Seven Simple Secrets

A few years ago I participated in a book study with several other teachers in my district. The book, Seven Simple Secrets: What the BEST Teachers Know and Do, has lots of good information and was/is a valuable resource that I turn to again and again.

Part 1 offers (broad, big-picture) tips for lesson planning. Here are a few:

• Determine your objective (you should always use objectives as a basis for planning... ask yourself, "why am I doing this? what is the purpose?).

• Figure out how you will make things interesting and inviting.

• Actively involve the children in every part of the lesson.

• Gather all the necessary materials beforehand (in other words, be prepared!).

• Have fun with everything you do!

• Accept the fact that sometimes things won't go as expected - plan well and thoroughly, but when things go off course, accept it and move on.

• Remember that whoever is doing the "doing" is doing the learning. Children should be engaged, talking, and active. Teachers are there to guide and facilitate and expand upon things (this is where asking well thought-out, open-ended questions comes into play).

• Remember that an objective is a very specific goal - what you plan on accomplishing. An activity is one of many ways of reaching that goal.