) you need to think about your own pedagogical style, which requires self-reflection.
It is ridiculous the amount of planning the university expect you to do. They wanted 3 pages of planning for each lesson. In my first year of my BA (Hons) Primary Education, I was teaching 50% timetable. (12 lessons per week). I couldn’t keep up with the workload! 36 pages of planning, as well as making a PowerPoint for every lesson and finding resources. I quit the course because I had a massive panic attack. I don’t understand why they make it so difficult. Once you have qualified and your teaching you might do 2 pages of planning for the whole week!
Original post by Sam241287
It is ridiculous the amount of planning the university expect you to do. They wanted 3 pages of planning for each lesson. In my first year of my BA (Hons) Primary Education, I was teaching 50% timetable. (12 lessons per week). I couldn’t keep up with the workload! 36 pages of planning, as well as making a PowerPoint for every lesson and finding resources. I quit the course because I had a massive panic attack. I don’t understand why they make it so difficult. Once you have qualified and your teaching you might do 2 pages of planning for the whole week!
Oh god I don’t wanna hear that when I’m about to start in September 😭 what uni did u go to?
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