What is a Teaching Plan?

A teaching plan is an outline of the details of a course. All the subjects that they will about to teach will be in it. It is a document about every single session that a teacher will teach. It is comprehensive and have the step-by-step methods. It has the learning content, teaching methods, and teaching aids. All of it will be described in a teaching plan. It also contains the duration of each classes and the materials needed in it. Priorities and strategies in teaching are also included in a teaching plan. It relays all the skills that a teacher will use. It also has the principles and philosophies in teaching. It contains key questions about the topic, provides the things that will be discussed and all analyses, gives all the answers that a teacher could give, and states plans when any conversation arises. Every teaching plan is used by any teacher to aid them in their teaching. When their strategies are visible, it would easy for them to apply it. They would also be reminded of all the philosophies that they have in teaching. A teaching plan would clearly guide them as they start every lesson. Both the teacher and students rely with this.

Components of a Teaching Plan

What are the things that are included in a teaching plan? The following are what a teaching plan contains:

The Details of a Course

It includes the session title that is written in the syllabus and the period that a teacher will about to teach. It is detailed with the course number and the course description. It can also contain some notes about the particular course.

Time of Every Session

It clearly states the length of each course. For example, if the session is 60 minutes, it should be stated there. Remember to put the duration of each course so that you will know how long you will be teaching each subject.

The Teaching Outcome

List 3-4 knowledge or skills that you want your student to learn at the end of each course. This would be the purpose of your teaching. Your students must learn from you and will be able to demonstrate this skills after you have taught them. You will know if their learning journey with the syllabus is effective. Put 1-2 teaching outcome statements that will guide you in this matter. It will remind you on how you will be able to perform your teaching to get the desired outcome.

The Learning Activities

For every segment of your plan, you must indicate what are your teaching methods and how you are going to use it. You must be clear on how each steps will look like. If you think of having a lecture as a teaching method, you can put it in your teaching plan. Also you can use group discussion. You can also instill games in your teaching. It is also good to ask for feedback. All your activities should be motivated to produce the teaching outcome. Use every good teaching method that you can think of to make the learning deeper. There is a research that proves that students learn more easily with multiple modalities in a single course. It is always useful to use examples and anecdotes. Use also student’s experiences and current events. Case studies is also a good tool. The use of video clips and photo or images are helpful. You can also do teaching in group work or by having presentations. There are numerous of teaching styles and tools that you can use to make your teaching better. Role playing, class polling, games, and related questionings are also advisable. Through all the learning segment, create a transition that would make the activities effective. Have an opening, a body, and a closing for every activity. Plan every transition so that you can achieve great results.

The Resources or References

It is also important to provide references for every session. The recommended readings will make clearer understandings of every learning content available. You will also relate that what you are teaching is reliable.

The Required Materials

It listed all the items and materials that a teacher and students might be needing in order to accomplish a lesson. It contains all the equipments that will make the session modalities possible. It states how can they can use it creatively and what are the things that can be borrowed from the instructor.

The Teaching Instruction

The way on how a teacher can best tap into the learning modalities is included. Their means could be in audio, visual, or kinesthetic. The way on how they can engage their students to participate in discussion is important. A teacher’s instruction must be well-defined.

The Importance of a Teaching Plan

A teaching plan is like a vitamin in the teacher’s life. It is essential to convey all the learning content in a specific timeline. It tells how a lesson will progress. Here are the importance of a teaching plan.

It incorporates an effective way of teaching. You can have a good pattern of teaching as you teach students of different IQ level. A teaching plan has basic objectives, collections of learning activities, and ways of assessment. It has a logical structure of what is being taught in class. Your students can have a thorough understanding with your teaching plan. As you enlist the learning and with all the learning activities, you can have explanation methods that will make your students to learn any topic.It is a good tool of time management. With a step-by-step teaching plan, you can teach a particular lesson in a prescribed time. You will not grope out of nowhere just to make the lessons done. A good amount of time will be saved because you already know what you will teach and how you will be able to do it. There would be no reason for overtime or undertime because a specific lesson is assigned in a particular session. All the queries of your students can be addressed properly because you have made your teaching plan beforehand. Your teaching will have a better direction. You will be in control of your teaching, most especially of your time. Both your time and the times of your students will not be wasted.It will boost your confidence as a teacher. You can be a confident instructor with a teaching plan. You can keep up the novel styles of teaching that are currently in trend. As you keep on doing your teaching plan, you will keep on looking for templates in the internet and there you will learn the newest styles in teaching. The templates are updated and consists of new teaching methods, strategies, and principles that you can use. New mechanisms can be instilled in your teaching as you will not follow the rules of old school thinkings. Great teaching practices can be adhered to your teaching plan and you will be known as a confident teacher.It is a road-map to your teaching. The best teacher planner or a teacher planbook is the best road-map to teaching. You will know what you will teach and how you are going to teach them. It can answer all the questions that you can encounter through your teaching. You will know what are the more important things from the secondary things. You will be properly guided because you will have a road-map to follow. You will have a clear direction on how you will perform your teaching.Your students will not struggle. Sometimes a teacher repeats lessons that they have taught before. This happens because of a lack of a teaching plan. But with a teaching plan, you can teach your students well. All the activities are planned so your students will not struggle in learning. All the ideas and details are presented so it will be easy for the both of you to take the classes.Your work as a teacher will be organized. An organized teacher can attract more students. Your planning traits can be noticed by them and they will esteem you. The teacher will also not struggle because a teaching plan would set everything properly. You can set a good example to your students. You will also know that planning has good benefits and you can apply it in other areas of your life.You can have a mastery in practice. As spadework is valued so that  you can guide your students in all mastery. It is easier to master your profession by continually having a teaching plan. You will always be focused in your skills and you may not know it, but with every teaching plan, your skills will be harnessed.It gives a healthy environment in your teaching. You can do your teaching in the best manner with a teaching plan. A management of a healthy classroom can be a result of a good system or pattern of teaching. Your classroom routines are well-planned so you can present all your lessons clear and straight.It means a professional performance. A teaching plan can affect the annual performance of a teacher. It can greatly add approval to their performance. They can be good in using tools as a teacher. Even in applying, a teaching plan can be attached to show that they are a good teacher.It prepares both the students and the teacher. With a teaching plan, both the students and the teacher will be prepared to the session that they are going to take. They will be told in advance of the things that they are about to do. They will not be caught in surprise as they go along the course.

How to Prepare a Teaching Plan

In preparing a teaching plan, a teacher needs to remember some steps to be able to create it. Here are the following steps.

Step 1 Identify the objectives of a teaching plan.

Before planning, you must first know the learning objectives of your teaching plan. It describes all the things that your students will know. It were all the things that they will do after learning. The language that should be used in your objectives must be easy to understand. It has these following characteristics:

Step 2 Plan all the possible activities.

The learning activities should be considered carefully. You should know what kinds of activities you can give to your students. There are various activities that your students can engage in. Use activities that can develop their skills and knowledge. Choose ones that can be effective in a particular course. Activities should be related to the objectives of each course. Provide experiences that can give progress to these objectives. They should explain and illustrate the topic in different ways. You can use real-life samples, analogies, and different situations to make the topic clearer. Activity types should impact all your student’s learning experiences.

Step 3 Assess the understanding of your students.

Assessments like exams, school papers, problem sets, and student’s performances demonstrate the skills of your students. They also tell how much they have learned from you. It is important for you to think of how you will assess the understanding of your students beforehand. This will know how your teaching will be successful. The assessment will be the decision you will make about are the following:

Step 4 Provide a lesson in a good manner.

The events of a teacher’s instructions should be in a meaningful manner. Provide lessons that can be easily understand by your students. You must gain their attention. Inform them of all the objectives. Stimulate all the necessary knowledge in a way that they can recall it easily. Give them new content outline. Always provide guidance. Let them practice what they have learned.

Step 5 Give a realistic timeline to your lessons.

Do not put so many learning objectives. A number of 2-3 concepts is enough. Remember that you only have a few time for your lesson. Allot a realistic time bound for every session. A student may learn better if you will allow lessons that is enough for every session.

FAQs

Is Teaching Plan Necessary?

Of course, a teaching plan is necessary. In fact, it is the most important in teaching. A teacher cannot survive without a teaching plan. It tells whether they can teach their students well.

What are the Things Included in a Teaching Plan?

The things that are included in a teaching plan are the specific outline of a course, how long a session would be, the teaching methods that are going to be used, the activities that improve the students’ skills, and some strategies in teaching.

Teaching plan is a necessary element in teaching. If you are a teacher, you know that you cannot live without a teaching plan. You must continually make a teaching plan to ensure that all the courses that you are teaching can be taught well. Make an effective teaching plan and you can keep the integrity in your teaching profession.