What factors did you consider when planning the lesson? For example, learner level, target language, context etc.
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Use the template below to write a personal reflection. Focus on what you did, how it made you feel, and what you can do next time.
We have provided some prompting questions to get you started, but do not answer them directly. Refer back to Unit 4 for guidance on how to write personal reflections.
| 1. Description |
| Ideas:
What factors did you consider when planning the lesson? For example, learner level, target language, context etc. |
| I firstly considered the aim of the lesson and then tried to link this to my personal goal to create an interactive, student-centred lesson. To ensure that I would be confident guiding the students to achieve this aim, I needed to research the target language. I also needed to put myself ‘in the shoes’ of the students and think about what they might already know, and any difficulties they might have in understanding this tense, and any new vocabulary. I decided to follow a logical approach, listing everything I and my students would need to do at each stage of the lesson. This helps me manage my time allocation for the different lesson stages. I needed to consider both the face-to-face scenario, and how this would translate into an effective online lesson, and this is a little challenging. |
| 2. Feelings |
| Ideas:
How did you feel during the process of lesson planning? For example, stressed, creative, enthusiastic, so on. |
| I was excited to see if I could create both templates successfully. It made me feel that teachers need to be very creative, so I loved this aspect. It is a bit stressful, particularly as I have never taught grammar before.
I realised that my initial confidence was a little shaken when researching this tense, as I kept thinking of examples that the students would need to know, and how I could elicit everything effectively. |
| 3. Evaluation |
| Ideas:
What went well and what didn’t go so well in the lesson plan creation process? |
| I needed to spend more time researching the target language, as I wasn’t sure that I understood everything I needed to know to produce an effective lesson. I found some useful EFL websites, and I went through my course notes on lesson planning, and this helped restore my confidence.
As I am new to this field of teaching, the process took longer than I had anticipated. I remember a trainer mentioning that for a quality 60-minute lesson, I would probably need 120 minutes of preparation. My lesson plans took 120 minutes, and that doesn’t include the creation of all the materials needed for the lesson. |
| 4. Conclusions |
| What did you learn about yourself in the process? |
| I realised that I am able to solve lesson planning problems, and I really enjoy creating new materials. |
| 5. Ideas |
| What would you differently next time? |
| I would try to spend more time focusing on researching the target language, as I realise this is one of my weakest areas. |
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