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All teachers, regardless of their content area or students' profiles, must know how to effectively create and execute a lesson plan. Lesson plans help teachers in three ways: they help the teacher to know what will be done throughout the course of a lesson before the lesson begins, they provide the teacher with a loose script throughout the course of the lesson, and they help the teacher to track what has been completed and what still must be done. Regardless of the model the lesson plan uses (ESA, Gradual Release, etc.) there are a few general rules regarding the design process, organization, and details of every lesson. There are several templates that exist for lesson plans. The layout of a lesson plan is usually dictated by circumstances such as a teacher's style, experience, and the expectations of their employer. When designing lesson plans, however, all teachers should make sure to keep their plans as simple as possible so as not to confuse themselves or the students during the lesson and maintain the structure they have chosen. Lessons plans should also include the time the teacher anticipates each activity will take, a logical flow from one activity to the next, and room for adaptation within each activity. Following these guidelines with fidelity can help teachers begin to build upon their practice. Organizational notes may or may not explicitly be included in a written lesson plan, regardless organization in general is crucial to a lesson running smoothly. Teachers should make sure that a lesson plan has been created and rehearsed prior to the beginning of class. It is also important to make sure that all materials for that days lesson are available and in order (make sure things such as OHPs and laptops are working). The teacher should also make sure that the board and room are neat, that the seating is organized to suit the lesson, and that they have allowed themselves time as students come in to chat to help develop a rapport. Organization, when routine, can help minimize stress and compliments a well-written lesson plan. What will and will not be included in a lesson plan varies greatly depending on the teacher, however there are some basic details that most lesson plans do include. All lesson plans are built around an objective, a goal or task the teacher hopes for the students to meet or complete before the end of the lesson. Teachers may also include a personal goal of their own to help develop their practice. Lesson plans should also mention the time allotted for each activity, the details of that activity, necessary materials, anticipated problems, and a space for teacher notes. Teachers may also choose to include the size of the classroom, the level of the classroom, the phase of the activity (depending on what teaching model is being used), and the date/time. Personal experience has led me to value the process of planning and executing lessons. I would often have to teach lessons designed by my colleagues and vice-versa, so it was crucial that we design lessons that were coherent to a point that any teacher would be able to understand them. Organization was also very important since I worked in a school where resources were limited and had to be gathered well in advance. The details of my lesson plan were largely dictated by what I had learnt in graduate school and the expectations of my employer. In retrospect, knowing how to design clean lesson plans, include all necessary details within them, and set myself up to execute the lesson made my benefited me greatly as a teacher in the United States.
