Imagine starting a journey but with no idea where you are going. You are the driver of a bus full of students and although

you know you have to drive them for a particular period of time, without your map you have no idea where you want to go

or how to get there. It may still be an interesting journey but it would be very easy to get lost and your passengers would

not be very happy!

Without some kind of planning, a lesson could be just as chaotic and could leave the students with no clear idea of what

they were doing or why. This kind of uncertainty is not good for effective learning or class discipline.

One of the most important reasons to plan is that the teacher needs to identify his or her aims for the lesson. Teachers

need to know what it is they hope to achieve in the class, what it is they want the students to be able to do at the end of

the lesson that they couldn’t do before.

Here are some more reasons why it is essential to plan:

students can tell. They also know if you are not prepared. Planning is a way to help gain the respect of

your students.

teaching material or course book may be, it is unlikely that it was prepared for your particular students.

Planning gives you the opportunity to tailor your material and teaching to your class.

teachers to consider these points and ensure they are included in the lesson.

with them. By thoroughly researching the target language and being prepared for difficult questions, for

example, the teacher can feel confident in the classroom.

If you imagine the

lesson is like a journe y,

then the lesson plan is

like a map

Most schools provide their teachers with a syllabus and materials for teaching that syllabus. This is often in the form of a

course book. Course books provide a variety of material in a structured way and can be a great benefit for the teacher and

the student. However, having a course book does not reduce the need for planning.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of using a course book:

Course books are, without doubt, a very useful aid for teachers. However it is often more productive to try and adapt and

supplement the material in the book to suit your particular class. If you do use a course book, try not to follow the same

routine each lesson – vary the order of the activities and remember that it isn’t always necessary to do every exercise to

achieve your aim.

A course book can certainly help you to plan, but it cannot replace your own ideas for what you want to achieve with your

class.

One of the main principles of planning is establishing a clear aim for your lesson. It is important that aims are realistic. If

the subject is too difficult for the students, then they can become frustrated and lose motivation. However, if the subject is

too easy, the students may become bored. Bored and frustrated students can often cause discipline problems. So it is

important when planning to think about your particular class. You may find it useful to bear these points in mind:

more time than if you are revising or extending a topic the class are already familiar with.

need to focus on different skills and language than for a General English class. Do your aims suit that

need?

nationality or culture. For example, the topics may be too adult or childish.

both the students and the teacher if the book is followed too strictly.

rather than their own.

progress they are making and what they have achieved.

class. There is usually a logical progression of language items including built-in revision as well as a good

balance of skills work, with listening, reading and writing practice as well as activities for speaking.

particularly for inexperienced teachers.

All these factors are important when deciding realistic aims for your class.

As we have seen, it is important to try and keep the students engaged and interested. Providing variety in a lesson and a

series of lessons is a way of achieving this. Repeating the same kinds of exercises can become monotonous and

demotivating for students. Where possible it’s a good idea to try and vary the kinds of activities, materials and interactions.

Jeremy Harmer - Lesson Plan, Programme 1

However well you plan you never actually know exactly what’s going to happen in a class until it happens! Exercises may

take longer or shorter than anticipated, the students may be more or less interested in a topic than you imagined,

something unexpected may happen during the lesson. In these cases if the teacher sticks rigidly to their plan the careful

preparation may actually have a negative effect. Imagine our journey again. If the road ahead becomes bloc ked, it’s no good

trying to car ry on, you have to find a different route.

Careful planning is very important but teachers need to be able to adapt their plan during the lesson to suit the circumstances.

This is something that becomes easier with experience, but in the planning stage it is often a good idea to consider

extra optional or alternative exercises. Then, if your material runs short or you think the class might not respond well to a

particular activity, you have something to fall back on.

Similarly, teachers need to be aware of what is happening in and around the class. Students may raise interesting points

and discussions could provide unexpected opportunities for language work and practice. The teacher needs to be flexible

enough to be able to leave the plan if such opportunities arise.

interested in the subject.

in the class is not what you expected or an unplanned opportunity arises.