Lesson Plans Options

[Violinia]

Who uses them? We were taught the importance of them (with flexibility) on the CTABRSM course but I find it so hard to keep making them and sticking to them! I even make them and then don't consult them in the lesson............aargh.

What I have noticed, though, is how much the students appreciate it when you mention tiny details from the last lesson - it does make them feel very cared for, and I hate myself when I have to consult their notebook to remind myself of exactly what we covered last time - I'm sure it makes them feel your approach to their lesson is a bit slapdash/makes the teacher (me) look unprofessional.

WHY don't I keep their lesson plan open in front of me and teach from that at every single lesson? I'm driving myself mad with this at the moment. MUST DO IT, MUST DO IT, MUST DO IT!!!!

Does anybody else here wrestle with this?

[Rosemary7391]

My teacher doesn't... She doesn't remember whats happened at all from one week to the next!!

When I teach my maths student, I have a post it note or a list in my head (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[jacobvaneyck]

I don't use written plans because the lesson has to be flexible, depnding what the pupil has found difficult, what is best for them there and then. I do keep records of each lesson, sometimes with comments how to proceed, but that is different. It does help me think what sort of things to do in the next lesson, but I think writing out a half hour lesson would be going too far.

[BusyBee]

I have devised a 'memory jog' system that puts the evening lesson's ahead into focus. I have tried sticking to an actual plan in the lesson and it just doesn't work as it makes the teaching so contrived somehow. I have found it is quite enough to place an A4 sheet of paper in a file next to the pupil details. On the day of their lesson I write the date and scribble a few reminders in pencil. For example, to focus on a particular scale or piece or devise a fun way of explaining something not understood the previous week. I find this very helpful - as soon as I start thinking and writing something down the 'plan' of what to do becomes very clear - usually! If not I think about the pupil very carefully in case we are losing our way. It's a good spot-check. So nothing elaborate needed and very simple to do. I know another teacher who just uses a big diary to make brief notes.

I suppose on a training course you have to show a more detailed plan to demonstrate you can structure a lesson, but it would be unrealistic to keep this up long-term.

[Clari Nicki1]

I have just started using lesson plans following the first weekend of my Teaching Music Effectively Course. I am finding that whether I refer to them or not it is making me think more clearly and I am tecahing more pro-actively and less re-actively. Usually I can glance between lessons at the notes "Oh yes... we'll begin with this warm up etc". You have to be flexible but at least I have something a bit more structured organised in my head.

My years of classroon experience taught me that a plan gets your head set in the right direction, but you can't sit there reading off it as the lesson progresses. For me, the process of preparing helps me organise my thoughts and produces a better lesson even if I didn't plan exactly what happens in reality (because no book or lack of practice for example can take the lesson off in another direction completely!!!

[Violinia]

Well phew, I'm not a freak then!

I do think you need to focus on the student before the lesson, remember clearly what happened last time and have at the very least an idea of where you'd like to take them in this lesson.

On the CT course, my mentor did show me that I was being 'reactive' more than 'proactive', which I managed to rectify in subsequent lesson observations, and I do still think one of the dangers of relying on their notebook is that you end up being too reactive. But perhaps all it really needs is some mental focus on them before their lesson, which you can do by glancing through the notes you hopefully took during or after their last lesson.

As some of you here pointed out, detailed notes turn out to be futile more often than not, particuarly with school students who may have done very little practise, or somehow neglected to practise exactly what you set them, or forgot a book or two!

I still think a structured plan with plenty of room for deviation would be great if I could stick to it, and I do think it gives the student an immense sense of your involvement and focus on them, which can only help to increase commitment and motivation from them.

[Susie]

I think that lesson planning has the function of making sure that you are heading in the right direction with the pupil and that progress is being made - ie longer term planning really.

I have taught in the classroom and for 40/80 minute lessons with a class of 25 -30 it is crucial to have a lesson plan, although I do know very experienced teachers who have the lesson plan in their head.

With instrumental teaching, I think that the most important thing is to make a note of what was covered in the lesson, so that when it comes to the next week a quick glance at the previous week's lesson note is enough to jog the memory and enable a plan to be made in your head for the lesson. If something's gone pearshaped during the week, then you can ditch some of your ideas and make up for them the next week. I always try to look at my notes before the lessons (I'm lucky enough to have pupils in fairly small batches, so I can look at the notes in advance - ie in the morning and afternoon before the lesson sessions)

[Dulciana]

Even when the pupil has done the work as required, lesson plans don't really work with individual tuition - not for me, anyway. It only takes the pupil to say "I've got the hang of this bit, but can't get my head round the timing in that," for things to go off on an unexpected tangent which you can't stop and say, "Hey, that's not on the agenda." If I don't get as far as aural tests, or whatever, in a case like this, my 'lesson plan' for next week consists of a note in the child's notebook - "Note to self - start with aural tests." Or whatever is was that we didn't get to! Starting with aurals, in itself, can often mean it will take up a lot more time than I would like, at the expense of other things, but I don't like to just move on when something isn't properly understood - so I prefer to leave this to the end so that the time spent there has a limit! If somebody's struggling to recognise cadences, for instance, I find they want to just keep at them till they have it sussed, but before we know it the 30 minutes can be gone.

The same can happen with scales. I find I really have to pointedly limit the time we spend there or we could get nothing else done. I used to spend a lot of time coaching them through them, but I'm more inclined now just to say, "Go practise," if they're not as they should be - I don't feel that the best use is being made of me if I spend too long on things that are just a matter of practice, so if I plan, I plan to get onto playing pieces for as much of the time as possible, and try to focus on the bits that they've spent most time on at home, trying to put in the expression, dynamics, articulation and so on.

The lessons that I tend to think most about before the pupil arrives are the young kids in the early stages. Older and more advanced pupils' lessons are often largely pupil-led, but I think the little ones require more thinking and planning on the teacher's part - whether it's in your head or on paper. I prefer my head, because once something's on paper it's like a tablet of stone, and things are never that black and white or predictable.

[Clari Nicki1]

The lessons that I tend to think most about before the pupil arrives are the young kids in the early stages. Older and more advanced pupils' lessons are often largely pupil-led, but I think the little ones require more thinking and planning on the teacher's part - whether it's in your head or on paper. I prefer my head, because once something's on paper it's like a tablet of stone, and things are never that black and white or predictable.

I realised however, that with entirely pupil led lessons sometimes things could get missed out. I am trying to develop a sort of overall plan, looking at where to teach what as I discovered that a grade 4 standard pupil hadn't grasped some simple rhythm properly because we have only skimmed over it. Sure she had played that rhythm in pieces but was unsure of it later on. Or I've had pupils who (we're talking clarinet here) can competently "sight read" the higher register notes... but when I say start from the "f" says "I'm not too sure of the note names at that level". It was because when they were learning those notes they were progressing very fast and could read them to play them... I didn't realise they didn't know the name. It was probably my inexperience as an instrumental teacher but I am now finding it helpful to plan as I know what I'm going to teach in that lesson.

I am also finding that with my slow learners or strugglers, if I plan their lesson it is much more structured and less frustrating for them and me!!!!! It made me really think about what I wanted them to achieve and ways of making them learn as obviously my old methods weren't working.
Also planning is also making me think... Ok we worked on posture last week.. let's check that's ok and work on breathing this week. Next week we can look at embouchure etc. It means I am checking that I teaching all aspects of technique etc regularly.

It's helping my teaching right now is all I can say.

[jenny]

I have devised a 'memory jog' system that puts the evening lesson's ahead into focus. I have tried sticking to an actual plan in the lesson and it just doesn't work as it makes the teaching so contrived somehow. I have found it is quite enough to place an A4 sheet of paper in a file next to the pupil details. On the day of their lesson I write the date and scribble a few reminders in pencil. For example, to focus on a particular scale or piece or devise a fun way of explaining something not understood the previous week. I find this very helpful - as soon as I start thinking and writing something down the 'plan' of what to do becomes very clear - usually! If not I think about the pupil very carefully in case we are losing our way. It's a good spot-check. So nothing elaborate needed and very simple to do. I know another teacher who just uses a big diary to make brief notes.

I suppose on a training course you have to show a more detailed plan to demonstrate you can structure a lesson, but it would be unrealistic to keep this up long-term.

I use exactly the same idea - jotting things down, but without it disrupting the flow of the lesson. I feel it just doesn't work to plan for each lesson because, as others have said, we never know what's going to happen, but a reminder of relevant points from the previous lesson really helps at the next one.

[Cyrilla]

I know my situation is different as I'm not an instrumental teacher (although I have taught recorder to both small and large groups).

However, I feel very strongly that lesson planning is important.

I think a good lesson will have elements of both proactive and reactive teaching. Personally I have to have a detailed plan but then I am also quite prepared to veer away from that should the need arise. This is one reason that teaching is so exhausting, especially class music teaching! You're having to balance up to 35 personalities, skills, experiences and needs and a lot of thinking on feet goes on - you are constantly assessing and reacting to what comes back to you from the students (of whatever age!).

I CAN busk lessons but even now I'm not happy doing so - I like to feel that I have everything planned and organised!

I have been trained to think about 'links' the whole time and although this is difficult, it's when the teaching is most rewarding. (One of my adult Intermediate students rolls her eyes and says, 'Ah, another Cyrilla segue moment' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) .)

This means choosing repertoire, material and activities very carefully and linking them together in some way, always preparing for the next stage. Kodály said, 'Children learn best that which they already know' - in other words, it is known thoroughly unconsciously first prior to making the element conscious and then reinforcing it by meeting it in new situations.

I certainly applied the same criteria and overall lesson development when teaching recorder as when teaching Kodály.

Brain slightly fogged at the moment so not sure if the above makes sense or not!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[BusyBee]

I have been trained to think about 'links' the whole time and although this is difficult, it's when the teaching is most rewarding.

This means choosing repertoire, material and activities very carefully and linking them together in some way, always preparing for the next stage. Kodály said, 'Children learn best that which they already know' - in other words, it is known thoroughly unconsciously first prior to making the element conscious and then reinforcing it by meeting it in new situations.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This is so true - although I am guilty of doing this by instinct rather than design sometimes. What I call 'eureka moments'! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
Slighty off topic - but this is when exam material can put a real spanner in the works when the syllabus just does not fit into progressive teaching and learning, and breaks the connections and links the teacher is trying to reinforce.

Thankfully there is plenty to choose from these days and it is easier to select the technical work and repertoire to suit pupils' individual needs.

[maryw]

I use the practice notebook as a lesson plan. As the lesson progresses it becomes clear what needs to be heard more frequently or what hasn't been heard, so I write in a "Next Lesson" column as I go along and then the following week I just refer to it! It really makes sure everything gets covered and, yes, I do try to link scales and theory and musical history with pieces. Most of my pupils remember their practice notebooks so it works a treat for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[chocolatedog]

I write lesson plans, and then a quick lesson record after each lesson, when I also write the next plan while the lesson is still fresh in my mind......and sometimes I stick to the plan, and sometimes I don't - I don't beat myself up about not sticking to it - the lesson may go off at a completely different tangent, and it would be silly to stick rigidly to my plan if something else important crops up which I hadn't anticipated......I don't use their notebooks as they're quite often forgotten or lost..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) so I rely on my notes..... even if I consult my notes to remind me what we did in the previous lesson, I still think it's preferable to "What did we do in last week's lesson then?" and wait for the pupil to fill in the blanks....... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[ad_libitum]

I have a small diary that I use to make notes in after each lesson. I still often ask the pupil about which pieces they practised this week, as the answer is often enough to tell me whether they have practised or not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)