Lesson Plan Justification and Analysis

Analysis of the three identified stages stated on the lesson planner shall take place within this assignment. Links will be shown between the teaching methods that were incorporated in this lesson planner which met particular learning characteristics, traits and needs of the group or an individual(s) and relevant educational and theoretical principles. The lesson planner has been placed in the appendices, as a referral resource, for this assignment. An area on the lesson planner labelled, ‘Implementing the Lesson,’ (see Page 5 of Appendices One) illustrates the timings and activities of the session. Out of these the following three timings and activities that the learners completed, have been chosen. Firstly, I will examine the initial five minutes of the start of the session where I listed the aims and objectives on the Smartboard. I will explore secondly, at 1:35pm for twenty-five minutes, whereby I demonstrated how to order decimals, before moving on to adding and subtracting decimals and finally, Activity Two which was set to take place at 2:30pm and lasting for twenty-five minutes on an equivalency dominoes game has also been an area identified for discussion. When people think of teaching and learning they frequently conjure up a picture of students sitting in rows listening to a teacher who stands in front of them (Harmer, 2003: 114)

and, “for many, this is what teaching means,” (ibid). However, through my teachings there is a tendency to adopt differing techniques appropriate to the context of the session being taught. Cohen et al (2008: 184) suggests this when he recommends, “that the student teacher takes the opportunity … to try several different styles,” in order for learners characteristics, traits and needs to be matched with the corresponding teaching style (Cohen et al, 2008). Brookfield (1989) as cited in Herrington and Kendall (2006: 186) states that; What has interested me has been to see the real luminaries in adult education struggling to find the one method for teaching adults … use what seems appropriate at the time.

Harmer (2003) states that there is a crucial aspect to consider when planning a session – the learners – their reasons for attending the session, their backgrounds (if applicable), what country do/did they reside in, their age and culture will also influence the learners levels of motivation to attend. Realistically, this information can only be gained by knowing the learners over the initial weeks rather than an interrogation type session in week one of the programme of study (Herrington and Kendall, 2006). It is my perception that; Equality of opportunity is … a basic principle … upon which good teaching, learning and assessment are based (Fawbert, 2003: 7)

and it was observed that my learners had;
access to appropriate educational opportunities regardless of ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation or degree of learning disability or difficulty (ibid)

as highlighted in Box 3.1 on the session planner (see Appendices One). In addition; a group may contain people who are extremely motivated, as well as those who feel they have to some extent been coerced to attend (Fawbert, 2003: 71).

However, I feel extremely fortunate in the motivation level of my learners, with none experiencing coercion from any party and also their ages because although it has been stated that, “it is possible for a learning group to contain members from the age of 16 to 19,” (ibid) my learners age range is not so vast, being only from 32 to 62. Planning for differentiation (see Box 3.1 in Appendices One), “is crucial if the delivered curriculum is to meet … the needs of the learners,” (ibid). Although, when Thaine (1996a) published an article necessitating the need for trainee teachers to plan sessions to develop their skills in that area this idea was attacked, whereby the belief of session planning attributed this to working without the...