Tuesday 21st March, 2017                      0140

Yes, up late purely because I have my long weekend which this term consists of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I like it much more than Saturday and Sunday!

Lesson Plans

Doubtless out there teachers are reading this blog and certainly my comments will attract plenty of tsk tsks and tut tuts but what the hell, I (to use Yankspeak) tell it like it is.

Some schools, particularly the “international” schools that pay four times what I earn and charge the students God knows what, demand double the teaching hours and on top of that “office hours” to keep you on campus for 40 hours a week or more, require lesson plans.

Now I will never, ever work for an international school. They may be fine for the youngsters who have more energy and know no better but not for me. I like my 9 hours a week and particularly now, not even having to attend the student English Corners which I regard as a complete waste of everyone’s time.

However, let’s get back to lesson plans. For the uninitiated, they are printed documents detailing exactly what you will teach each lesson and what the students will come away knowing.

All well and good so far.

My problem is that; particularly in oral English lessons; it is rot. Whatever you planned is not going to happen.

My job is basically to get the students to actually open up and speak English. If I can do that then I am a very happy “professor”.

So where does the lesson plan come in after five minutes when a student derails the topic of pollution and steers it far away in the direction travelling abroad? What does the teacher do? Steer the lesson back on track or follow the student (and by now the class) in discussing foreign travel??

Well you have one or more students talking in the target language. That’s what you are there for. What do I do? Let the students take it wherever they want. And the lesson plan? Well that went out of the window after five minutes.

Stick to the plan and the only one talking is the teacher. Get a couple or three students arguing and you have exactly what you want.

Before my first ever lesson (I will never, ever forget it!) I spent four hours the night before preparing a lesson plan to last 90 minutes, only to arrive in the classroom to find I had been given the wrong book!!!

That was the first and last lesson plan I have done in almost 7 years and I never saw that book again or taught that lesson. Winging it seems too flippant a term  but that is what I do. Ok the books I use I am familiar with but I know the content and even now, delivering the same lesson to six classes a week, every lesson is different because every class is different and they each take it in a different direction. Who am I to stop them?

Lesson plans are a waste of time. Everyone knows it but won’t admit it. I proved that last term when I took 13 periods a week with no course book or guidance as to what to teach. Wasn’t perfect but I learnt and demanded a book (and was given it) for this term. And that was purely for topic materials and ideas.

Lesson plans? As much use as a 10 minute Bill in the House of Commons.