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How to Create a Teaching Plan in 6 Easy Steps

Are you a teacher who feels you’re always scrambling to get your lessons together? If so, then you need a teaching plan. A teaching plan will help you be more organized and better prepared for your classes.

Download some free lesson plan templates! 

This article will give you a complete guide to creating a teaching plan. We’ll discuss what a teaching plan is and why it’s essential. Then, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide for putting together your teaching plan. Finally, we’ll give some tips and strategies for creating an effective teaching plan .

What Is a Teaching Plan?

A teaching plan is a document that outlines your goals for teaching a particular subject or topic. It helps you organize your thoughts and ideas, making it easier to prepare for your classes.

A teaching plan doesn’t have to be complicated – the simpler it is, the better. However, it should include all of the necessary details about your lessons. This includes the lesson’s objectives, the teaching materials you’ll need, and the steps you’ll take to teach the material.

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Why is a Teaching Plan Important?

A teaching plan is essential because it helps you be a more effective teacher. Here are some more benefits of using a teaching plan:

• It helps you to be more organized . With a teaching plan, you’ll know exactly what you will teach and when. This will help you to avoid last-minute scrambles to put together a lesson.
• It helps you to be more prepared . A teaching plan ensures you have all the materials and resources you need for your lesson. This way, you won’t have to waste time looking for things when you should be teaching.
• It helps you to focus on your goals . A teaching plan helps you to identify the objectives of your lesson. This will keep you focused on what’s important and help you gauge whether your lesson succeeded.
• It helps you to save time . A teaching plan can save you much time in the long run. Once you have a plan, you won’t have to spend as much time planning each lesson.
• It helps you to improve your teaching . Using a teaching plan, you can reflect on your lessons and make changes as needed. This way, you can continually improve your teaching methods and ensure that your students get the most out of your lessons.

Step-By-Step Guide to Creating an Effective Teaching Plan

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look at a step-by-step guide to creating an effective lesson plan .

#Step 1: Know Your Objectives

The first step in creating a successful teaching plan is to know your objectives. What do you want your students to learn from this lesson? What are you trying to achieve?

Once you know your objectives, you can create a focused and on-point plan. Your students will be more likely to learn the material if they know what they’re supposed to be learning.

#Step 2: Choose Appropriate Materials

The next step is to choose appropriate materials for your lesson. This includes books, worksheets, activities, and anything else you’ll need.

The best way to choose materials is to think about your objectives and then find materials that will help you achieve them. For example, if you’re teaching a reading comprehension lesson, you’ll need a book and worksheets. You’ll need math worksheets and textbooks if you’re teaching a math lesson .

#Step 3: Make a Plan

Once you have your materials, it’s time to make a plan. This includes outlining the steps you’ll take to teach the material and setting a timeline for your lesson.

Your plan doesn’t need to be complicated, and it’s often best to keep it simple. However, it should include all of the essential details about your lesson. This will help ensure that you stay on track and that your students learn what you’re trying to teach them.

#Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice

One of the best ways to improve your teaching is to practice, practice, practice. The more you teach, the better you’ll get at it.

This is especially true when it comes to lesson planning. The more you plan, the more confident you’ll be in your abilities. You’ll also learn which strategies work best for you and your students.

#Step 5: Be Flexible

Even the best teaching plans sometimes need to be adapted. Students may have questions that you didn’t expect, or they may not be understanding the material as well as you thought they would.

That’s why it’s important to be flexible in your lesson planning. If you need to make changes, don’t be afraid to do so. The most important thing is that your students are learning the material.

#Step 6: Evaluate and Adjust

After you’ve taught your lesson, it’s important to take some time to evaluate how it went. What worked well? What didn’t work so well? What could you improve for next time?

If you’re not happy with how your lesson went, don’t be afraid to adjust your plan. There’s no such thing as a perfect lesson plan, so don’t be scared to make changes.

Tips and Strategies for Better Lesson Planning

Now that you know how to create an effective teaching plan, let’s look at some tips and stretches to help you improve your lesson planning skills.

Tip 1: Use a Template

If you’re struggling to get started with your lesson planning, try using a template. This will provide you with a structure to follow, making the process easier. You can find templates online or in teacher resource books. Many lesson planning software programs come with templates.

Tip 2: Plan Ahead

One of the best ways to avoid stress is to plan ahead. If you know that you have a busy week coming up, take some time to plan your lessons over the weekend. This will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed during the week.

Tip 3: Start with the Basics

When you’re first starting, it’s best to start with the basics. Don’t try to cram too many activities into one lesson. Instead, focus on teaching one skill or concept at a time. This will help your students to learn and understand the material better.

Tip 4: Be Creative

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your lesson planning. If you think of an activity or game that would be fun for your students, go for it! Just make sure that the activity is related to the material you’re teaching. You can also include learning games offered by SplashLearn in your lesson plan to make it more exciting and enriching.

Tip 5: Use Student Input

One of the best ways to get your students interested in learning is to involve them in the process. Ask them what they would like to learn, and then try to incorporate their ideas into your lessons. This will help them to feel engaged and motivated.

Tip 6: Be Organized

Organization is vital when it comes to lesson planning. Keep all of your materials in one place, and create a system for organizing your lessons. This will help you to save time and to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Tip 7: Take Your Time

Don’t try to rush through your lesson planning. It’s important to take the time to plan each step of your lesson in detail. This will help to ensure that your lessons run smoothly and that your students learn the material.

Let’s Make Lesson Planning Easy

To summarize, we want to make lesson planning easy for you. We know that it can be frustrating when you’re trying to plan a series of lessons and nothing seems like it’s going well. That’s why we’ve provided these helpful tips and strategies so that your teaching will go more smoothly in the future. So, don’t hesitate to use them!

Download some specially curated SplashLearn’s Lesson Plan Templates here!

The best way to become a better lesson planner is to practice. The more you do it, the easier it will become. And, before long, you’ll be planning lessons like a pro!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do i need to plan every single lesson.

While it’s important to be prepared for each lesson, you don’t need to have everything planned out in advance. Sometimes, it’s more important to be flexible and go with the flow.

What if I can’t think of anything to do?

If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try using a template or planning ahead. You can also ask your students for input or look online for inspiration.

How much detail should I include in my lesson plan?

There’s no one answer to this question. Some teachers prefer to plan each step of the lesson in detail, while others prefer a more general overview. It’s up to you to decide what works best for you.

What if something goes wrong during a lesson?

Don’t worry! Even the best-planned lessons don’t always go according to plan. Just roll with the punches and do your best to improvise.

Do you have any other tips for lesson planning?

Yes! Here are a few more tips to help you with your lesson planning:

• Make sure to leave time for review and assessment.
• Keep a file of all of your lessons so that you can refer back to them in the future.
• Try to get feedback from your students so that you can improve your lessons.

Is there an app or program that can help me to plan my lessons?

Yes! SplashLearn is a great tool for lesson planning . It allows you to create custom learning plans, and it offers a variety of games and activities that can be used in the classroom.

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How Do I Create Meaningful and Effective Assignments?

Prepared by allison boye, ph.d. teaching, learning, and professional development center.

Assessment is a necessary part of the teaching and learning process, helping us measure whether our students have really learned what we want them to learn. While exams and quizzes are certainly favorite and useful methods of assessment, out of class assignments (written or otherwise) can offer similar insights into our students' learning.  And just as creating a reliable test takes thoughtfulness and skill, so does creating meaningful and effective assignments. Undoubtedly, many instructors have been on the receiving end of disappointing student work, left wondering what went wrong… and often, those problems can be remedied in the future by some simple fine-tuning of the original assignment.  This paper will take a look at some important elements to consider when developing assignments, and offer some easy approaches to creating a valuable assessment experience for all involved.

First Things First…

Before assigning any major tasks to students, it is imperative that you first define a few things for yourself as the instructor:

• Your goals for the assignment . Why are you assigning this project, and what do you hope your students will gain from completing it? What knowledge, skills, and abilities do you aim to measure with this assignment?  Creating assignments is a major part of overall course design, and every project you assign should clearly align with your goals for the course in general.  For instance, if you want your students to demonstrate critical thinking, perhaps asking them to simply summarize an article is not the best match for that goal; a more appropriate option might be to ask for an analysis of a controversial issue in the discipline. Ultimately, the connection between the assignment and its purpose should be clear to both you and your students to ensure that it is fulfilling the desired goals and doesn't seem like “busy work.” For some ideas about what kinds of assignments match certain learning goals, take a look at this page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons.
• Have they experienced “socialization” in the culture of your discipline (Flaxman, 2005)? Are they familiar with any conventions you might want them to know? In other words, do they know the “language” of your discipline, generally accepted style guidelines, or research protocols?
• Do they know how to conduct research?  Do they know the proper style format, documentation style, acceptable resources, etc.? Do they know how to use the library (Fitzpatrick, 1989) or evaluate resources?
• What kinds of writing or work have they previously engaged in?  For instance, have they completed long, formal writing assignments or research projects before? Have they ever engaged in analysis, reflection, or argumentation? Have they completed group assignments before?  Do they know how to write a literature review or scientific report?

In his book Engaging Ideas (1996), John Bean provides a great list of questions to help instructors focus on their main teaching goals when creating an assignment (p.78):

1. What are the main units/modules in my course?

2. What are my main learning objectives for each module and for the course?

3. What thinking skills am I trying to develop within each unit and throughout the course?

4. What are the most difficult aspects of my course for students?

5. If I could change my students' study habits, what would I most like to change?

6. What difference do I want my course to make in my students' lives?

What your students need to know

Once you have determined your own goals for the assignment and the levels of your students, you can begin creating your assignment.  However, when introducing your assignment to your students, there are several things you will need to clearly outline for them in order to ensure the most successful assignments possible.

• First, you will need to articulate the purpose of the assignment . Even though you know why the assignment is important and what it is meant to accomplish, you cannot assume that your students will intuit that purpose. Your students will appreciate an understanding of how the assignment fits into the larger goals of the course and what they will learn from the process (Hass & Osborn, 2007). Being transparent with your students and explaining why you are asking them to complete a given assignment can ultimately help motivate them to complete the assignment more thoughtfully.
• If you are asking your students to complete a writing assignment, you should define for them the “rhetorical or cognitive mode/s” you want them to employ in their writing (Flaxman, 2005). In other words, use precise verbs that communicate whether you are asking them to analyze, argue, describe, inform, etc.  (Verbs like “explore” or “comment on” can be too vague and cause confusion.) Provide them with a specific task to complete, such as a problem to solve, a question to answer, or an argument to support.  For those who want assignments to lead to top-down, thesis-driven writing, John Bean (1996) suggests presenting a proposition that students must defend or refute, or a problem that demands a thesis answer.
• It is also a good idea to define the audience you want your students to address with their assignment, if possible – especially with writing assignments.  Otherwise, students will address only the instructor, often assuming little requires explanation or development (Hedengren, 2004; MIT, 1999). Further, asking students to address the instructor, who typically knows more about the topic than the student, places the student in an unnatural rhetorical position.  Instead, you might consider asking your students to prepare their assignments for alternative audiences such as other students who missed last week's classes, a group that opposes their position, or people reading a popular magazine or newspaper.  In fact, a study by Bean (1996) indicated the students often appreciate and enjoy assignments that vary elements such as audience or rhetorical context, so don't be afraid to get creative!
• Obviously, you will also need to articulate clearly the logistics or “business aspects” of the assignment . In other words, be explicit with your students about required elements such as the format, length, documentation style, writing style (formal or informal?), and deadlines.  One caveat, however: do not allow the logistics of the paper take precedence over the content in your assignment description; if you spend all of your time describing these things, students might suspect that is all you care about in their execution of the assignment.
• Finally, you should clarify your evaluation criteria for the assignment. What elements of content are most important? Will you grade holistically or weight features separately? How much weight will be given to individual elements, etc?  Another precaution to take when defining requirements for your students is to take care that your instructions and rubric also do not overshadow the content; prescribing too rigidly each element of an assignment can limit students' freedom to explore and discover. According to Beth Finch Hedengren, “A good assignment provides the purpose and guidelines… without dictating exactly what to say” (2004, p. 27).  If you decide to utilize a grading rubric, be sure to provide that to the students along with the assignment description, prior to their completion of the assignment.

A great way to get students engaged with an assignment and build buy-in is to encourage their collaboration on its design and/or on the grading criteria (Hudd, 2003). In his article “Conducting Writing Assignments,” Richard Leahy (2002) offers a few ideas for building in said collaboration:

• Ask the students to develop the grading scale themselves from scratch, starting with choosing the categories.

• Set the grading categories yourself, but ask the students to help write the descriptions.

• Draft the complete grading scale yourself, then give it to your students for review and suggestions.

A Few Do's and Don'ts…

Determining your goals for the assignment and its essential logistics is a good start to creating an effective assignment. However, there are a few more simple factors to consider in your final design. First, here are a few things you should do :

• Do provide detail in your assignment description . Research has shown that students frequently prefer some guiding constraints when completing assignments (Bean, 1996), and that more detail (within reason) can lead to more successful student responses.  One idea is to provide students with physical assignment handouts , in addition to or instead of a simple description in a syllabus.  This can meet the needs of concrete learners and give them something tangible to refer to.  Likewise, it is often beneficial to make explicit for students the process or steps necessary to complete an assignment, given that students – especially younger ones – might need guidance in planning and time management (MIT, 1999).
• Do use open-ended questions.  The most effective and challenging assignments focus on questions that lead students to thinking and explaining, rather than simple yes or no answers, whether explicitly part of the assignment description or in the  brainstorming heuristics (Gardner, 2005).
• Do direct students to appropriate available resources . Giving students pointers about other venues for assistance can help them get started on the right track independently. These kinds of suggestions might include information about campus resources such as the University Writing Center or discipline-specific librarians, suggesting specific journals or books, or even sections of their textbook, or providing them with lists of research ideas or links to acceptable websites.
• Do consider providing models – both successful and unsuccessful models (Miller, 2007). These models could be provided by past students, or models you have created yourself.  You could even ask students to evaluate the models themselves using the determined evaluation criteria, helping them to visualize the final product, think critically about how to complete the assignment, and ideally, recognize success in their own work.
• Do consider including a way for students to make the assignment their own. In their study, Hass and Osborn (2007) confirmed the importance of personal engagement for students when completing an assignment.  Indeed, students will be more engaged in an assignment if it is personally meaningful, practical, or purposeful beyond the classroom.  You might think of ways to encourage students to tap into their own experiences or curiosities, to solve or explore a real problem, or connect to the larger community.  Offering variety in assignment selection can also help students feel more individualized, creative, and in control.
• If your assignment is substantial or long, do consider sequencing it. Far too often, assignments are given as one-shot final products that receive grades at the end of the semester, eternally abandoned by the student.  By sequencing a large assignment, or essentially breaking it down into a systematic approach consisting of interconnected smaller elements (such as a project proposal, an annotated bibliography, or a rough draft, or a series of mini-assignments related to the longer assignment), you can encourage thoughtfulness, complexity, and thoroughness in your students, as well as emphasize process over final product.

Next are a few elements to avoid in your assignments:

• Do not ask too many questions in your assignment.  In an effort to challenge students, instructors often err in the other direction, asking more questions than students can reasonably address in a single assignment without losing focus. Offering an overly specific “checklist” prompt often leads to externally organized papers, in which inexperienced students “slavishly follow the checklist instead of integrating their ideas into more organically-discovered structure” (Flaxman, 2005).
• Do not expect or suggest that there is an “ideal” response to the assignment. A common error for instructors is to dictate content of an assignment too rigidly, or to imply that there is a single correct response or a specific conclusion to reach, either explicitly or implicitly (Flaxman, 2005). Undoubtedly, students do not appreciate feeling as if they must read an instructor's mind to complete an assignment successfully, or that their own ideas have nowhere to go, and can lose motivation as a result. Similarly, avoid assignments that simply ask for regurgitation (Miller, 2007). Again, the best assignments invite students to engage in critical thinking, not just reproduce lectures or readings.
• Do not provide vague or confusing commands . Do students know what you mean when they are asked to “examine” or “discuss” a topic? Return to what you determined about your students' experiences and levels to help you decide what directions will make the most sense to them and what will require more explanation or guidance, and avoid verbiage that might confound them.
• Do not impose impossible time restraints or require the use of insufficient resources for completion of the assignment.  For instance, if you are asking all of your students to use the same resource, ensure that there are enough copies available for all students to access – or at least put one copy on reserve in the library. Likewise, make sure that you are providing your students with ample time to locate resources and effectively complete the assignment (Fitzpatrick, 1989).

The assignments we give to students don't simply have to be research papers or reports. There are many options for effective yet creative ways to assess your students' learning! Here are just a few:

Journals, Posters, Portfolios, Letters, Brochures, Management plans, Editorials, Instruction Manuals, Imitations of a text, Case studies, Debates, News release, Dialogues, Videos, Collages, Plays, Power Point presentations

Ultimately, the success of student responses to an assignment often rests on the instructor's deliberate design of the assignment. By being purposeful and thoughtful from the beginning, you can ensure that your assignments will not only serve as effective assessment methods, but also engage and delight your students. If you would like further help in constructing or revising an assignment, the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center is glad to offer individual consultations. In addition, look into some of the resources provided below.

Online Resources

“Creating Effective Assignments” http://www.unh.edu/teaching-excellence/resources/Assignments.htm This site, from the University of New Hampshire's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning,  provides a brief overview of effective assignment design, with a focus on determining and communicating goals and expectations.

Gardner, T.  (2005, June 12). Ten Tips for Designing Writing Assignments. Traci's Lists of Ten. http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/034.shtml This is a brief yet useful list of tips for assignment design, prepared by a writing teacher and curriculum developer for the National Council of Teachers of English .  The website will also link you to several other lists of “ten tips” related to literacy pedagogy.

“How to Create Effective Assignments for College Students.”  http:// tilt.colostate.edu/retreat/2011/zimmerman.pdf     This PDF is a simplified bulleted list, prepared by Dr. Toni Zimmerman from Colorado State University, offering some helpful ideas for coming up with creative assignments.

“Learner-Centered Assessment” http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/learner_centered_assessment.html From the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo, this is a short list of suggestions for the process of designing an assessment with your students' interests in mind. “Matching Learning Goals to Assignment Types.” http://teachingcommons.depaul.edu/How_to/design_assignments/assignments_learning_goals.html This is a great page from DePaul University's Teaching Commons, providing a chart that helps instructors match assignments with learning goals.

Additional References Bean, J.C. (1996). Engaging ideas: The professor's guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active learning in the classroom . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fitzpatrick, R. (1989). Research and writing assignments that reduce fear lead to better papers and more confident students. Writing Across the Curriculum , 3.2, pp. 15 – 24.

Flaxman, R. (2005). Creating meaningful writing assignments. The Teaching Exchange .  Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008 from http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Sheridan_Center/pubs/teachingExchange/jan2005/01_flaxman.pdf

Hass, M. & Osborn, J. (2007, August 13). An emic view of student writing and the writing process. Across the Disciplines, 4. 

Hedengren, B.F. (2004). A TA's guide to teaching writing in all disciplines . Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Hudd, S. S. (2003, April). Syllabus under construction: Involving students in the creation of class assignments.  Teaching Sociology , 31, pp. 195 – 202.

Leahy, R. (2002). Conducting writing assignments. College Teaching , 50.2, pp. 50 – 54.

Miller, H. (2007). Designing effective writing assignments.  Teaching with writing .  University of Minnesota Center for Writing. Retrieved Jan. 9, 2008, from http://writing.umn.edu/tww/assignments/designing.html

MIT Online Writing and Communication Center (1999). Creating Writing Assignments. Retrieved January 9, 2008 from http://web.mit.edu/writing/Faculty/createeffective.html .

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Creating Lesson Plans

There are many approaches to writing lesson plans. Some instructors develop their plans independently from scratch, while others borrow plans from a shared curriculum. Some carefully write out all the details for their lesson, while others use a brief outline. Your approach to writing lesson plans will depend on various factors: how well you know the material you're teaching, how long you've been teaching, the kinds of teaching you've done, and the students you expect to have in your class. There is no single formula for writing lesson plans, but this guide will help you think through some of the processes that other instructors have found valuable to their own lesson planning.

Guidelines for writing lesson plans:

Consider Your Destination

Sequence your objectives, know your time frame.

• Create Activities to Meet Your Objectives

Check for Understanding

Sample lesson plan format.

• Citation Information

When creating lesson plans, always keep your destination in mind. Where do you want students to end up? If you're planning daily activities, think about how these activities connect to the larger goals for the course. Ask yourself, how will each activity prepare students for the upcoming portfolio assignment? Assuming that your assignment sheets accurately reflect the course goals, use them at the beginning of each unit to determine:

• What is the overall goal for this assignment? What is the assignment asking students to do?
• What knowledge do students already have that will help them meet the goals for writing this assignment?
• What skills and concepts will students need to meet the goals for this assignment?

From these questions, create a list of smaller objectives to use as stepping stones for your destination. If you are planning writing assignments for student portfolios, your list of objectives may include:

Portfolio 1 - Objectives for Teaching Summary/Response

• Students will think about their purpose, audience and context for writing.
• Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers.
• Students will practice writing academic summaries.
• Students will practice writing different types of response.
• Students will learn to develop a claim and support that claim with reasons and evidence.
• Students will learn to value revision through workshops and other peer review activities.

While sequencing your objectives, consider how each one builds off another. How might one objective prepare students for learning another? If reading critically helps students summarize an argument, you might address your critical reading objective before teaching summary.

Also, think about what your students know. Given the information they already have, which objectives would be best met at certain points in the unit? Will simpler objectives work better at the start of a unit? Will more complicated objectives make clearer sense to students after some basic objectives have already been met?

Finally, determine how your sequencing of objectives will best meet these goals and requirements for the upcoming assignment.

While sequencing your objectives, be aware of the amount of time allotted for each portfolio. Based on the overall goals for the portfolio, determine how much time you will need to spend addressing each objective. Keep in mind that a single lesson will address only one or two objectives. Some of these goals will be easily met, while others will present a challenge for students. You may decide to build in extra time to review concepts that are more challenging.

Try to be flexible, but remain within a reasonable time frame. Spending three days on one essay may be too much (even if students are thrilled by the subject matter). One strategy to help you keep up your pace, is to utilize outside resources such as the CSU Writing Center or online tutorials. The Writing at CSU home page contains plenty of online resources as well. Use these resources to compliment discussions and save you some time in class.

Below is an example for how you might organize your sequence and time frame for the first student portfolio:

Portfolio I - Sequence and Time Frame for Objectives:

• Students will begin to think about their purpose, audience and context for writing. (day 1)
• Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers. (day 2)
• Students will practice writing academic summaries. (days 3 - 4)
• Students will practice writing different types of response. (days 5 - 6)
• Students will learn to develop a claim and support that claim with reasons and evidence. (day 7)
• Students will learn to value revision through workshops and other peer- review activities. (day 8)

Develop Activities to Meet Objectives

Once you've sequenced your objectives within a given time frame, the next step is to create activities that will help students meet each objective. Decide which activities are most relevant to your desired objectives. Take the time to revise existing activities and to create new ones that meet the needs of your class. You may also combine activities or eliminate some that seem less related to your objectives.

Two questions that you should always keep in mind when constructing activities are: "What do my students already know that will help them meet a desired objective?" And, "What activities will best help students meet a desired objective?"

Below is an example illustrating how you might design activities to meet a particular objective:

Objective: Students will use critical thinking skills and critical reading strategies to become better writers.

Activities:

• Define critical reading and provide a list of strategies on an overhead (this is useful because many students do not know what critical reading is).
• Model critical reading strategies (show students how to implement critical reading strategies).
• Have students practice critical reading strategies with their homework.
• Ask students to respond to an in class writing, describing their experience with the critical reading assignment. Have them speculate as to how this process of critical reading will influence their own writing. As a group, discuss the connection between reading and writing.

Just as you did with objectives, you'll need to create a sequence and time frame for your activities. Which activities should come first? How much class time will each activity take? Planning this out ahead of time will help you create smoother transitions between activities and it will help you connect your activities to larger, writing-related objectives.

The final step in planning lessons is to make time for assessing students' learning. How will you check to see that students understand the new concepts you're teaching? When will you revisit the material that they didn't quite grasp?

Intervention along the way can help you learn what students are struggling with. Many instructors collect homework once a week, or assign quizzes and short writing exercises to assess their students' progress. Conferences and e-mail exchanges are other effective means for gauging students' understanding.

Depending on what you learn from using evaluative measures, you may need to revise your lesson plans. If students' homework indicates that they're having trouble summarizing main points, you may spend the first fifteen minutes of the next class reviewing this concept. Addressing such struggles early on will help students face the more challenging objectives that follow.

Just as you did with objectives, you'll need to create a sequence and time frame for your activities. Which activities should come first? How much class time will each activity take? Planning this out ahead of time will help you create smoother transitions between activities, and help you connect your activities to larger, writing-related objectives.

Course: Date: Materials needed: Class Announcements:

• Class Objectives: Write out the goals or objectives for class. Try to limit these to one or two things.
• Connection to Course Goals: Describe how your daily objectives connect to the overall course goals.
• Anticipatory Set: Sometimes referred to as a "hook." Use an informal Writing to Learn (WTL) exercise, a question, a quote, or an object to focus students' attention at the start of class. This activity should be brief and directly related to the lesson.
• Introduction: Write down what you'll need to inform students of the daily goals and class procedures. Be sure to explain how these procedures relate to students' own writing.
• Procedures: List your activities, including any discussion questions and transitions along the way.
• Conclusion: Describe the objective for the lesson and point students forward by connecting your objective to their own writing.
• What to do Next Time: Leave space in your plan to reflect on the lesson and suggest future changes.

Also see the guide on Planning a Class for help with writing introductions, transitions, and conclusions.

Eglin, Kerry. (2008). Creating Lesson Plans. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/teaching/guide.cfm?guideid=96

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Designing Assignments for Learning

The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning meant that many instructors reimagined their assessment practices. Whether adapting existing assignments or creatively designing new opportunities for their students to learn, instructors focused on helping students make meaning and demonstrate their learning outside of the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting. This resource distills the elements of assignment design that are important to carry forward as we continue to seek better ways of assessing learning and build on our innovative assignment designs.

On this page:

Rethinking traditional tests, quizzes, and exams.

• Examples from the Columbia University Classroom
• Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

Reflect On Your Assignment Design

Connect with the ctl.

• Resources and References

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021). Designing Assignments for Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/designing-assignments/

Traditional assessments tend to reveal whether students can recognize, recall, or replicate what was learned out of context, and tend to focus on students providing correct responses (Wiggins, 1990). In contrast, authentic assignments, which are course assessments, engage students in higher order thinking, as they grapple with real or simulated challenges that help them prepare for their professional lives, and draw on the course knowledge learned and the skills acquired to create justifiable answers, performances or products (Wiggins, 1990). An authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to practice, consult resources, learn from feedback, and refine their performances and products accordingly (Wiggins 1990, 1998, 2014). 

Authentic assignments ask students to “do” the subject with an audience in mind and apply their learning in a new situation. Examples of authentic assignments include asking students to: 

• Write for a real audience (e.g., a memo, a policy brief, letter to the editor, a grant proposal, reports, building a website) and/or publication;
• Solve problem sets that have real world application; 
• Design projects that address a real world problem; 
• Engage in a community-partnered research project;
• Create an exhibit, performance, or conference presentation ;
• Compile and reflect on their work through a portfolio/e-portfolio.

Noteworthy elements of authentic designs are that instructors scaffold the assignment, and play an active role in preparing students for the tasks assigned, while students are intentionally asked to reflect on the process and product of their work thus building their metacognitive skills (Herrington and Oliver, 2000; Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2013; Frey, Schmitt, and Allen, 2012). 

It’s worth noting here that authentic assessments can initially be time consuming to design, implement, and grade. They are critiqued for being challenging to use across course contexts and for grading reliability issues (Maclellan, 2004). Despite these challenges, authentic assessments are recognized as beneficial to student learning (Svinicki, 2004) as they are learner-centered (Weimer, 2013), promote academic integrity (McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, 2021; Sotiriadou et al., 2019; Schroeder, 2021) and motivate students to learn (Ambrose et al., 2010). The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning is always available to consult with faculty who are considering authentic assessment designs and to discuss challenges and affordances.   

Examples from the Columbia University Classroom 

Columbia instructors have experimented with alternative ways of assessing student learning from oral exams to technology-enhanced assignments. Below are a few examples of authentic assignments in various teaching contexts across Columbia University. 

• E-portfolios: Statia Cook shares her experiences with an ePorfolio assignment in her co-taught Frontiers of Science course (a submission to the Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning initiative); CUIMC use of ePortfolios ;
• Case studies: Columbia instructors have engaged their students in authentic ways through case studies drawing on the Case Consortium at Columbia University. Read and watch a faculty spotlight to learn how Professor Mary Ann Price uses the case method to place pre-med students in real-life scenarios;
• Simulations: students at CUIMC engage in simulations to develop their professional skills in The Mary & Michael Jaharis Simulation Center in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center in the Columbia School of Nursing; 
• Experiential learning: instructors have drawn on New York City as a learning laboratory such as Barnard’s NYC as Lab webpage which highlights courses that engage students in NYC;
• Design projects that address real world problems: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy on the Engineering design projects completed using lab kits during remote learning. Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy talk about his teaching and read the Columbia News article . 
• Writing assignments: Lia Marshall and her teaching associate Aparna Balasundaram reflect on their “non-disposable or renewable assignments” to prepare social work students for their professional lives as they write for a real audience; and Hannah Weaver spoke about a sandbox assignment used in her Core Literature Humanities course at the 2021 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium . Watch Dr. Weaver share her experiences.  

​Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

While designing an effective authentic assignment may seem like a daunting task, the following tips can be used as a starting point. See the Resources section for frameworks and tools that may be useful in this effort.  

Align the assignment with your course learning objectives 

Identify the kind of thinking that is important in your course, the knowledge students will apply, and the skills they will practice using through the assignment. What kind of thinking will students be asked to do for the assignment? What will students learn by completing this assignment? How will the assignment help students achieve the desired course learning outcomes? For more information on course learning objectives, see the CTL’s Course Design Essentials self-paced course and watch the video on Articulating Learning Objectives .  

Identify an authentic meaning-making task

For meaning-making to occur, students need to understand the relevance of the assignment to the course and beyond (Ambrose et al., 2010). To Bean (2011) a “meaning-making” or “meaning-constructing” task has two dimensions: 1) it presents students with an authentic disciplinary problem or asks students to formulate their own problems, both of which engage them in active critical thinking, and 2) the problem is placed in “a context that gives students a role or purpose, a targeted audience, and a genre.” (Bean, 2011: 97-98). 

An authentic task gives students a realistic challenge to grapple with, a role to take on that allows them to “rehearse for the complex ambiguities” of life, provides resources and supports to draw on, and requires students to justify their work and the process they used to inform their solution (Wiggins, 1990). Note that if students find an assignment interesting or relevant, they will see value in completing it. 

Consider the kind of activities in the real world that use the knowledge and skills that are the focus of your course. How is this knowledge and these skills applied to answer real-world questions to solve real-world problems? (Herrington et al., 2010: 22). What do professionals or academics in your discipline do on a regular basis? What does it mean to think like a biologist, statistician, historian, social scientist? How might your assignment ask students to draw on current events, issues, or problems that relate to the course and are of interest to them? How might your assignment tap into student motivation and engage them in the kinds of thinking they can apply to better understand the world around them? (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Determine the evaluation criteria and create a rubric

To ensure equitable and consistent grading of assignments across students, make transparent the criteria you will use to evaluate student work. The criteria should focus on the knowledge and skills that are central to the assignment. Build on the criteria identified, create a rubric that makes explicit the expectations of deliverables and share this rubric with your students so they can use it as they work on the assignment. For more information on rubrics, see the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics into Your Grading and Feedback Practices , and explore the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). 

Build in metacognition

Ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the assignment. Help students uncover personal relevance of the assignment, find intrinsic value in their work, and deepen their motivation by asking them to reflect on their process and their assignment deliverable. Sample prompts might include: what did you learn from this assignment? How might you draw on the knowledge and skills you used on this assignment in the future? See Ambrose et al., 2010 for more strategies that support motivation and the CTL’s resource on Metacognition ). 

Provide students with opportunities to practice

Design your assignment to be a learning experience and prepare students for success on the assignment. If students can reasonably expect to be successful on an assignment when they put in the required effort ,with the support and guidance of the instructor, they are more likely to engage in the behaviors necessary for learning (Ambrose et al., 2010). Ensure student success by actively teaching the knowledge and skills of the course (e.g., how to problem solve, how to write for a particular audience), modeling the desired thinking, and creating learning activities that build up to a graded assignment. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills they will need for the assignment, whether through low-stakes in-class activities or homework activities that include opportunities to receive and incorporate formative feedback. For more information on providing feedback, see the CTL resource Feedback for Learning . 

Communicate about the assignment 

Share the purpose, task, audience, expectations, and criteria for the assignment. Students may have expectations about assessments and how they will be graded that is informed by their prior experiences completing high-stakes assessments, so be transparent. Tell your students why you are asking them to do this assignment, what skills they will be using, how it aligns with the course learning outcomes, and why it is relevant to their learning and their professional lives (i.e., how practitioners / professionals use the knowledge and skills in your course in real world contexts and for what purposes). Finally, verify that students understand what they need to do to complete the assignment. This can be done by asking students to respond to poll questions about different parts of the assignment, a “scavenger hunt” of the assignment instructions–giving students questions to answer about the assignment and having them work in small groups to answer the questions, or by having students share back what they think is expected of them.

Plan to iterate and to keep the focus on learning 

Draw on multiple sources of data to help make decisions about what changes are needed to the assignment, the assignment instructions, and/or rubric to ensure that it contributes to student learning. Explore assignment performance data. As Deandra Little reminds us: “a really good assignment, which is a really good assessment, also teaches you something or tells the instructor something. As much as it tells you what students are learning, it’s also telling you what they aren’t learning.” ( Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode 337 ). Assignment bottlenecks–where students get stuck or struggle–can be good indicators that students need further support or opportunities to practice prior to completing an assignment. This awareness can inform teaching decisions. 

Triangulate the performance data by collecting student feedback, and noting your own reflections about what worked well and what did not. Revise the assignment instructions, rubric, and teaching practices accordingly. Consider how you might better align your assignment with your course objectives and/or provide more opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will rely on for the assignment. Additionally, keep in mind societal, disciplinary, and technological changes as you tweak your assignments for future use. 

Now is a great time to reflect on your practices and experiences with assignment design and think critically about your approach. Take a closer look at an existing assignment. Questions to consider include: What is this assignment meant to do? What purpose does it serve? Why do you ask students to do this assignment? How are they prepared to complete the assignment? Does the assignment assess the kind of learning that you really want? What would help students learn from this assignment? 

Using the tips in the previous section: How can the assignment be tweaked to be more authentic and meaningful to students? 

As you plan forward for post-pandemic teaching and reflect on your practices and reimagine your course design, you may find the following CTL resources helpful: Reflecting On Your Experiences with Remote Teaching , Transition to In-Person Teaching , and Course Design Support .

The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is here to help!

For assistance with assignment design, rubric design, or any other teaching and learning need, please request a consultation by emailing [email protected] . 

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework for assignments. The TILT Examples and Resources page ( https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources ) includes example assignments from across disciplines, as well as a transparent assignment template and a checklist for designing transparent assignments . Each emphasizes the importance of articulating to students the purpose of the assignment or activity, the what and how of the task, and specifying the criteria that will be used to assess students. 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) offers VALUE ADD (Assignment Design and Diagnostic) tools ( https://www.aacu.org/value-add-tools ) to help with the creation of clear and effective assignments that align with the desired learning outcomes and associated VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). VALUE ADD encourages instructors to explicitly state assignment information such as the purpose of the assignment, what skills students will be using, how it aligns with course learning outcomes, the assignment type, the audience and context for the assignment, clear evaluation criteria, desired formatting, and expectations for completion whether individual or in a group.

Villarroel et al. (2017) propose a blueprint for building authentic assessments which includes four steps: 1) consider the workplace context, 2) design the authentic assessment; 3) learn and apply standards for judgement; and 4) give feedback. 

References 

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., & DiPietro, M. (2010). Chapter 3: What Factors Motivate Students to Learn? In How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching . Jossey-Bass. 

Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., and Brown, C. (2013). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 39(2), 205-222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566 .  

Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Frey, B. B, Schmitt, V. L., and Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. 17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829  

Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., and Oliver, R. (2010). A Guide to Authentic e-Learning . Routledge. 

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. 

Litchfield, B. C. and Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 142 (Summer 2015), 65-80. 

Maclellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 29(3), June 2004. DOI: 10.1080/0260293042000188267

McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus. June 2, 2021. 

Mueller, J. (2005). The Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning through Online Faculty Development . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 1(1). July 2005. Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox is available online. 

Schroeder, R. (2021). Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment . Inside Higher Ed. (February 26, 2021).  

Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., and Guest, R. (2019). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skills development and employability. Studies in Higher Education. 45(111), 2132-2148. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1582015    

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (November 25, 2020). Authentic Assignments with Deandra Little. (Episode 337). In Teaching in Higher Ed . https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/authentic-assignments/  

Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 100 (Winter 2004): 23-29. 

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S, Bruna, D., Bruna, C., and Herrera-Seda, C. (2017). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43(5), 840-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396    

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice . Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Wiggins, G. (2014). Authenticity in assessment, (re-)defined and explained. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/authenticity-in-assessment-re-defined-and-explained/

Wiggins, G. (1998). Teaching to the (Authentic) Test. Educational Leadership . April 1989. 41-47. 

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment . Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 2(2). 

Wondering how AI tools might play a role in your course assignments?

See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”

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Teaching Plan Templates: Effective Methods For Teaching

August 25th, 2022

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Amy Stock, MS

Product Specialist

Teaching or lesson plan templates help teachers organize their ideas, assist with time management, and provide an efficient design for organizing content instruction, activities, and assessments.

Here are several examples of teaching plan templates to try:

Class Templates

Elements of an Effective Teaching Plan Template

Teaching plan templates can vary in format and appearance, but will generally contain the same basic elements:

1. Learning Objective

The learning objective details what your students should know or do by the end of the class. This is the most critical part of every lesson and, therefore, of every teaching plan. Establish your curriculum-required learning goals for each lesson and list them at the top of each teaching plan template. The content section will have a place for objectives and might also have a place for a quick-look outline of the lesson.

2. Instruction Time-Planning

Assigning each lesson the number of days to teach it will require a detailed breakdown of everything involved in preparing the content. Include flexible options such as extra activities or shortcuts to maximize instruction time while completing the lesson within the scheduled time frame. An inclusive schedule provides enough information that a substitute or other staff member could follow the directions to deliver the lesson.

3. Subtopics

If the teaching plan covers more extended units, it is essential to establish specific subtopics, each with its own goals, assignments, materials, and assessments. The lessons within the unit should flow smoothly from one topic to the next so that students can successfully understand the material.

4. Assignments and Assessments

Each lesson should include a variety of in-class or at-home work for students to practice or study the material. Periodic assessments evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and student comprehension. Assignments and Assessments are essential to provide additional assistance to students as needed and to modify and adjust for the future based on data collected through assessment.

5. Duration of Lectures

To avoid confusion, teachers should explicitly state the intended duration of direct teaching or lectures on the teaching plan template, especially if class duration varies or when the teaching plan covers an extended period.

6. List of Materials and References

To make it easier to prepare materials, technology, and other resources, list every requirement, material, and all necessary references. This list can also help students ensure they have all the required reading materials or other components for projects and activities.

Three Reasons to Use Teaching Plans

1. Standardizes Lesson Components - Teaching plans can organize thoughts and are helpful when scheduling what to teach each day of the semester. In addition, teaching plans also help substitute teachers fill in and understand the lesson objective to prevent students from missing a day of learning.

2. Saves Work Hours - Depending on the school’s schedule style, teachers may have four to eight classes per semester, and each course requires a teaching plan. Using a teaching plan template streamlines thoughts and saves teachers dozens of work hours so they can spend more time with students or families.

3. Maintains School and State Requirements - Most schools and some states require teachers to keep lesson plans available for administrative or parental oversight. Using a teaching plan template provides the necessary information in an abbreviated format.

Eight Steps to Creating an Effective Teaching Plan

1. Advanced Planning

While a teaching plan template provides a measure of automation to make the lesson plan design process more straightforward, still, it is worthless unless the teacher understands the learning objective and plans for the lesson’s progression, including all activities, assessments, and resources.

2. Time Management Flexibility

When designing a lesson, time management is crucial. Prepare additional activities to ensure students are engaged throughout instruction time, but also have shortcuts in case activities run long. Any class has the potential to run short or long based on many variables, including students who have additional questions, students who are struggling to understand the concepts, or a class that flies through an activity faster than a teacher anticipated.

3. Avoid Repetition and Omission

A well-designed teaching plan aims to ensure that all material is covered effectively without leaving out some part of the lesson or unnecessarily repeating a portion. A teaching template can help keep order out of what could be chaos.

4. Maintain a Results-oriented Approach

A successful lesson plan helps the teacher focus on target learning goals. Working backwards, teachers can develop an assessment to evaluate student knowledge of the learning target and then prepare instruction and activities that provide the students with the tools needed to perform well on that assessment.

Using a teaching plan template that provides sections for each component of the lesson allows teachers to plan the assessment and then work their way up the page to specific activities for maximum effectiveness.

5. Simplify the Content

Like everyone, sometimes teachers miss work. A teaching plan template and user-friendly instructions can be lifesavers for a substitute teacher or anyone who temporarily takes over class instruction.

6. Understand the Content

No matter how great the template or how efficient the lesson plan is, the teacher is still responsible for knowing the material to such an extent that they can field any questions that students may have. Whether on the content itself or to facilitate understanding of a project or activity, take the time to prepare for questions that may arise.

7. Organize Your Resources

Ensure all resources, activities, and other required materials are listed on the teaching plan and are readily available and accessible when needed. A good teaching plan template provides a place to describe lesson requirements, technology, activities, printouts, and assessments.

In Conclusion

Teachers need an effective teaching plan to keep track of every lesson in every unit of each course they teach over a year. Therefore, any opportunity to streamline the process to save time and provide a more efficient end product will improve student education and provide better results.

The teaching plan template is a provably efficient and successful way to organize learning goals and content into manageable chunks while organizing those chunks into a logical order of instruction.

If your school is interested in automating tasks and streamlining processes, Education Advanced offers a suite of tools that may be able to help. For teachers specifically interested in automating their curriculum:

Embarc, our curriculum mapping software , helps teachers quickly analyze whether or not their curriculum is aligned with state and national standards as well as share best practice curriculum plans with other teachers to reduce duplication and with parents to keep everyone up to date.

For schools looking to automate time consuming tasks:

Cardonex, our master schedule software helps schools save time on building master schedules. Many schools used to spend weeks using white boards to organize the right students, teachers, and classrooms into the right order so that students could graduate on time and get their preferred classes. However, can now be used to automate this task and within a couple of days deliver 90% of students first choice classes.

Testhound, our test accommodation software , helps schools coordinating thousands of students across all state and local K-12 school assessments while taking into account dozens of accommodations (reading disabilities, physical disabilities, translations, etc.) for students.

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Designing Lesson Plans

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How to Write a Lesson Plan: A Teacher’s Guide

Lesson planning is a necessary first step in implementing curriculum themes. Creating a lesson plan with clearly defined learning objectives, goals, and a metric for measuring progress toward these goals is vital to ensuring students benefit as much as possible from weekly lessons. Ask questions of yourself that pertain to the structure and benefits of your lessons as well as the needs of your students. Some things to ask when creating your lesson plan are

• What is the goal/learning objective of this lesson?
• What materials are necessary to teach this lesson effectively?
• What types of activities will best help my students learn this lesson?
• Which group sizes are best for each activity and will best aid students in their learning processes?

Consider your class’s collective and individual learning styles and needs. Are your students more responsive to finding their own research texts than the textbooks and websites you provide? You may have many hands-on learners who need physical activities to help them process information. Be mindful of any special needs or barriers students may have that will require additional materials or assistance to allow them to participate in activities and lessons. Your lesson plan should also be clearly written, concise, and easy to follow and implement. By writing lesson plans in this manner, you’ll be able to provide a road map for any substitute teachers in your room to follow in your absence.

Key Components of a Lesson Plan with Examples

Your lesson plan should include:

• An objective or statement of learning goals: Objectives are the foundation of your lesson plan. They should be clearly stated and should outline which skills, knowledge, or understanding students are expected to gain as a result of the lesson ( ex : “At the end of this lesson, students will be able to observe and identify all 50 United States.”) Be mindful that your objectives are realistic, measurable, and in compliance with the educational standards of your school and/or district for your grade level.
• Materials needed: Make a list of all necessary materials and ensure they are available well in advance of the lesson. If your lesson requires use of shared materials or spaces (such as computer labs or shared electronics), make sure you reserve these spaces and confirm their reservation. Keep materials together in a secure space and labeled for your lesson, and have extra available. Include any links or media that are necessary for your lesson, as well as materials needed. Ensure your sites are bookmarked and playlists are compiled in advance.
• The procedure and instructions: Create detailed notes on both the process for the lesson or activity and on how instructions are to be given. Maybe there is certain information you don’t want students to be told upfront, but you want them to discover it throughout the course of the lesson. Your lesson plan should be detailed enough that anyone who reads it will have all the same information and ability to effectively teach the lesson.
• Group sizes for lessons and activities: It is best to use a mix of groupings for the activities within your lessons, including individual, pairs, small group, and whole class work. When planning your activities, contemplate which groupings will work best for each activity or if students will have the option of choosing which group sizes work best for them. Consider materials needed and the availability of those materials/resources for each activity.
• A method of assessing student progress toward objectives: How will you determine if your lesson plan accomplished its goal of achieving learning objectives? In your lesson plan, detail your process for assessment (oral quiz, written quiz, project, etc.) and get feedback on what worked and didn’t work for students. Determine what values will be used to define your lesson’s success ( ex : students are able to display knowledge comprehension in line with the learning objective 80% of the time).
• Any homework assignments relevant to the lesson to extend learning.

Aim to have lesson plans completed no later than the Thursday prior to their implementation. Allow time to observe progress toward the current week’s objectives, and determine if extending the lesson into next week is necessary. Give yourself sufficient time to gather necessary materials as well. Some schools and districts require the use of lesson planning books and templates for creating lesson plans. If yours doesn’t, you can create your own weekly lesson plan template or download one from a website. Find great lesson plan samples of teacher-created templates here . With some guidance and practice, you’ll be on your way to learning how to make a lesson plan of your own.

Lesson Planning for Effective Classroom Management

Lesson planning plays a huge role in providing students with the stable classroom environments that best support their learning. No matter the age group, students respond best to predictable routines in which they are involved and aware of the process and are able to anticipate what comes next. Post your lesson plans in multiple visible places where students, substitutes, and parents can all see them and easily stay caught up on your curriculum. Have students alternate reading the next day’s activities, materials, and required homework as an exit ticket.

A lesson plan for teachers that takes into account students’ learning styles and interests goes a long way to promoting student engagement and classroom involvement. Encourage your students to give feedback on lessons, either throughout the week or at the end of a completed lesson, and take note of which elements brought out the best and worst responses.

Looking for Additional Lesson Plan Ideas and Inspiration?

Like any skill, creating a good lesson plan format gets easier the more you do it. It might start off seeming like an intimidating feat, but if you’re consistent after a while, you find your rhythm. The most important part of the process is to always be considering the needs of your class, and that includes you as a teacher. Creativity in lesson planning is important, but stay mindful of your budget and time restrictions, and don’t overextend yourself.

After reading this lesson plan guide, if you’re searching for ideas on how to create a lesson plan, check out these links for insights about EdTech trends, introducing technology into your classroom for the first time, and ways to capture students’ attention:

• https://blog.goguardian.com/want-to-provide-better-education-dont-compromise-on-classroom-management
• https://blog.goguardian.com/how-teachers-can-integrate-technology-in-the-classroom
• https://blog.goguardian.com/unique-ways-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom

GoGuardian Team

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30 Lesson Plan Examples for Every Grade Level and Subject

Lots of ways to prepare for top-notch learning.

Writing lessons might be a fun activity for you (all the things you’ll do!) or it may be a necessary evil (so many boxes to fill). Either way, it’s an important part of teaching and can make or break your week, month, and year. Whether you’re a brand-new teacher or an experienced educator looking for some new ideas, these lesson plan examples offer inspiration for every subject and every grade level.

Lesson Plan Sections

Preschool lesson plan examples, elementary school lesson plan examples, middle and high school lesson plan examples.

Many lesson plans include some or all of the following sections.

• Objective : These should be specific and measurable. Often they align with Common Core or other learning standards.
• Materials: List any items you’ll need, including worksheets or handouts, school supplies, etc.
• Activities: This is usually the longest section, where you’ll lay out what the lesson and its activities look like. Some teachers write these in great detail. Others include just an overview to help them plan.
• Assessment: How will you assess your students’ learning? This could be a formal assessment or something simple like an exit ticket. ( Get lots of formative assessment ideas here. )
• Differentiation: Describe how you’ll vary the level of difficulty for students at all levels, including any enrichment for early finishers.

Some people think preschool is just playtime, but pre-K teachers know better! Here are some of the ways preschool teachers plan for their lessons.

Weekly Lesson Plan

Venngage/pre-K lesson plan via Venngage.com

Weekly preschool lesson planning helps you plan each day and ensure you’re tackling all the most important skills.

Learn more: Venngage Pre-K Weekly Lesson Plan Template

Pre-K Theme Lesson Plan

Pre-K Printable Fun/Caterpillar and Butterfly Lesson Plan via PreKPrintableFun.com

If you like to plan by theme, try a template like this. It includes space for a variety of activities that fit your topic.

Learn more: Pre-K Printable Fun

Alphabet Letter Lesson Plan

This Crafty Mom/Letter S Lesson Plan via ThisCraftyMom.com

If you’re focusing on a new letter of the alphabet each week, try lesson planning like this. You can see the week at a glance, including all the materials and books you’ll need.

Learn more: Alphabet Letter Lesson Plan by This Crafty Mom

Centers Lesson Plan

Pocket of Preschool/Centers Lesson Plans via PocketofPreschool.com

Your centers need some planning too! Whether you change them out weekly, monthly, or as needed, use plans like these to stay prepared.

Learn more: Pocket of Preschool

Weekly Unit Lesson Plan

This Crafty Mom/weather unit lessons via ThisCraftyMom.com

Adding pops of color and a few images can make it easier to locate the lesson plan you’re looking for in a snap!

Learn more: Weekly Weather Unit Lesson Plan by This Crafty Mom

Since elementary teachers tackle multiple subjects every day, their lesson plans might look like a general overview. Or they may prepare more detailed lesson plans for each topic to help them stay on track. The choice is up to you.

Weekly Overview Lesson Plan

Mrs. Jones Creation Station/lesson plan example via MrsJonesCreationStation.com

Don’t be afraid to write out your lesson plans by hand! A side-by-side setup like this lets you see a whole week at once. We love the use of color to highlight special things like fire drills.

Learn more: Mrs. Jones Creation Station

Yearlong Schedule

Planning a whole year may seem daunting, but it can show you where you’re going to need to stretch a unit and where you can circle back and review. Mrs. D from Mrs. D’s Corner has ideas on how to structure a yearlong lesson plan using Google Sheets.

Learn more: Mrs. D’s Corner

Guided Math Lesson Plan

Tunstall’s Teaching Tidbits/Guided Math lesson plan example via TunstallsTeachingTidbits.com

This example on adding three numbers together can be altered to fit any math lesson plan.

Learn more: Tunstall’s Teaching Tidbits

Art Lesson Plan

Artsy Blevs/lesson plans via TeachandShoot.com

While these are elementary art lesson plan examples, you can easily use this style for teaching art at upper levels too.

Learn more: Artsy Blevs

Special Education Lesson Plans

The Bender Bunch/lesson plan example via TheBenderBunch.com

Lesson planning for special education looks different than general classroom lessons in that the lessons have to cover specific IEP goals and include lots and lots of progress monitoring. The Bender Bunch starts each lesson with independent work (read: IEP practice) and then heads into mini-lessons and group work.

Learn more: The Bender Bunch

Interactive Read-Aloud Plan

The Colorful Apple/interactive read-aloud lesson plan example via TheColorfulApple.com

Interactive read-alouds aren’t something that should be “on the fly.” The Colorful Apple explains how to choose a book, get to know it, and get ready to teach it. Once you’re in the book, sticky notes may be the best lesson-planning tool you have for marking questions and vocabulary words you want to point out to students.

Learn more: The Colorful Apple

Social Studies Lesson Plan

Mrs. Jones’s Class/social studies lesson plan example via MrsJonessClass.com

Including images of your anchor charts is a great idea! That way, you can pull one out and have it ready to go in advance.

Learn more: Mrs. Jones’s Class

5E Lesson Plan for Elementary School

What I Have Learned Teaching/example from 5E lesson planning via WhatIHaveLearnedTeaching.com

The 5Es stand for Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaborate, Evaluate. This type of lesson planning can be helpful for students as they work through each of the 5Es related to the topic you’re studying.

Learn more: What I Have Learned Teaching

Science Lesson Plans

Venngage/Science lesson plan example via Venngage.com

If you like to plan your lessons in more detail, take a look at this elementary science lesson plan example.

Learn more: Venngage Science Lesson Plan Template

Reading Groups Lesson Plan

First Grade Fairy Tales/reading groups lesson plan via TheFirstGradeFairyTales.com

Lots of elementary schools have differentiated reading groups. Use a template like this one to plan for each one, all on one page.

Learn more: The First Grade Fairy Tales

P.E. Lesson Plan

American Coaching Academy/P.E. lesson plan via AmericanCoachingAcademy.com

Gym teachers will love this lesson plan idea, which includes directions for playing the games.

Learn more: American Coaching Academy

Music Class Lesson Plan

Victoria Boler/music lesson plan via VictoriaBoler.com

Plan out the skills and songs you’ll need for a meaningful music class with a lesson plan like this one.

Learn more: Victoria Boler

At the middle and high school levels, teachers often need more detailed plans for each class, which they may teach multiple times a day. Here are some examples to try.

Google Sheets Lesson Plans

Busy Miss Beebe/Google sheets lesson plan example via BusyMissBeebe.com

Google Sheets (or Excel) is terrific for lesson planning! Create a new tab for each week, unit, or class.

Learn more: Busy Miss Beebe

Weekly History Plan

Teachers Pay Teachers/Coaching History lesson plan via TeachersPayTeachers.com

This example shows how you can plan out a week’s worth of lessons at once, and see the entire week all in one spot. This example is for history, but you could use this for math, ELA, or social studies too.

Learn more: Coaching History on Teachers Pay Teachers

Outline and Pacing Guide Lesson Plan

Read it. Write it. Learn it./pacing guide example via ReadItWriteItLearnIt.com

A pacing guide or outline works for both you and your students. Share it at the beginning of a unit to let them know what’s ahead.

Learn more: Read it. Write it. Learn it.

5E Lessons in Middle and High School

Teach Science With Fergy/5E lesson plan via TeachScienceWithFergy.com

5E lesson plans (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaborate, Evaluate) are great for middle and high school as well. This example is for science, but you can use the 5E structure across all lessons.

Learn more: Teach Science With Fergy

Math Intervention Plans

Lindsay Gould/middle school math lesson plan via TeachersPayTeachers.com

When students are in math intervention, they’re reviewing material they learned last week or last year. Lesson plans need to provide time for them to activate their prior knowledge (and make sure they’re remembering it all correctly) before reteaching and practice.

Buy it: Teachers Pay Teachers

The Sticky-Note Lesson Plan

The Wise & Witty Teacher/sticky note planner via WiseWittyTeacher.com

At some point, you’ll know what students are doing each day, you’ll just need some reminders for questions to ask and key points to cover. The nice thing about using sticky notes for lesson planning is if you get ahead or behind schedule, you can move the entire sticky note lesson to another day.

Learn more: The Wise & Witty Teacher

Read more ways to use sticky notes in the classroom .

Backwards Planning Lesson Plan

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching/Understanding by Design lesson plan example via cft.vanderbilt.edu

If your school uses Understanding by Design or other backwards planning, you’ll be thinking about the outcome first and working back from there (rather than forward from an activity or task). Backwards planning lesson plans are intensive, but they’re also something you can use over and over, modifying them slightly for each group of students you have.

Learn more: Vanderbilt Center for Teaching

Visual Arts Lesson Plan

Venngage/visual art lesson plan example via Venngage.com

Detailed lesson plans take longer to prepare, but they make it easier on the day (especially if you wind up needing a sub).

Learn more: Venngage Visual Arts Lesson Plan Template

ESL or Foreign Language Lesson Plan

TeachEnglishAbroad.co/ESL lesson plan via TeachEnglishAbroad.co

Whether you’re teaching English as a second language (ESL) or a foreign language to English speakers, this lesson plan style is perfect.

Learn more: Teaching English Abroad

Music Lesson Plan

Melody Soup/lesson plan example via MelodySoup.Blogspot.com

Use a lesson plan like this for choir, orchestra, band, or individual music lessons.

Learn more: Melody Soup

Blended Learning Lesson Plan

Hot Lunch Tray/blended learning lesson plan example via HotLunchTray.com

If your instruction includes both computer-based and in-person elements, this lesson plan idea might be just what you need.

Learn more: Hot Lunch Tray

One-Sentence Lesson Plan

Norman Eng/Introducing the One-Sentence Lesson Plan via CultofPedagogy.com

This kind of lesson planning isn’t for everyone, but the extreme simplicity works well for some. Describe what students will learn, how they will learn it, and how they’ll demonstrate their knowledge.

Learn more: Cult of Pedagogy

Need more help with lesson planning? Come ask for ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, check out 40 ways to make time for more creativity in your lesson plans ..

WeAreTeachers

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Blog Education 27+ Easy-to-Edit Lesson Plan Examples [+ Writing Tips]

27+ Easy-to-Edit Lesson Plan Examples [+ Writing Tips]

Written by: Alice Corner Dec 07, 2023

Lesson plans are the best way to deliver an effective and engaging lesson. Lesson plans also help keep you on track to ensure that your learners hit their goals and targets, in line with your course curriculum.

But sometimes in the high-pressure world of education, it can be difficult to find the time to create inspiring lesson plans on your own. 

I’ve gathered together 28 of the best lesson plan examples on the internet that you can use to ensure your lessons are insightful and inspiring.

Table of contents (click to jump ahead):

What is a lesson plan?

What is included in a lesson plan, how to write a lesson plan, preschool lesson plan examples, math lesson plan examples.

• Science lesson plan examples

1. Objectives: know your destination

When writing a lesson plan, start by outlining the learning objectives—what you want your students to take from the session and work backward. Having clear and specific goals helps you plan activities for a successful lesson.

2. Welcome to the hook: make ’em want to learn

Start with an engaging “hook” to capture your students’ attention and make them eager to learn more. This could be a thought-provoking question, an interesting fact, or a surprising tidbit.

Apply a top-down method: plan on a course level the lessons you’re going to include and then go deeper and think about the activities you would like to include in each lesson.

3. Step-by-step: outlining the activities

Now that your students are hooked, it’s time to get down to business. Work on exercises or projects you would like your students to take on. These should serve two important purposes: allowing your students to apply the knowledge they learn in class and allowing you, the teacher, to assess students’ understanding of the materials.

This might include direct instruction (i.e., when you teach the material), guided practice (working together as a class), independent practice (students work on their own) and group activities.  Think about the best way to engage students and make sure you include a variety of these activities besides just tests or exams, like quizzes, group discussions, group projects and so on.

Example: If your objective is teaching persuasive writing, your steps might look like this:

• Explanation of persuasive writing techniques and purpose
• Guided practice: analyzing persuasive texts as a class
• Independent practice: having students create a persuasive argument on a given topic
• Group activity: Debating the different arguments in teams

Remember the old adage: “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.” 

4. Check for understanding: keep ’em on track

It’s not uncommon for students to zone out (we’ve all been there), so it’s crucial to regularly check if they’re on track. This means asking questions throughout the lesson and encouraging your students to reflect on the material.

Once you’ve got all these noted down, you can start arranging all the lessons and activities in a meaningful and logical order as well. This applies to the activities within a single lesson too. Answer these questions:

• How much time do you have for the whole lesson?
• What do you plan to start and end the lesson with?
• How much time do you have for each activity?
• If you still have time after all the activities are done, what are you planning to do?
• If you run out of time, what activities are you planning to drop?

As you plan your lesson, keep in mind that not all students learn at the same pace and in the same way. Tailor your activities and materials to accommodate different learning styles, skill levels and interests. This could mean offering choice in assignments, providing extra support for struggling learners, or challenging high-achievers with extended tasks.

Creating a preschool lesson plan involves careful consideration of the developmental needs and interests of young children. Shaping young minds is a rewarding experience, but it can sometimes feel like juggling too many balls at once.

With so many different essential key skills to teach, using a thorough Preschool lesson plan is important for making sure that your learners progress stays on track.

Break your Preschool lesson plans into learning sections

Preschool curriculums can be complex, covering multiple areas of crucial childhood development.

Help visualize each of these areas in their own right by creating a preschool lesson plan that takes a broad overview.

By breaking your lesson plan into learning sections, like this Preschool lesson plan example, you can get a glance at all elements of your students learning at once.

Get an overview of your week with a weekly lesson plan

A weekly lesson plan works great for preschool education planning, as it helps you identify and build lessons around common themes or goals. In the lesson plan template below, weeks have been broken down into different areas of focus.

Use icons in your Preschool lesson plan

Using icons is a great way to communicate visually. Icons are easy to understand, especially when you’re skimming a document. 

Take this lesson plan template for example, not only do the icons help communicate the lesson themes, they also make the lesson plan example super engaging and fun.

Using icons can also be a great way to help students who struggle with non-visual learning. For more ways to improve your lesson accessibility, check out this guide to creating a Color Blind Friendly Palette .

Creating a math lesson plan involves careful planning and consideration of various elements to ensure effective teaching and learning. Check out these lesson plan ideas for writing the best math lesson plan, as well as some templates you can edit.

Use pops of color in your lesson plans

Just because your lesson plan tackles a complex subject doesn’t mean it has to be boring. In this lesson plan example a mint green color has been used to help break up the design. You could color code different subjects or units if you have multiple classes to teach.

Break your lesson plan into sections to make it easy to follow

Being properly prepared for any eventuality in your lesson starts with good planning. By using sections, like in the lesson plan example below, you can cover all of your bases. 

When lesson planning, consider the following:

• Lesson discussion questions
• Activity options for multiple group sizes
• Lesson notes or feedback

In this math lesson plan activity, the teacher has thought through all of the needs of their class.

Think outside the box when lesson planning

When lesson planning, the world, or at least the internet, is your Oyster. Instead of just teaching vocabulary, use scavenger hunts, word searches, or story activities. 

Try picking a new activity and building your lesson around that. In the lesson activity example below, Merriam-Webster has a dictionary scavenger hunt that will keep students engaged and entertained throughout your English lesson.

Highlight your lesson objectives at the top of your lesson plan

Your learning objectives should guide your lesson planning, not the other way around.

In this sample lesson plan that focuses on analyzing a film for an English class, the learning objectives are housed within the same section as the lesson plan overview, right on the first page:

If you want to learn how to write an actional learning objective , check out this post on learning objective examples .

Science l esson plan examples

Planning a science lesson can mean anything from experiments to monitoring or diagramming and labelling.

Following a template, like in the science lesson plan examples below, can help make sure that your science lessons run smoothly.

Provide a space for reflection in your science lesson plan

Whilst a lesson plan is a place to schedule your activities, it can also be a great document to refer back to when planning future sessions. Adding a reflection section in your science lesson plan can be a great way to add notes about what worked and what didn’t within your lesson, for future reference. 

Break projects down into sections of deliverables

If you’re conducting a difficult lesson, such as a hands-on science project, it can be handy to help yourself and your students by outlining expectations. A checklist can be a great way to make your science lesson plan as effective as possible.

In this lesson plan example, the deliverables have been broken into easy-to-follow checklists.

Use illustrations to bring your lesson plan templates to life

Your lesson plans should inspire you, not bore you! Using illustrations is a great way to bring your lesson plans to life. 

In this sample lesson plan, the teacher has used colorful and playful illustrations to reflect the content of the lessons.

When creating Elementary school lesson plans, you need to make sure that you’re keeping a good overview of many different subjects at once. 

Having a clear, easy to understand Elementary lesson plan, like in the examples below, is really important for making sure that all your learning objectives are being met.

Break your elementary lesson plans into day and subject sections

Elementary students will often be studying various topics and subjects at once and keeping an overview of this can be difficult. By creating a weekly lesson plan you can make sure that your students stay on track. 

In this lesson plan template, subjects and activity have been split across the days, with simple summaries of each section within the lesson plan. 

Include notes sections in your lesson plans

Planning a lesson is important, but reflecting on a lesson is essential. Adding notes sections to your lesson plans, like in this weekly lesson plan example, is a great way to remind yourself to evaluate as you go.

Evaluating yourself and your lessons can be a daunting task. Applying various evaluation strategies, such as a SWOT Analysis , is an easy way to give your evaluations focus.

Creating a high school lesson plan involves a more structured approach, as students at this level are typically engaged in more advanced academic subjects.

Ensuring that your High School lesson plans account for success and reinforcing skills is one way to deliver the best education for your learners.

Include indicators of skill in your high school lesson plans

In high school, lesson plans tend to be more advanced. In the high school lesson plan example below, the teacher has included a section for indicators of skill. 

Indicators of skill are a great way to measure your students’ understanding of a topic and can be used to help inform your planning and teaching. Add two or three skill indicators into your lesson plans to ensure you know how to identify which students may need additional support from you in teaching.

You can also scroll back to the Math lesson plans section for more ideas on high school lesson plan templates.

Remember how I mentioned you should include timelines in your lesson plan? Well, for a high school lesson plan, you can include a timeline template like this one to make sure your students understand all the dates required for their school project:

When creating art lesson plans, use bright colors, patterns, icons and graphics to create a truly engaging visual art lesson plan, like in the examples below.

Art lessons lend themselves to creative and visual learning , so your Art lesson plans should be creative and visual as well.

Incorporate learning examples in your art lesson plans

Art lesson plans can be one of the most fun to create. Art as a visual medium lends itself to an exciting and decorative lesson plan. 

In the art lesson plan example below, the teacher has inserted visual examples to use during the lesson directly into their lesson plan. Collecting all of this information in one place means that you can quickly refer back to your lesson plan mid teaching. 

Be creative with your art lesson plan design

If you’re creating an art course, you’re probably a creative person. Why not let that creativity shine in your lesson plan templates?

Fun illustrations and patterns have been used in the lesson plan sample below to create a visually appealing lesson plan design.

When picking colors for your lesson plan design, some schools will need to be aware of color connotations. Certain colors should be avoided due to gang or rivalry associations. Some schools will also want to ensure that all materials produced fit within your school colors.

Use colors and patterns in your art lesson plan designs

As well as colors, patterns can be used, like in this art lesson plan example, to create interest in your lesson plan design. 

Picking a patterned but simple background is an easy way to add depth to any lesson plan design.

When creating middle school lesson plans, like in the templates and examples below, it’s important to focus on success and simplicity.

Middle school is a time for make or break for many learners. Skills that they learn in middle school carry them through life and it can be a huge weight to carry. But teaching middle school can also be incredibly rewarding. Here are some tips to help you create an effective middle school lesson plan:

Make note of what success looks like in your lesson plan

In teaching, quite often the end goal is not for the students to just arrive at the correct answer, but to understand the process of getting there. Having this mentality in your mind whilst lesson planning is an excellent way to ensure your students are learning effectively and that you are maximizing your teaching impact.

Add a section to your lesson plans as to what success looks like for you and your students like in the Middle School lesson plan template: 

Color code your lesson plan for ease of use

Colors can be a great differentiator in content and color-coding your lesson plans is a great way to make information pop. In this lesson plan example, each day has a different color which makes planning and evaluating much easier.

Related Reading: What Disney Villains Can Tell Us About Color Psychology

Creating simple lesson plans involves breaking down the content into manageable components and incorporating straightforward activities.

Sometimes simple is best—especially when it comes to lesson planning. When you’re panicked mid-teaching, having a simple and straightforward lesson plan that you can take a quick glance at it can be invaluable. 

Keep your lesson plan simple for stressful situations

When performing under pressure, staying simple is usually the best option. Using a clean and modern lesson plan design is one way to ensure that you can stay focused on what matters: teaching. 

Simple doesn’t have to mean boring, though. Using good design principles and following one or two graphic design trends means that your simple lesson plan template can still look smart.

Use an icon to help differentiate different subject lesson plans

Icons are an easy way to differentiate your lesson plans by subject or topic. In the lesson plan example below, a large book icon has been used at the top of the page so that you can quickly see that this is an English lesson plan.

You could use an icon for each subject you teach, or use icons to tell a story . You could even replace the icon with a photo of your lesson materials!

Use an action plan approach in your lesson planning

In the simple lesson plan example, the tasks in the lesson plan have been labeled as an “action plan” . By keeping the lesson plan design simple, the focus is really on the content of the lesson plan.

Creating an action plan when teaching your lessons is a great mindset for creating engaging lessons and proactive teaching.

Creating an English lesson plan is the best way to keep track of all the learning strands and activities that are needed for learning success.

Imagination, drama, romance and tragedy. English lessons have it all. But they can also be complicated to teach, with many moving parts to any one lesson. 

Like you’ll see in the English lesson plan examples below, creating engaging activities to a strict time schedule is perfectly possible with enough planning.

Use your lesson plan to schedule each activity by the minute

Any teacher will know the feeling of reaching the end of your material with 10 minutes left in the lesson.

Avoid running short (or running over!) in your lessons by planning down to the minute. The English lesson plan example below measures out timings for each activity so you finish perfectly on time. 

You can use a timer on your interactive whiteboard , or get students to time themselves. Scheduling is a great skill to incorporate into any lesson plan.

Creating a history lesson plan is essential for a successful session no matter if you’re teaching the near past or the ancient history.

Using common teaching resources such as timeline infographics , or imaginative play and learning are exciting ways to make your History lesson plans exciting.

Prepare for history lessons with a history timeline infographic

Teaching history effectively and engagingly relies on the teacher’s ability to bring the past back to life. For some students, mentally visualizing history can be difficult. A timeline infographic is a great way to teach historical events.

When planning your history lesson, make sure you have all of your timelines sorted. You can either prepare your history timelines in advance or get the students to create their own history timeline as part of the lesson activity.

Venngage has a whole range of timeline infographic templates that are easy to customize. 

Want to learn more about how to create a timeline infographic ? Check out the video below:

Use themes and historical events to enrich your lesson planning

When planning your history lessons, look for topical themes or historical events that you can anchor your lesson plan around.

In the lesson plan example below, the teacher is using Black History Month as an anchor point for their students’ learning.

Teaching the historical significance of Black History Monthand engaging students in related learning activities throughout February is a great way to contextualize current affairs. There are plenty of resources online to help create your Black History Month lesson plans.

Related Reading: Looking for other global holidays and events to theme your lessons on? Check this Ultimate List of Holidays .

Creating a kindergarten lesson plan involves similar principles to those used for preschoolers but with a bit more structure and focus on foundational academic skills.

We all know that meme “teaching kindergarten is like using a blender without a lid”. Staying organized is super important and having thorough easy-to-follow kindergarten lesson plans is one way to make sure your teaching stays on track. 

Use themes to help plan your Kindergarten lessons

Help your kindergarteners embrace learning by using themes to plan their education. Themes are a great way to work through lots of different learning activities under one thematic umbrella.

This kindergarten lesson plan example uses St Patrick’s Day as its thematic anchor and bases Math, Art, Science and more off of one common theme. 

Make your lesson plans easy to skim

We’ve all been in a spot when our mind goes blank and we need to quickly refer back to our lesson plan. Especially if you’re interviewing or teaching in front of others.

By making your lesson plans easy to skim, you can quickly regain your train of thought and continue conducting a successful lesson.

In the sample lesson plan below the teacher has used simple blocks, checklists and icons to help ensure their lesson plan is easy to understand at a glance.

When creating eLearning , distance learning, remote learning, digital learning lesson plans—basically, anything outside the usual classroom setup—always be ready for its own set of unique challenges.

Engaging learners from behind a screen, or creating lessons that can exist outside of a traditional classroom environment can be difficult. But proper eLearning lesson plans can help you navigate non-traditional learning environments.

Break your eLearning lesson plan into activities or subjects

With so many people shifting to remote or digital learning keeping track of all of your separate subjects can be difficult. Creating an eLearning lesson plan that is broken into smaller chunks, with space for each topic, is an easy way to keep learning on track.

In this eLearning lesson plan example subjects are color coded and broken into small blocks.

For more examples of eLearning lesson plans, check out this post on course design templates .

Looking for more eLearning resources?

• 7 Ways to use eLearning Infographics
• Digital Learning Communication Resources  
• What is an Infographic?
• 10 Types of Visual Aids for Learning

Use a daily schedule when learning remotely

Learning remotely can be a big change for both teachers and students. One way to keep your learning on track is with an easy-to-follow daily schedule. Using a daily schedule as a lesson plan, like in the example below, is one way to maintain a routine during difficult times.

As well as scheduling within your lesson plan, you can also create a calendar to help keep your students on track.

Allow time for creativity and fun in your lesson plans

One of the biggest benefits of eLearning, Remote Learning and Digital Learning is that you can stray from the confines of a traditional classroom. 

Giving students the opportunity to explore topics creatively can be one way to engage your learners in difficult times. Every student will have a different learning style and by scheduling structured creative learning activities you can ensure that your entire class has the opportunity to thrive.

To sum up: Use a lesson plan template to write an actionable and easy-to-follow lesson plan

Writing a lesson plan from scratch can be difficult, which is why Venngage has created tons of lesson plan templates you can edit easily. You can also draw inspiration from the different lesson plan examples in this post to customize your lesson plan template.

Simply create a Venngage account, pick the template you want and begin editing. It’s free to get started.

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List of 107 Classroom Teaching Strategies (With Examples)

Use this list of 107 classroom teaching strategies for your lesson plan or teaching portfolio. This can help demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and the ability to apply theory to practice.

Or, try some of these strategies out when you’re low on ideas and looking for a fresh way to teach in the classroom. Note that these are just some examples of teaching strategies – I’m sure there are even more out there!

Tip: Bookmark this page so you can come back to it every time you need some new teaching strategies!

Teaching Strategies Examples (List)

1. flipped instruction.

Description

Flipped classrooms involve asking students to complete the reading, preparation and introductory work at home. Then, during class time, the students do practice questions that they would traditionally do for homework.

• Flipped instruction enables the teacher to offload the direct instruction elements of education like Introductions to homework. This enables teachers to spend more time on student-centered differentiated support .
• Students may not complete their assigned pre-class homework, which will undermine the lesson.

Theoretical Link

Social Constructivism / Socio-Cultural Theory : The teacher can spend more time supporting students in a student-centered environment.

• Assign a video introducing a concept for homework.
• Spend the first 10 minutes of the lesson assessing students’ comprehension of the video
• Jump straight into student-centered practice tasks
• Walk around the class helping students who need additional support for the rest of the lesson

See my full article on Flipped Classrooms Pros and Cons.

Related Article: 25 Teaching Styles Examples

2. Play-based learning

Students learn cognitive, social, and physical skills during play tasks. Tasks can be teacher-led with specific goals (e.g. volume transfer in a sandpit) or unstructured student-led play.

• Engagement: students may be more engaged during active play-based learning compared to teacher-centered instruction.
• Cognition : students get the opportunity to learn through discovery and trial-and-error, helping to build neural pathways
• Social: students play together, developing communication, groupwork, and negotiation skills.
• Physical: play engages fine and gross motor functions , helping to improve physical abilities.
• Many traditionalist, including many parents and potentially your head teacher, may consider play to have no educational or academic benefit.
• Parents may frown upon this method for older students, despite its benefits across age groups.
• Many people consider that the risks of injury during play-based learning are too high.

( Read More: Pros and Cons of Play Based Learning )

Social Constructivism. Students learn through social interaction and building knowledge in their minds through trial and error.

Play is also encouraged in all 5 Contemporary Early Childhood Perspectives (Froebel, Reggio Emilia, Forest Schools , Steiner-Waldorf Schools, and Montessori).

• Use modelled instruction to show students how to play with developmentally appropriate resource-rich toys and puzzles. Consider puzzles that require mathematical skills that link to current curriculum outcomes.
• Provide students with the puzzles and allow free unstructured play time
• Mingle with the students, helping them with prompting and guiding questions
• End the lesson with a whole group discussion of what they learned during the lesson.

See my full article on Play Based Learning Pros and Cons .

3. Project-based learning (PBL)

Project-based learning requires students to spend an extended period of time (e.g. a week or more) on a single project to gain in-depth knowledge about the task. The projects should be personally meaningful and give students freedom to go in-depth on areas of interest.

• Students have the opportunity to become ‘experts’ on topics. By going deep on a topic, students may become very knowledgeable and feel empowered.
• A balance is struck between ensuring students focus on curriculum-linked projects and giving students the freedom to explore the details of a topic that are of personal interest.
• Students tend to have increased freedom using this approach. So, students need to learn self-regulation skills before beginning the task.

Constructivism in the Classroom : Students work independently using their own intellect and resources to learn. By doing personal research, students ‘construct’ knowledge in their minds and apply that knowledge to the project to demonstrate their knowledge.

• Teacher assigns students a research question, such as “What are the key characteristics of mammals?”
• Students work in small groups to come up with an idea for a poster, diagram, or presentation project on the topic.
• Teacher approves or asks for amendments of students’ proposed projects.
• Students are provided a series of lessons over a 2-week period in computer labs and in resource-rich classrooms to complete their project.
• Teacher checks-in intermittently to ensure standards are upheld and to stimulate students to improve upon their projects.
• The project concludes with students presenting their project to their parents.

4. Authentic Learning

Authentic learning involves having students learn about concepts in real-life (or near real-life) environments. Similarly, authentic assessment refers to assessments in real-life (or near real-life) environments

• By learning a task within its context, a student will understand its value for them outside of the classroom.
• Engagement: students may be more engaged in a task if they understand its practical application rather than just its theoretical purpose.
• Cognition and Memory: Students may find it easier to recall information if they can reflect on an instance in which they applied the knowledge to a real-life task.
• Authentic learning tasks are difficult to set-up from within a classroom.
• It is debatable whether so-called ‘authentic’ environments are genuinely authentic. A mock supermarket experience for practicing counting money, for example, lacks the potential for environmental distractions of a real-life situation.
• Some information is by its very nature academic and theoretical rather than practical, and this information is still of value to students.

Constructivism: Authentic learning environments are designed for students to be active learners who ‘construct’ knowledge through personal experience.

• An ESL teacher provides students with a set of conversational tasks to complete during a day’s field trip to the city.
• Students complete the tasks in the ‘real world’ by walking around the city asking for directions, buying lunch, etc.
• Class comes together at the end of the day to discuss and reflect on their experiences of applying their knowledge in the ‘real world’.

5. Discovery Learning

Discovery learning involves allowing students maximum freedom within a resource-rich environment to ‘discover’ answers to challenges. It requires students to build upon prior knowledge and use resources available in the environment to increase their own knowledge.

Discovery learning is often held in contrast to teacher-centered approaches, as students are not ‘told’ information; instead, they must discover knowledge for themselves..

• Students generate knowledge for themselves rather than being told what is right and wrong.
• By discovering truths, students will have a firmer understanding for the reasoning behind why something is true.
• Too much student freedom may distract students from the learning outcomes.
• This can be a time-consuming technique as students discover information at their own pace. It can therefore be difficult to implement in education systems that are packed with curriculum outcomes that must be met.

Construcitivism: Students generate their own knowledge through engagement with their environment rather than having truths ‘told’ to them by an authority figure.

• Teacher places the appropriate resources in the classroom to allow students to discover truths themselves. These resources may include science experiment stations, newspaper articles, etc.
• Teacher transparently presents the lesson objectives to the students, i.e. “What is heavier – sand or water?”
• Students are given minimal guidance, but sent to the learning stations to try to answer the prompt themselves.
• Teacher provides minimal guidance, recognizing that making mistakes and trying the ‘wrong thing’ is also a part of the discovery experience.
• Students get together at the end of the class to discuss what they ‘discovered’.

6. High Expectations

Setting high expectation involves requiring students to put in maximum effort during their lessons. HIgh expectations does not mean expecting all students to meet a certain standard. Rather, it means expecting each student to try to beat their own personal best.

• High expectations are necessary to ensure students continue to strive for improvement. Without high expectations in the classroom, students can become lazy and lose respect for education.
• Teachers need to be aware that sometimes students have ‘off days’ where they cannot succeed at their normal level. This may be due to health, hunger, or environmental factors .
• Teachers need to balance high expectations with compassion for their students. Try not to let burnout occur due to strenuous demands.
• Measure students’ prior knowledge to ascertain their current developmental level.
• Have students aim to achieve at or above their current ability in a given task.
• If students underperform, provide formative feedback and insist they readdress their work to make edits and improvements.
• Allow students to progress to subsequent tasks only when their work has met or exceeded the minimum standard you set for that individual.

See my full article on High Expectations in the Classroom .

7. Parent and Community Engagement

Parent and community engagement involves bringing students together with their community. It can involve bringing parents and community members into the classroom, or bringing students out into the community on field trips.

• By engaging with the community, students come to see themselves as a member of their community.
• It can help students to get to know important members of their community to give them a sense of belonging, and help them see (and, in the future, seek) support networks.
• By bringing role models into the classroom (especially minority and female role models), students can come to see that they could potentially become female firefighters, politicians of color, etc.
• Students can learn from more than just one teacher to get a variety of perspectives.
• Safety concerns often require teachers and community members to fill-in forms and complete background checks before community engagement can occur.
• Finding members of the community willing to work with teachers can be difficult.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory: Students learn within family and community contexts (children’s ‘first teachers’) in order to respect and carry-on culturally engaged learning.

• Teacher does networking to find community members willing to come into the classroom.
• Teacher finds relevant curriculum links that community members can help them teach about.
• Teacher and community members meet to discuss a lesson idea.
• Community members and teachers team-teach in the classroom.
• Students are given the opportunity for one-on-one time with community members.
• Students present the results of their lesson to community members before community members leave.

8. Unconditional Positive Regard

Unconditional positive regard involves teachers consistently and unconditionally viewing students as capable and competent. When students make mistakes, fail, or misbehave, it is the teacher’s role to continue to let students know that they believe in the student and their abilities.

• Empowering: when students are given unconditional positive regard, they know that their teacher believes in their ability to constantly do better.
• Shows Empathy and builds Trust: children come to learn to respect and trust their teacher when they know their teacher is always on ‘their side’.
• Teachers need to ensure that they still let students know that inappropriate behavior or lack of effort is unacceptable. The teacher should follow-up their discipline with comments about positive regard.

Humanist theory of Education : Humanist Carl Rogers invented this approach. He believed unconditional positive regard was necessary for building students’ self-confidence.

• “Even though you did not do well today, I expect that you will come to school doing better tomorrow.”
• “The quality of your work does not match your potential. Let’s talk about some strategies for improvement before you go away and do it again.”

See my full post on the Humanist approach to Education .

9. Modeled Teaching

Modeled teaching is an instructional strategy that involves the teacher ‘showing’ students how to do a task. The teacher shows the task while also breaking it down into small steps. This helps students to see how to complete the task.

• A very effective way to introduce new topics.
• The teacher maintains control when introducing a new idea to ensure students have appropriate understanding and safety knowledge before trying for themselves.
• Shows that learning can occur passively – students can learn simply by watching.
• Not appropriate as a standalone strategy. Students need to eventually try things alone to show competency. Therefore, consider matching modeled teaching up with the I Do, We Do, You Do method

Bandura’s Behaviorism: Bandura blends behaviorism with constructivism by showing that learning can occur through observation only.

See my full post on Behaviorism in Education , which has a segment on Bandura’s modelled instruction approach.

10. I Do We Do You Do Method

The I Do, We Do, You Do method is a scaffolding strategy that provides gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the student. It involves three steps: (1) I Do: Teacher models the task; (2) We Do: Student and teacher do the task together; (3) You Do: Student attempts to complete the task alone.

• Students are provided an appropriate balance of support and freedom.
• Teacher has ample time to assess students’ abilities to make adjustments to their pedagogy as they move through the 3 steps (particularly in step 2)
• In large groups, students may fall behind at Steps 2 and 3.

Sociocultural Theory: Students learn through social interaction with a more knowledgeable other (see: Lev Vygotsky).

• Teacher asks all students to sit on a mat at the front of the class.
• Teacher models the steps required to complete the day’s task (I Do).
• Teacher re-does the task. This time, instead of telling the students the steps, the teacher asks students to raise their hand and tell the teacher what to do next (We Do)
• Teacher asks students to complete the task in small groups. Teacher walks around providing support (We Do)
• Students complete the lesson by doing the task alone. Teacher only intervenes for the few students who are still struggling (You Do)

See my full guide on implementing the I Do, We Do, You Do method .

11. Guided Practice / Cognitive Apprenticeship

Students follow along with their teacher as an ‘apprentice’. By working side-by-side, they learn the subtle little things (‘ tacit knowledge ’) required to know in order to master a skill.

• Students get very close one-to-one interaction with an expert, helping them learn.
• By learning-by-doing, the student learns not only the theory but also the skills required to complete tasks.
• An approach predominantly used for young children in Indigenous communities, which is not applicable on a wide scale in Western mass education systems.
• Requires one-to-one support, which is not often available.

Socio-Cultural Theory: Rogoff studied Guatemalan Indigenous teaching methods to come up with this approach. It fits under the socio-cultural theory because its emphasis is on social interaction between master and apprentice.

Common in trade schools for students studying to be mechanics, engineers, etc.

See my full guides on the Guided Practice teaching strategy and cognitive fexibility .

12. Scaffolding

Scaffolding involves providing support to students while they cannot complete a task alone. Then, when the student can complete the task alone, the teacher withdraws their support.

• Students feel supported while learning tasks that are just outside of their grasp at the present time.
• A clear way of guiding students towards new skills.
• May require a lot of one-to-one support, which can be difficult to provide in a classroom environment.

Socio-Cultural Theory: Scaffolding was invented by Jerome Bruner ( not Vygotsky).

• The teacher models a task before students try it themselves.
• The teacher provides the student with a visual aid (the scaffold, in this instance) that breaks the task down into small parts.
• After 15 minutes of practice with the visual aid, the aid is withdrawn and the students try the task alone.

13. Direct Instruction (a.k.a Explicit Teaching)

Direct instruction (also known as explicit teaching) is a teacher-centered approach that involves the teacher using simple straightforward language to explain concepts to students.

• Provides clear and direct knowledge to students
• Is sometimes the only way to teach something, particularly when introducing a new idea.
• Students cannot consolidate their knowledge with direct instruction alone. Explicit teaching should be followed-up with other teaching strategies that involve more active learning so students can practice and demonstrate their knowledge.

Behaviorism: Traditionally, direct instruction was embraced by behaviorists who believed in teacher-centered teaching. Today, it is used in most teaching approaches.

14. Repetition (Rote Learning)

Repetition involves giving students time to retry tasks over and over again until it is consolidated in their minds. The information should be safely in a student’s long-term memory before moving on.

• Repetition commits information to memory, and is often one of the only ways to ensure something is truly remembered long-term.
• Repetitive rote learning that lacks contextual background is hard to remember. Sometimes, giving context through doing tasks through real-life scenarios can be better for memory long-term.
• Repetition can disengage students and demotivate them.
• Doesn’t account for social and cognitive aspects of learning.

Behaviorism: Repetition is central to a behaviorist approach. Pavlov, a famous behaviorist found that he could teach his dog through repetitively associating a bell with food. The dog came to learn through repetition that the bell meant ‘food’.

See my full post on Behaviorism in Education.

15. Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition builds on simple repetition. Spaced repetition involves gradually increasing the space between times you repeat something. Repetition of a task should be very common. Over time, the task should be re-examined less and less often.

The idea behind spaced repetition is that the concept being learned is re-engaged with just before it is forgotten so that it is consistently recalled into memory and gradually sedimented into long-term memory.

• Provides long-term support to ensure students remember information over a sustained period of time.
• Perfect for revision and standardized test preparation.
• Can be disengaging and boring for students who tend to prefer active learning.

Behaviorism: Spaced repetition was invented by behaviorist theorist Ebbinghaus in 1885.

• Provide students with a sprinkle of review tasks as a part of their weekly homework.
• Start lessons (or set aside some time each week) with revision of tasks from months previously to jog students’ memory.

16. Prompting

Prompting involves providing students with nudges, guides and questions that will help them to move closer towards an answer. A prompt is a suggestion to a student that they pay attention to a particular aspect of a task that will help them get closer to the answer.

• Prompts are used regularly by teachers to get beyond blocks in student learning. Without prompts, students may never develop or improve.
• It is hard to know exactly how much prompting to give and at what stage. Students need time to think things through and make mistakes. Too much prompting too soon can prevent students from thinking for themselves.

Social Constructivism: Social constructivists believe teachers have a role in helping students to build knowledge in their minds. Teachers’ interventions can help spur knowledge development.

• A teacher might ask a question to get the student to look at the task from a different perspective.
• A teacher may point at a section of a diagram and ask them about that section.
• A teacher might start a sentence and ask a student to finish it.

17. Differentiation

Differentiation is a teaching strategy that requires teachers to change their teaching styles and educational materials to meet the diverse needs of students within a classroom. It generally involves grouping students into several sub-groups in the classroom based on ability, skillset or learning preferences.

• Enables the teacher to more effectively address the diverse needs of students in a large classroom.
• Ensures learning is more personalized in the hope that no child will be left behind in a lesson.
• Differentiation is often used as an excuse to dumb down a task – differentiated instruction should be paired with high expectations to ensure all students are working to their maximum potential.

Socio-cultural Theory: This approach acknowledges that all students have different social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, each student requires a personalized learning approach. It realizes that one size fits all will not work because all students are different.

• Separate students into three ability groups: Advanced, Middle, and Lower. The advanced students can be provided with project-based learning tasks to complete while the teacher works with the middle and lower groups to provide additional support.
• Provide students with a range of tasks that addresses the same learning outcome. Students can choose between different tasks depending on their learning preferences.

18. Manipulatives

Manipulatives are physical educational toys (or: ‘tools’) which are used to support learning. Providing students with physical manipulatives during learning enables them to visualize their learning in a 3D space.

• Students can learn more actively when they have manipulatives than when learning through teacher-centered direct instruction methods.
• Helps students who need to visualize information to learn.
• Creation of physical models helps students to form mental models (‘ cognitive schemata ’).
• It can be expensive to gather enough materials for all students in a classroom.
• Providing students with toys can distract them from the task. Strong classroom management skills are required.

Constructivism: Constructivists including Freidrich Froebel and Maria Montessori have advocated for the use of educational toys to help students to explore and discover in student-led active learning contexts.

• Base Tens ‘Dienes Cubes’ are cubes that can be bunched into singles, groups of ten, groups of 100, and groups of 1000 to help students visualize the decimal system of counting.
• Colored beads can be used to help students in early childhood learn to recognize patterns.
• Froebel’s Gifts are 9 manipulative toys that students can use to solve developmentally appropriate puzzles.

19. Prior Knowledge Assessment

Prior knowledge assessment entails assessing students’ knowledge at the beginning of a unit of work in order to teach students at an appropriate level. If prior knowledge does not take place, teachers may teach content at a level that is either above or below a class’s optimal learning level.

• Ensures the content being taught is at an appropriate level.
• Respects the fact that students come into the classroom with pre-existing knowledge.
• Identifies misconceptions students may have about a topic.
• Enables teachers to take into account students’ cultural knowledge when preparing a unit of work.
• Ensure you assess prior knowledge well in advance so you can plan lessons based on prior knowledge. I’ve assessed prior knowledge at the start of a class before and realized the lesson I planned was completely useless!

20. Student-Teacher Conference

A student-teacher conference is a one-on-one discussion between a student and a teacher to take stock of a student’s needs. The conference usually involves a discussion of both strengths as well as areas for improvement. The conference should conclude with a list of goals for the teacher and student to mutually strive toward.

• An opportunity for both the teacher and student to express concerns and anxieties
• Helps students to feel ‘seen’, valued and cared for by the teacher
• Hard to achieve in every lesson. Teachers could consider systematically conferring with one or two students per lesson until all students are met with.
• There is a power imbalance in the student-teacher relationship which may prevent students from speaking candidly.

Socio-Cultural Theory: Interactions between teachers and students are important to learning within the socio-cultural approach.

• Print a list of your students with a column for ‘achievements’, ‘goals’ and ‘struggles’. Over the course of a week, meet up with your students and discuss with them what they’ve achieved in the current unit of work, what their goals are, and what the barriers are to achieving those goals.

21. Fill-In the Gaps (Cloze Passages)

A simple teaching strategy that involves asking students to fill-in an incomplete piece of text. This can happen verbally (starting a paragraph and asking students to complete it) and in writing (a traditional cloze passage).

• Helps students to jog their own memories by prompting them slightly.
• Enables teachers to quickly assess students’ knowledge (just-in-time assessment).
• Cannot be a consistently used strategy as students also need to learn through more challenging approaches such as discovery learning and project-based learning.
• Paper cloze passages involving a story in which the key phrases are removed.
• Prompting questions like: “Can you finish this sentence? The first king of England was …”

22. Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)

Has the teacher step aside and allows students to take charge of the learning environment.

• Students can often explain concepts to one another in a clear way because they’re on the same level and closer in their learning journey than the teacher, who probably learned the content years ago!
• Peer assisted learning is not the same as the students doing the teaching. Students should continue to view each others as partners in learning.

Socio-Cultural Theory: students learning through collaborative discussion fits firmly into the sociocultural theory of education .

• Invite students from a grade level above to come into the classroom and act as moderators of discussions on topics of interest.
• Pair stronger students with weaker students. Have the stronger students demonstrate their knowledge by supporting the weaker students. I find this works really well because children can often explain things in a clear language that other children can understand.

23. Poster Presentations

A poster presentation is a great way to demonstrate knowledge at the end of a lesson or unit of work. Provide the students with posters, pens, and printing materials if required.

• A fast, effective way of presenting knowledge to the class.
• Allows students to practice demonstration skills.
• Ends up with a physical product that can be photographed and added to the student’s portfolio to prove that outcomes have been met.
• Can be a lazy way to achieve presentation of knowledge. Ensure the focus remains on the content and not the coloring-in or drawing pretty pictures.
• Not useful for all lessons: when students can create a working model, diagram, etc. this would be preferred.
• Have students work in groups to write up their knowledge in a visually engaging way.
• Then, have each group verbally present their poster to the class.

24. Two-Minute Presentation

Two Minute verbal presentations, like posters, are an effective way of having students demonstrate their knowledge at the end of a lesson or unit of work. Each student gets two minutes to present their knowledge on a topic to the rest of the class.

• An effective, fast way of doing summative assessment.
• It is an inefficient use of other students’ time having them listen to 20 other two-minute presentations when they could be engaging in higher-order learning during that time. Students find it very boring and frustrating to sit through the assessment of other students.
• Use the two-minute presentation method for the final lesson in a series of lessons on one topic.
• Have students read over their notes from previous classes and write a summary of the top 10 points.
• Have students prepare their two-minute presentations by adding the notes to palm cards. With 10 points, students have about 12 second per point!
• Ensure students have time to practice with one another and instruct them on how to take additional notes on their palm cards for points they forgot during practice.
• If each student has a different topic or angle to present engagement may be enhanced during the class presentations.

25. De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats

De Bono’s 6 thinking hats strategy asks students to look at an issue from multiple perspectives. It can be used for groups or individuals. Depending on the hat a student is provided, they have to think from a different perspective.

The Six Hats

• White hat: Provide the facts.
• Yellow hat: Explore the positives.
• Black hat: Explore the negatives (devil’s advocate).
• Red hat: Express your feelings and intuitions . Include concerns, dislikes and likes.
• Green hat: Be creative. Come up with new ideas and alternatives.
• Blue hat: The manager who ensures all the hats are sticking to their lane.
• Helps students to think outside of their own perspectives.
• Encourages students to attack an issue from many different angles.
• Teachers group work skills if used in a group.
• I often find it’s hard to get groups of 6, so sometimes one student has to use two hats.
• Introduce a contentious topic with a video or reading.
• Distribute hats to the students.
• Have students spend some time brainstorming what they would say on the issue from their perspective. If you have a large class, group all the white hats together, red hats together, etc. to work in groups for this part.
• Then rearrange students into groups where there is one colored hat per group (groups of 6 is ideal, or 5 with one person taking the role of blue hat as well).
• At the end of the class, have a whole group discussion summing up our points and list the details of the topic on the white board. Hopefully students will see that the issue is a very complex one!

26. Pop Quiz

A pop quiz is a short test that takes place with no prior warning. The quiz can be formative or summative. Link the quiz to rewards to keep students motivated to do well and be prepared at any moment.

• Can be motivating for students who enjoy the challenge of competing with themselves or others.
• Keeps students on their toes which encourages ongoing review and homework on the part of the students.
• May worry some students who are unprepared.

27. Democratic Vote

Taking a democratic vote is a progressive education strategy that attempts to empower students in the classroom. Have students vote on what or how they will learn within the classroom. This can be done at a small scale in a lesson plan by asking students to vote on how a lesson will progress, for example.

• Can empower students, giving them a sense of ownership over the classroom.
• Can build trust and rapport between the students and the teacher.
• Helps the teacher take the pulse of the class and understand what they want and need.
• Teachers may lose their power and control over the class if they overuse this approach.
• Just because the majority supports something, it doesn’t mean it’s best. A small group of students may fall behind and have their voices drowned out by the majority.

Progressive Education: Progressive educators such as Alfie Kohn advocate for empowering students through increased democracy in the classroom.

See my full post on Citizenship Education .

28. Non-Verbal Gestures

Using non-verbal gestures are powerful ways to help students learn, as well as to manage the classroom. Educators can explicitly teach signs or use gestures common in society.

• Teachers can give individual students instant feedback that is subtle and does not disrupt the rest of the class.
• Students feel acknowledged when small gestures are used just for them.
• It is a non-intrusive way of prompting students.
• Cultural sensitivity required. Different cultures ascribe different meanings to non-verbal gestures.
• Nods of approval can let a student know you have recognized their good work without disrupting the flow of the lesson.
• Pointing can be used to direct students’ attention toward prompts around the room or on worksheets that may help stimulate thinking.
• Tapping a watch can remind students to pay attention to time limitations of a lesson.

29. Environmental Manipulation

Environments have a strong impact on learning. Temperature, lighting, seating plans , colors and posters on the walls can all affect learning.

• A non-intrusive way of supporting learning.
• Helps students feel more comfortable in the classroom.
• Your classroom has limitations which may prevent the ideal environmental settings.
• Different students may work better in different environments (e.g. heat settings)

Humanism: Teachers pay attention to the conditions required for creating an optimal learning environment.

Classical Conditioning (Behaviorism): Students are ‘conditioned’ by cause-and-effect mechanisms that are subtle and that they aren’t even aware of.

For more, see my full post on behaviorism in education.

• When a class is too loud, try subtly turning off the fan. It’s amazing how often this small environmental manipulation can quiet down a class.
• Ensure the classroom is not too dark. A dark classroom can impede reading, especially for students who do not have perfect eyesight.
• Heat and noise can both prevent learning.
• Calm colors on the walls can help students relax into the learning environment.

30. Associative Learning

Associative learning takes place when several ideas are introduced to a student that are mutually reinforcing. In the classroom, this means presenting students with several stimulus materials that help a student to recall a fact.

• Is very effective during revision for an exam.
• Has questionable long-term benefits as at this stage the concept is not yet solidly consolidated in long-term memory. The recall of information is dependant on other associated information.

Behaviorism (Pavlov’s Dog): Most famously, Pavlov managed to get a dog to associate the ringing of a bell with food. The dog would salivate whenever the bell rang, whether or not there was food around.

Cognitive Constructivism: while associative learning is most commonly associated with Pavlov, constructivists also have an explanation. The more associations someone has with a topic, the more neural pathways are created connecting ideas. This helps improve memory recall.

See Also: Non-Associative Learning

• The teacher presents students with rhyming pairs to help a student associate one word with another. This can be effective in teaching vocabulary.
• When attempting to recall a fact, you can try to reflect on where you were and what else you were talking about when that fact was first introduced to you.

31. Cooperative Learning (Group Work)

Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy that involves having students work together rather than in competition. Usually, this takes place in small groups where the success of the group is dependant on the students working together to achieve a common goal (also known as positive interdependence). See more: Cooperative learning examples .

• Minimizes destructive competitiveness in the classroom which may undermine a collaborative and collegial atmosphere.
• Requires students to talk to one another which can help them learn from each other’s perspectives.
• Students need to be explicitly taught group work skills before participating.
• Some students may become lazy and let others do the work for the whole group.

Sociocultural Theory: Learning is stimulated when students converse with one another. They get to see others’ viewpoints which may help each student build upon or challenge their existing views.

32. Agenda Setting

The teacher presents the students with the agenda at the start of the day. The use of visual aids may be helpful here, allowing students to see a timeline of the day’s events on the board at the front of the classroom.

• Very effective for students with autism who often feel calmed knowing there is some structure to their day.
• Helps relax students into a day or even a lesson by giving them certainty about what’s to come.
• Any benefits that may arise lack scientific backing.
• Download a card set of images that represent different lesson types and activities. Use this card set to lay out a visual timeline for the students every morning.

33. Team Teaching

Instead of one teacher delivering a lesson to a group of students, several teachers get their classes together to teach one lesson to a larger group.

• Teachers can be more flexible. One teacher may take the role of presenter while the other acts as a support with students falling behind.
• Teachers can share the workload, particularly for preparation.
• Large groups may lead to some students falling behind without the teachers realizing.
• There is the potential for more noise distractions and subversive behavior in large groups.
• Teachers need to have the same work ethic for this to be effective.
• Large class sizes required.
• Consider having one teacher take the lead on all mathematics lessons and the other take the lead on all literature lessons. This enables each teacher to become more expert on their topic.

34. Directing Attention

Directing attention involves diverting students away from negative non-learning behaviors and towards positive behaviors by presenting them with engaging learning materials or ideas.

• Prevents negative behaviors without confrontation.
• Focuses on creating engaging lessons.
• Can be done multiple times in one lesson whenever a teacher sees a student is distracted.
• Tends to be more effective with younger children than older children.
• Use visual aids, worksheets and manipulatives to help direct and maintain students’ attention on something physical. With adults, I use flipchart paper (also known as butcher’s paper) as the prop to direct attention.

34. Visual Aids

Visual aids are any objects used in the classroom to attract students’ eyes and therefore immerse them more into a lesson. Visual aids can have both cognitive benefits (see: cognitive tools) and engagement benefits.

• Engagement: students are more likely to pay attention if they have something to look at.
• Cognition: some students may benefit from visualizing a concept to help them order ideas in their minds.
• Visual learning : some learners prefer learning visually than aurally (see: learning styles).
• A visual aid needs an educational purpose. Consider why you are using the visual aid before deciding to use it.
• Graphic Organizers
• Educational toys (see: Manipulatives)

35. Flexible Seating

Allowing students to sit where they choose, rather than having assigned seating, has had a resurgence in popularity in the past decade. A flexible seating classroom often has a range of differently organized workstations, allowing students to select a spot to sit that’s most comfortable for them and which best suits the style of learning that will be occuring in that lesson.

• Can reduce sedentary periods of time by allowing students to move around more during a lesson.
• Enables students to sit at a table that best suits their learning (computer table, group table, individual table, on a bean bag, etc.)
• There is often not enough space at workstations, meaning students end up not actually sitting where they choose.
• Often students like to have a spot they can call their own. It helps give students a sense of place and belonging.
• This approach is very common in the Agile Learning Spaces and Flexible Classrooms movement.

See my full post on the Common Classroom Seating Arrangements .

36. Formative Assessment (a.k.a Assessment for Learning)

Formative assessment involves assessing students’ learning throughout the learning process, not just at the end. Formative assessments can take place at one point in a unit of work or regularly throughout a lesson.

• Allows teachers to adjust their teaching if students are not quite up to where you expected, or if they are exceeding your expectations.
• Students get feedback on their progress before the summative assessment, allowing them to adjust.
• Gives the teacher a better understanding of their students. If a student fails a summative assessment but the teacher knows the student could do the task at the formative stage, more investigation can take place to see why there is a discrepancy.
• Can be time consuming to constantly assess students’ abilities.
• Formative assessments often lack the authority of summative assessment pieces.
• Formative assessments can be simple stops to get feedback and ongoing questioning of students.
• They can also take the form of pop quizzes or student-teacher conferences.

37. Summative Assessment

Summative assessments take place at the end of a unit of work and are often the formal final / overall grading of a student’s knowledge.

• Summative assessments are necessary for providing a final grade for a student and are often required by school boards.
• Summative assessments give students something to strive toward which may keep them motivated and encourage them to study.
• They are seen as too high-stakes and can cause stress for students.
• If a student does poorly, the assessment is right at the end, so the teacher and student often don’t have any more time address the problems and help progress the student’s learning.
• Standardized tests.
• Assessments for student portfolios.
• End-of-year exams.
• Entry exams.

38. Gamification

Gamification involves implementing elements of gameplay in your lessons. This can be as simple as creating a competition out of a mathematics quiz.

Recently, computer software such as excel and programming languages have been used in the classroom as elements of ‘digital’ gamification.

Don’t confuse gamification with game-based learning, which is discussed next.

• Gamification can make boring lessons fun , thereby increasing the engagement and motivation of students.
• Teachers must not lose focus on the learning outcomes that must be met. ‘Fun’ is not the goal, it is the means for achieving the goal, which is always learning .
• Get your students into two groups and have them compete in a trivia contest based on your lesson content.
• Give students table groups and reward tables with points depending oh how well they do.

See my full article on the pros and cons of digital play.

39. Game-Based Learning

Not to be confused with gamification, game-based learning involves the use of actual games (board games, computer games, sports games, etc.) into a lesson.

While gamification involves using elements of gameplay into lessons (points, competitions), game-based learning involves using actual games in a lesson.

• Students often love video games at home, so they get excited that they can play them in school as well.
• Games can also support cognition by prompting students to complete and practice tasks to win games. See also: cognitive tools.
• Parents may feel playing games in the classroom is not acceptable. Make sure parents know your reasoning behind using games.
• Ensure the focus remains on the learning outcomes, not just on ‘having fun’.
• Minecraft is a very popular computer game that is used in classrooms.
• Sim City is a popular game for city design courses.
• Use card games to teach counting. I teach ESL students counting using the game UNO.

See my full article on game-based learning as well as my explanations about how to use minecraft and sandbox games in the classroom .

40. Coaching

A coach does not stand in front of players and simply tell them what the ‘facts’ are. A coach stands behind a player. He watches the player and gives feedback on their performance. His job is to encourage, suggest adjustments and be the support network for the player.

Coaching is one of the great metaphors for teaching . A teacher who uses coaching as a strategy tried to emulate the role of the coach: observing and offering support and suggestions for adjustments.

• Student-centered : the student is the focus and the teacher is the supporter.
• Personalized: each student will get unique feedback based on their performance.
• Sometimes the teacher needs to introduce new ideas, meaning coaching may not be as useful as another approach such as modeling or direct instruction.

Sociocultural Theory: In sociocultural theory, teachers tend to encourage active learning and provide social support.

41. Inquiry-Based Learning

Inquiry-based learning involves the teacher presenting a problem for the students to solve by making their own inquiries. It is similar to discovery learning, but is different in that inquiry based learning generally involves the teacher setting out a puzzling problem to solve at the start of the lesson.

• Students ‘find’ the answers rather than being given them by teachers.
• Answers emerge out of exploration, problem solving and discovery, meaning students learn why something is true, not simply what is true.
• Significant support is required to help guide students through their inquiry. Students need to be taught how to inquire and given the right inquiry tools (such as books, appropriate websites, etc.)

Constructivism: Students learn through constructing ideas in their heads rather than being told the facts.

42. Reciprocal Teaching

Reciprocal teaching involves having students facilitate their own small group lessons. It is usually used in reading lessons.

The teacher first models how to guide group discussions before sending students off to facilitate their own lesson. In groups of four, students usually take the roles of: questioner, clarifier, summarizer and predictor. Students read stimulus materials then self-facilitate a group discussion about the text.

• Students learn self-regulation learning skills which are essential for later in their lives.
• When students are trained up, the classes work very effectively and the teacher can fade into the background.
• Students learn group work, communication and negotiation skills. They also learn how to speak up in a group.
• Students learn to be mature even when the teacher isn’t looking. By taking on responsibility as ‘teachers’, students should rise to the challenge.
• Requires a lot of pre-teaching so students have the required skills for these sorts of lessons to work.

Sociocultural theory: working in groups, communicating and sharing ideas help stimulate thinking and encourages students to challenge their own ideas in order to improve them.

Example (Modelled off the I Do, We Do, You Do approach)

• The teacher should model the four roles required in front of the whole class, with several volunteers to act as the demonstration group.
• The teacher assigns groups and the four group roles: questioner, clarifier, summarizer and predictor.
• When students do the activity in small groups for the first time, explicitly walk the students through the steps. Use a bell or similar audible cue to cycle students through the group work steps.
• Allow the students to work in independent groups – walk around and help groups who are struggling.

43. Blended Learning

Blended learning involves a mix of online instruction and face-to-face learning. This strategy can be employed by giving students part of their instruction as homework online and part of it in class. It differs from flipped learning because a flipped classroom involves at-home instruction and in-class practice. Blended learning can have both practice and instruction occuring at home and/or in class

• Gives the teacher flexibility to teach partially during homework time and partially in class.
• Students need access to technology at home unless the at-home parts are only reading and printouts.
• Usually only suitable for university students who are short on time. Blended learning allows them to do some of the learning in their own time.
• Used regularly for distance learning students and rural and remote students.
• Used regularly at university level.
• If using this method, I recommend taking a look at the flipped learning model for some ideas of how to split your distance and in-class segments efficiently.

See my List of 10 Pros and Cons of teaching Online .

44. Growth Mindsets

A growth mindset focuses on teaching students that they have the power to improve and succeed if they put their effort into it. The opposite would be students refusing to try because they don’t think they have the power in their own hands to succeed.

Teaching growth mindsets is all about modelling positive behaviors. Include growth mindset in your lesson plans by finding points in the lesson to discuss specific strategies to move toward success, strategies for studying, and positive thinking.

• Focuses on helping students see that they have ‘ agency ’ (in other words, they are capable of improving their lives)
• Motivates students to improve their own lives
• Many students have many barriers to success. If you ignore those barriers and simply say ‘you can work harder’, this will make students feel disempowered. Teachers need to show students the pathways to success.
• Ensure the content is actually achievable for your students.
• Break down tasks into manageable chunks so that students know the steps toward success. Then, use encouragement to motivate students to put in their effort.
• Celebrate success to show students that they are competent and capable.

45. Culturally Responsive Teaching

Culturally responsive teaching is an instructional strategy that involves ensuring students’ cultures are integrated into lessons. This includes celebrating students’ cultural backgrounds when relevant and using learning styles that are dominant within your students’ cultures.

• Includes children from cultures that have been traditionally marginalized within the classroom.
• Minimizes the impact of Westernization of education.
• May make new students from cultures that are different to the majority in the class to feel a sense of inclusion and belonging in the classroom.
• Helps all students see the world from a variety of perspectives and learn to respect pluralism.
• Teachers need to be sensitive to cultures different to their own.
• Teachers should consult parents and community members about best strategies for the cultural needs of the students in the class.

Sociocultural theory: sociocultural theory believes

• Have role models from minority backgrounds come into the classroom to share their backgrounds.
• Consult with parents about ideal teaching methods within their culture.
• Avoid nonverbal gestures that have different meanings in different cultures.
• Another example: eye contact is considered respectful in Western cultures but acts of defiance in Indigenous Austealian culture.

46. Teaching to Mastery

Mastery learning and teaching is a strategy for ensuring all students meet a certain standard of understanding or ability before moving on.

Teachers set a benchmark of knowledge 9r ability for students to meet. Then, all assessment in this method is formative, where students are given feedback and as much time as possible to improve before progressing.

• Students are not left behind and gaps in their knowledge are not overlooked.
• Students may feel less stressed or rushed with this approach.
• There is no talk of inability or failure in this method as teachers and students keep working away at the task until success is achieved.
• There is not enough time in traditional school systems for this approach.
• The difference in abilities between students means some students will get a long way ahead while others remain a long way behind.

Humanism: there are elements of unconditional positive regard in this approach (see Carl Rogers).

• An example.may be that all students must get 80% on a test to progress to the next unit of work.
• This approach is common for getting a “handwriting license” in primary / elementary school.

47. Stimulus Materials and Props

Stimulus materials are tools that a teacher provides during lessons to spur students into engaging with the lesson or thinking more deeply about the content provided. They include videos, educational toys (manipulatives), worksheets, visual prompts, objects from outside the classroom, and so on.

Without stimulus materials, the classroom feels empty and detached from real life. Bring stimulus materials into the classroom to help students make stronger connections to things going on outside.

• Provides something for students to focus on which can focus students’ minds.
• Helps students to learn actively if they have the opportunity to touch and manipulate the props.
• Can inspire and draw-in students at the start of the lesson.
• Stimulus materials can be very expensive.
• Students can get distracted playing with the materials rather than listening to their peers or the teacher.
• Students need to learn to share materials.

Constructivism: constructivists encourage the use of props so that students can ‘learn by doing’ and be ‘hands on’ in their learning.

• Place several props into a bag. Have the students put their hands in the bag and see whether they can guess what the props are.
• Place an unusual prop related to your lesson in the middle of the classroom. Get the students to guess what it is before beginning the lesson.

48. Service Learning

Service learning involves having students meet learning outcomes while contributing to and ‘giving back to’ their community. This often involves volunteer work, internships and placements within the community where assistance is needed.

• Students can increase their sense of belonging within the community.
• Connections between learning and life are made explicit in this sort of learning.
• Learning moves from the theoretical to the practical.
• Students can come to see how they are connected to a wider ecosystem, and that they have an important part to play in serving that ecosystem for the good of all.
• It can be hard to place all your students in a service learning placement if there are many students to allocate.
• It may be impractical given safety and security requirements.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory: EST highlights that people are situated within community from whom they get their values and beliefs. By being more connected to the community, students learn who they are and how they’re connected to a society and culture that surrounds them.

• Prepare your students in the classroom. Consider having organizers or community members come into the classroom to tell the students what to expect.
• Have students write preparatory notes about what the intend to learn, who they intend to speak to, and what their day-by-day goals will be whilst doing the service learning.
• Have students complete their service learning / voluntary work in groups or individually.
• Meet with the students intermittently during the service learning and have student-teacher conferences on how it is progressing. Intervene where needed.
• Have students come together at the end of the project to reflect on what was learnt and how their understanding of their place in the community has evolved. Discuss possible future involvement and engagement in the community to emphasize that community involvement is an ongoing project.

49. Situated Learning

Invented by Lave and Wegner, situated learning involves learning by being embedded within a professional environment and slowly picking up the ways of doing and speaking within that context.

It has similarities to other instructional strategies outlined in this article such as service learning and cognitive apprenticeships. However, its defining feature is the slow absorption of knowledge through prolonged exposure to an authentic professional setting.

• Students learn the most important practical information required for a job.
• Students learn the ways of speaking and behaving that are required within a professional situation.
• Not practical as a teaching strategy in classrooms. It works best as an apprenticeship model for new graduates from university.

Sociocultural theory: the situated learning approach emphasizes the importance of learning from ‘more knowledgeable others’.

50. Sixty-Second Strategy

The sixty second strategy involves having students review one another’s work in three steps which take 60 seconds each. The steps are: respond, reflect and review. This usually takes place after a student presentation where the students give a cumulative 3 minutes of feedback and reflection on the presentation.

The goal is not just to give feedback to the presenter, but for the listeners to also think about how they would have done the presentation and what their own thoughts on the topic are.

• Students learn how to give feedback to others in positive and constructive ways.
• It is a great way for students to actively engage with other students’ presentations.
• Students need to know how to be positive in feedback and not be hurtful.
• Have the student who is presenting their work give their presentation.
• The students who watched the presentation have 60 seconds to write their thoughts on the topic that was presented.
• Next, the students have 60 seconds to write down feedback on the presenter’s work.
• Then the students have 60 seconds to provide positive affirmation and praise.
• At the end, have the students share their feedback with the presenter in small groups so that the environment is not so intimidating for the presenter.

51. Thumbs Down, Thumbs Up

Thumbs down, thumbs up is a simple strategy for getting immediate feedback from students. During a lesson, pause after each step to get instant thumbs down, thumbs up feedback on whether students understand the previous step.

If there are thumbs down, the teacher should ask those students if they have direct questions or whether they might want that section to be covered again in different language or more slowly.

• Enables the teacher to gauge students’ reactions in real time.
• Gives the students an opportunity to give the teacher feedback immediately so that they don’t fall behind or become frustrated.
• If the majority of students give thumbs up but only one or two give thumbs down, this is not endorsement to move on. Rather, the teacher should make sure no students fall behind.

52. Summarizing and Paraphrasing

For this teaching strategy, either the teacher or student summarizes something someone previously said in their own words in order to ensure they understanding each other without any misconceptions.

• In having a student repeat the teacher’s statement in their own words, the teacher can see whether students actually understand something.
• In repeating a student’s statement in different language, the teacher can see whether they truly understand what the student means.
• The biggest risk here is in the teacher ‘putting words in the student’s mouth’. This may give the student a free pass.
• The teacher explains a concept, then asks the student to repeat it without using the same words. A pause of a few minutes between the teacher’s explanation and the student’s response can be helpful in preventing the student from directly copying the teacher’s language. As time passes, the meaning should stay but the exact words should be forgotten.
• Alternatively, the student makes a statement, and the teacher translates it in their own words and finishes with “Is that what you meant?”

53. Demonstration

Demonstration involves showing the students a practical example of something that is being learned in class.

The difference between demonstration and modeling is that a demonstration usually:

• does not involve explicit explanation of all the steps, and
• is usually not followed by students having a go themselves.

Demonstration (rather than modelling) may be necessary when the concept being demonstrated is dangerous or requires expertise.

• Having something complex or theoretical demonstrated can be exciting to link theory to practice.
• Demonstrations may require expensive field trips or inviting experts and expert equipment into the classroom.
• A demonstration could be as complex as going to watch a space rocket launch or as simple as a ranger demonstrating how to use bear spray.

54. Role Modelling

Role modelling involves demonstrating the requisite behaviors or ideal way of acting within a learning environment. Role modelling has the intention of positively influencing students into copying the teacher’s positive learning behaviors.

• Students are socialized into behaving and learning in socially appropriate ways.
• A teacher who sets personal high expectations for their own learning will have those high expectations flow on toward the students.
• A teacher needs to be aware that all of their behaviors rub off on students. This means they need to ‘put on their happy face’ despite what’s going on in their private lives.

Bandura (Social learning theory): Albert Bandura believed that observation was important in influencing how people will behave and learn. See his famous Bobo doll experiment where children were more aggressive toward a doll when they observed an adult being aggressive toward it.

• Male teachers may role model positive masculinity, such as politeness and respect to all people regardless of gender.
• A teacher can be a role model my demonstrating engagement and volunteering within the community, insisting on respectfully welcoming guests when they enter the classroom, or having high regard and respect for reading, learning, and apologizing.

55. Predicting

Predicting involves asking students to make predictions or ‘guestimates’ before a study is undertaken. The teacher may make a prediction for the students to respond to, or ask students to make predictions themselves.

• It stimulates students to think about the logical flow-on effects of the things they are learning about (such as in science: gravity, momentum, etc.)
• Students are asked to think forward rather than simply react in the learning environment.
• At the start of a lesson (before introducing too much information), ask students what they think will happen during the lesson.
• Show the students a diagram or comic strip demonstrating sequence of events with the last few events missing. Have students fill-in the gaps.

56. Intentional Mistakes

The teacher inserts intentional mistakes into their teaching materials (such as misspellings in their presentations) or their speech in order to:

• Check students’ depth of knowledge,
• Make memorable teaching moments, or
• Keep students critically engaged.
• It keeps students on their toes throughout the lesson, particularly during the boring parts.
• It can make learning into a game if you let the students know to look out for the mistakes in advance. You could also offer a reward for the person who identifies the mistake.
• It can lead to critical discussion about common mistakes that students make in a topic.
• You may risk having students believe you had made the mistakes intentionally.
• Students may believe the mistakes are truths and end up believing things that are untrue.
• Create intentional spelling errors in your worksheets and powerpoint presentations.
• Mispronounce a word and see if students realize.
• Flip two words in a sentence and see if anyone realizes.

57. Reflection-in-Practice / Immediate Feedback

Immediate feedback is any feedback that takes place during a lesson rather than after a lesson or exam has been completed.

There are two primary types of immediate feedback: feedback from students to teachers, and feedback from teachers to students.

The feedback’s purpose should be to make impromptu changes during the lesson before it is too late.

• Teachers can adjust their teaching methods in the moment to ensure the lesson is a success.
• Students can adjust the ways they are going about completing a task to ensure it is successful.
• In large groups, one-to-one feedback can be difficult.
• Teachers need to be able to think on their feet to make immediate adjustments.

David Schon’s ‘Reflection in Practice’: According to Schon, successful practitioners reflect in practice rather than just on practice. Reflection in practice requires practitioners to reflect on what they’re doing while they’re doing it.

• Asking for a thumbs up / thumbs down from students to see if they understand something.
• Looking over the shoulder at children’s work to see how they’re coming to their conclusions.
• Accepting ‘hands up’ questions at any point during an explanation or lecture.

58. Whole Group Class Discussion (a.k.a Circle Time)

A whole group class discussion gets all students in the class talking to one another in one group. When I use this strategy, I try to get students sitting in a conversation circle. The benefits of students sitting in a circle include:

• There is a neutral power structure with no one at the head of the discussion.
• All students can see one another.
• Whole class discussions encourage all students to develop the confidence to share their own views publicly.
• If the whole class gets into it, there can be a lot of great back-and-forth.
• Often, the loudest and most confident students dominate the discussion.
• Some students are too shy to speak up.
• It is easy to embarrass a student, so be careful to be sensitive.
• Use a speaking stick so only one person speaks at a time. The only person who can speak is the person with the speaking stick.
• Use discussion circles so that all students can see each other when talking.
• If conversation is slow to start, consider asking individual students direct questions.
• Use open-ended questioning to force students to answer in full sentences.

59. Concentric Circles

Concentric circles is a method that builds on the whole group circle time discussion. Students sit in two concentric circles with the inner circle facing the outer circle. The students in the inner circle should be paired one-to-one with a student in the outer circle (like speed dating).

The teacher poses a question and the pairs are given 60 seconds to discuss the problem. Then, the students from the inner circle rotate one person to the right so they are facing a new partner for the next question.

• Disagreements about pairing and students working with their friends are resolved because each student gets a turn working with another student.
• Students get to learn and communicate with other students they don’t usually spend time with.
• Discussion can help students see perspectives that they did not come up with on their own.
• There needs to be an even number of students in the class so each student has a partner to work with.

Sociocultural theory: students learn by interacting with others to help them test, challenge and extend their own ideas.

60. Hot Seat

One student takes the role of a character from a book, history, etc. They dit in front of the class and get interviewed by their classmates. The student must stay in character and answer the questions from the perspective of that character.

• Students explore topics from perspectives other than their own, helping them to develop lateral thinking skills .
• Students need time to research their character and brainstorm their character’s perspectives on various topics before being put in the hot seat.
• Shy students or students who are not confident with the material may be intimidated by this instructional strategy.
• This strategy can be linked up with strategies like De Bono’s thinking hats where students would answer questions from a particular perspective.

61. Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are visual aids in the classroom designed to help students visualize and conceptualize ideas and their relationships with other ideas. Examples of graphic organizers include flowcharts, mind maps and venn diagrams. Use them to help students think more deeply about topics.

• Very useful for students who are visual learners.
• Provides a framework for deeper and critical thinking.
• Provides structure to help students who are unsure of how to proceed with critical thinking.
• Don’t stick to just one framework as the frameworks narrow the scope of thinking in exchange for depth. Mix up your graphic organizers.

Cognitive Constructivism: cognitive constructivists such as David Jonassen believe graphic organizers help students to share their cognitive load with the organizer, helping them to organize and sort ideas in their heads more effective.y

• Flow charts
• Venn diagrams
• Concept maps
• Network or family tree
• Spider diagram
• Compare-contrast matrix
• Series of events chain
• Character charts

62. Think Pair Share

This is one of the simplest, most frequently used, but also most effective classroom teaching strategies. Students think about a topic on their own. Then, they pair up with a partner and discuss, compare and contrast their thoughts together. Thirdly, the pair share what they discussed with the whole class.

• Moves students from individual thinking to social thinking in a clear process.
• Helps students to vocalize their own thoughts in small and large groups.
• Helps students to see other people’s perspectives by encouraging communication, compare and contrast.
• Students need the confidence to speak up in front of the whole class. I have found some students like to have the comfort of flip chart (butcher’s) paper as a prop when presenting their discussions to the class.

Sociocultural theory: learning through conversation allows students to see diverse perspectives and therefore improve on their own perspectives.

• Step 1: Think. Students are given 2 minutes to think about the topic on their own and take 5 bullet points on their own.
• Step 2: Pair. Students get together in pairs (or groups of 3 if appropriate) to compare and contrast their own ideas. Students discuss the ideas and come up with a collective group of ideas.
• Step 3: Share. Each group shares their own thoughts with the whole class. As each group presents, other classmates can challenge ideas or take additional notes to add to their own group’s thoughts.

63. Group Roles

Assigning group roles for students who are doing small group work is another simple instructional strategy to try. There are many group role types to be found online. I tend to use the roles of: timekeeper, moderator, notekeeper, and collector. All students should be equal discussion contributors, and this is managed by the moderator.

• Helps to structure the activity, give students certainty in what they are doing, and reduce the uncertainty from group work.
• Encourages communication to get students hearing other students’ ideas and perspectives
• Students must be explicitly taught the group roles and need time to practice them.

Sociocultural Theory: By communicating with peers, students widen their perspectives and (with more knowledgeable peers) have their knowledge scaffolded.

• Ensure you model the group roles before beginning the activity. Consider using a fishbowl method by having a sample group sit in the middle of a circle modeling the roles to the rest of the class.
• For the class’s first attempt at group roles, structure it very clearly by getting the students to follow a clear step-by-step guide. Slowly release responsibility to students when they are ready.

64. Barometer

The barometer method gets a measure of students’ opinions by asking them to stand on a line from 0 to 10 (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = unsure or conflicted, 10= strongly agree).

• Students tend to find this a non-intimidating way of sharing their opinions.
• Can be a good way of getting students talking. Once they stand on the line, you can ask them to explain why they stood where they did.
• It may be beneficial to prevent students from taking a neutral “I don’t know” stance without sufficient defence of this position.

Critical theory : The barometer could be paired with critical theory if students critique assumptions in society with a focus on the perspectives of marginalized groups.

• Introduce a complex or controversial issue through a book, video or class discussion.
• Ask students to stand on an imaginary line from 0 to 10 representing their opinion.
• Place students into three groups based on their position in the line: agree, unsure and disagree. Have the three groups present their 5 best arguments to the class.

65. Cognitive Tools

Cognitive tools are educational technologies designed to promote thinking beyond what a student can do without the technology. This might include using wearable technologies to help students map out their own movements to then test their knowledge of geography, use of excel sheets to create financial estimations, etc.

• Educational technologies can help us do things we couldn’t do without them.
• Can engage students who love computers and technology in learning tasks.
• Teachers must ensure technology use is focused on helping students learn more or at a higher level of critical thinking than if they didn’t have technology.

Cognitive Constructivism: this approach, invented by david Jonassen, emphasizes that computer technologies should be used to extend and promote higher-order cognition.

See my full article: Examples of Congitive Tools in Education .

66. Anticipation / Guestimation

Anticipation and guestimation is an instructional strategy designed to get students thinking about the consequences or flow-on effects of actions. Teachers ask students to make predictions based on limited knowledge about a topic

• Students often have to use mathematics and logical reasoning to succeed in this task.
• Students are required to be resourceful and seek clues that will show them the possible consequences of action.
• It is important to strike a balance between giving enough information to make informed guesses and not too much information that the students can deduce the full answer.

67. Silent Conversation

A silent conversation is a way of getting students to communicate without having them speak up in front of the class. Students write their responses to a prompt on sheets of paper but cannot speak while doing so. They should then also write responses to one another’s points so that they are ‘conversing’ through writing.

• Students who are shy to speak up my be more willing to participate, especially if their written response can stay anonymous.
• It can often be easier to respond in writing than speaking because students have time to reflect and think about the wording of their response before writing it.
• Only one student at a time can write their response. Consider what other students will be doing during this time.
• Students must be competent writers.

Sociocultural theory: we learn and extend our knowledge through social interaction. By seeing others’ points, we can improve or amend our own.

• One way to do this is to have a flip chart paper sheet (butcher’s paper) on a wall with a discussion prompt written above. Have students walk up to the paper intermittently thought a lesson to write responses to the prompt. After the first few students write their responses, the rest of the students must respond not to the prompt but to the answers written by previous students – how can they add to or challenge what someone else has already said?
• The second common way of having a silent conversation is to pass a piece of paper around the class and have students write their responses to conversation chains on the piece of paper.

68. Devil’s Advocate

A devil’s advocate is someone who argues for an opposing point of view in order to stir up an argument and poke holes in other points of view. The devil’s advocate does not necessarily need to believe the points they are arguing. Either the teacher or students can be the devil’s advocate I’m this teaching strategy.

• Encourages students to see their own blind spots or misunderstandings.
• Helps students to see a diversity of points of view.
• Improves students’ debating skills.
• Students and parents may interpret you devil’s advocate position as an attempt to teach unsavory views in the classroom.

Critical theory: A devil’s advocate can help students with skills desirable within critical theory, like seeing views of people who are not commonly heard in society and the capacity to critique dominant narratives in society.

• The teacher can note in their lesson plan moments when they believe there are opportunities to play devil’s advocate role promote debate.
• The teacher can give students debating points where one person acts as devil’s advocate and another as the person defending the dominant perspective.

69. Strategic Pauses

Strategic pauses are one of the most important tools in a teacher’s toolbox of teaching strategies. A strategic pause is a gap between statements to let a point sink in or linger, or to give students a moment to think about an answer before the teacher moves on.

•  An excellent classroom management strategy
• Encourages students to think and not rely on teacher prompting
• Emphasizes important points
•  Can leave students confused
• Requires follow-up and knowledge testing

Cognitive load theory: Too much information at one time can cause a student to lose track. Time is required for the mind to interpret, sort, stack, save and withdraw information in their mind (‘create cognitive schemata’).

• Pause after a question for 10 seconds before discussing the answer.
• If the class has started getting unsettled, often a pause in the teacher’s speaking is enough to settle them again and remind them to re-engage with the learning materials.
• Slow speech with sufficient pauses between ‘chunks’ of information (seeL ‘chunking’ strategy) can help students arrange information in their minds appropriately.

70. Chunking

Chunking involves presenting information in manageable ‘chunks’ to allow students to sufficiently process information before moving on to the next section of a lesson or task.

Teachers should present only a manageable amount of information to students before giving them a chance to consolidate the information and practice their new knowledge.

Without giving sufficient time to consolidate information before giving new information to a student, the student will struggle to keep up with the information and old information may fall away before it is secured into their memory.

• Less students will be left behind, confused and disillusioned in the classroom if they are given consolidation time.
• There is often not enough time in a crowded school curriculum to chunk information well enough.
• It is hard to tell how much is ‘too much’ information, and how long is long enough before knowledge is consolidated into memory.

Cognitive Overload Theory: If students are given too much information, their mind becomes ‘overloaded’ and they are unable to process more information. We only have a limited amount of working memory space in our minds. See: John Sweller’s cognitive overload theory .

• Only teach two or three key points per lesson.
• Provide a lot of discussion and practice time before moving on to presenting new information.
• Consistently use formative assessment and reflection in action during the lesson to see when is the ideal time to move on.

71. Snowball Discussions

Snowball discussions are another twist on the think-pair-share method. For snowball discussions, students start in pairs and share their thoughts and ideas together. Then, the pairs join up with another pair to create a group of four. These four people share thoughts together, compare notes, debate ideas, and come up with an agreed list of points on a topic.

Then, groups join up again to make groups of eight. The groups of eight compare points and perspectives, then join up to create groups of 16, etc. until it ends up being a whole class discussion.

• An effective strategy for promoting discussion between students. It can be useful for getting students to compare how different groups of students approach points from different perspectives.
• The class group needs to be large (20+) for enough rounds of this strategy to happen.

Sociocultural theory: social interaction helps students see perspectives that are not their own and challenge their own views. This helps them pick holes in their own points and improve their misconceptions.

72. Homework: Knowledge Consolidation

Yes, homework is a teaching strategy! A traditional approach to homework sees it as an opportunity for students to consolidate information that was taught in class. Studying for upcoming exams is often also an important part of homework.

Other homework strategies like flipped classroom are possible – see the flipped classroom discussion earlier in this article.

• Help students to consolidate information learned in class.
• Ensures students have an opportunity to keep information fresh in their minds and be reminded of information learned in previous months.
• Excessive homework can impede students’ rights to enjoyment, sports and extracurricular activities out of school.
• Students often do not have support at home if they get stuck.

Behaviorism: repetition over time helps memory retention.

73. Active Listening

Active listening involves using strategies to pay close attention to what someone is saying. Teachers can explicitly model active listening by giving students strategies like pointing their bodies at the speaker, keeping their eyes on the speaker, nodding when they agree, and putting hands up to ask questions or clarification.

• Active listening encourages respect in the classroom.
• It could help students to remember better because it minimizes distractions.
• Students may be more likely to contribute questions if they are paying more attention.
• Some students (such as students with autism) need stress balls, fidget toys, etc to help them concentrate.

Examples that show active listening include:

• Facing the speaker square-on
• Eye contact
• Asking questions
• Repeating, paraphrasing or summarizing the speaker’s statement.

74. Connect, Extend, Challenge

The “connect, extend, challenge” teaching strategy is a three-step strategy designed to get student thinking about how their knowledge is progressing.

In step 1, students ‘connect’ what they’re learning to their prior knowledge. In step 2, students think about how the new knowledge ‘extends’ what they already knew. In step 3, students reflect on what ‘challenges’ they still face: what is still confusing to them?

• This is a framework that gets students to explicitly think about how they are progressing in their learning.
• The clear steps give students guidelines to help them achieve success.
•  Requires prompting and scaffolding

Social Constructivism: This strategy has implicit links to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Students look at how their backgrounds impact their thinking, what level they are at, and what is still sitting in their ‘zone of proximal development’ (.e.g what they need to learn next).

• Split a piece of paper into three columns to help students in this task: one column for ‘connect’, one for ‘extend’, and one for ‘challenge’.

75. Create a Headline

While a seemingly simple activity, this instructional strategy gets students to refine the topic they’re exploring down to one simple sentence that catches the essence of the issue.

For this strategy, have students come up with a headline for the lesson as if they’re a journalist reporting on the issue at hand. Get them to think about how it can be catchy, explain the problem at hand, and provide an engaging ‘hook’ to draw readers in.

• Helps students identify the key point of a lesson, forcing them to think about what is really important in the lesson.
• Some issues are complex and refining it down to one sentence may risk simplification.

To extend this activity, have students write a journalistic piece to go under the headline.

76. Lesson Objective Transparency

Being transparent about a lesson objective is a teaching strategy designed to help students understand the purpose of the lesson. By knowing the objective from the outset, the students are less likely to get confused about the purpose and direction of their lesson.

• Students are aware of the purpose of the lesson, which may make it more relevant .
• Students can more objectively measure how successful they have been in the lesson.
• Lesson objectives are often worded for adults not children, so the wording may just confuse the students at times.
• Write your lesson objectives on the first slide of lecture slides if relevant.

77. Open-Ended Questioning

Open-ended questioning involves asking questions that require an elaboration in the response. In other words, it cannot be a question that can be answered with “yes” or “no”.

• Students are required to provide explanations and justifications for the points they make.
• Teachers get a more detailed appreciation of students’ levels of knowledge .
• Make a habit of using open ended questions when talking to students about their work.
• Write all assessment tasks with open ended questions.
• Pose open ended questions as stimulus prompts.

78. Fishbowl

The fishbowl strategy gets a small group of students to sit in a circle in the center if the classroom with the rest of the class sitting in a circle around the group.

The students in the middle of the circle complete a discussion or task as a demonstration for the students observing.

• Teachers can use advanced students in the middle of the group as a way of modeling skills or behaviors for the remainder of the class.
• More knowledgeable students can model behavior for less knowledgeable students.
• Students get a chance at performing in front of others.
• Many students will find doing a task I’m front of their peers intimidating.

Bandura’s observational learning : Bandura argues that students can learn from observing the modeling of others.

• Get older students from higher grades to sit in the middle of the fishbowl.
• Or, use the fishbowl as the “we do” step in the I do, we do, you do method.

79. Four corners

Use the four corners of the classroom as different stations for answering questions proposed by a teacher.

The stations may have answers like: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree. Another example may be periods of time for a history exam: the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s. Or, the corners may have specific answers in the corners related to the questions being asked.

• This activity may be appealing for kinesthetic learners who want to move about to stay engaged.
• Provides a visual comparison between different views of students in the class.
• When students head to the corners, the teacher needs to ask students to explain their decisions to ensure depth is achieved in the lesson.

Multiple Intelligences: The lesson can help students who are kinesthetic learners.

80. Give One, Get One

This strategy involves getting students to trade ideas with one another.

Students write down their answer or thoughts to a TEACHER’S question. Then, they pair up. The students give their answer to their partner and take their partner’s answer. They discuss the differences between and merits of each answer.

Students then split up and find a new partner to repeat the activity.

• Writing down an answer ensures all students participate and that all students provide an explicit response.
• Seeing other people’s answers helps students get a broader perspective on a topic.
• Pre-plan for what to do when you don’t have an even number of students in the class.

Sociocultural theory: students learn from their peers through discussion. Discussion can help broaden horizons and allows students to see multiple perspectives on an issue.

• Present a discussion topic or question to the class.
• Have each student write down 3 points on a piece of paper to answer the question.
• Pair students up to discuss their answers. Get them to consider similarities and differences as well as pros and cons of each answer.
• Have students break apart and trade answers in another pair.

81. Brainstorming

Brainstorming involves asking students to come up with their initial thoughts on an issue. The thoughts do not have to be refined or correct. Instead, the students should use the brainstorming time to get their mind flowing and discussion started. Usually, this activity takes place using flip chart / butcher’s paper.

• A good way to start discussion among students, especially if they don’t know each other well or are shy.
• The students may need to assign some roles to group members. Consider rotating the role of ‘writer’ between students (usually one person writes an idea for the whole group on the brainstorming paper).
• A good way of doing this activity is to place students in small groups and provide them a large sheet of paper to write down all their initial thoughts.
• Students can then report all their thoughts back to the class.

82. Expert Jigsaw

The expert jigsaw method teaching method involves having students split into groups of ‘experts’ and then ‘topics’.

First, each ‘expert’ group focuses on a sub-area of a topic to develop their ‘expertise’ as a group.

Once the initial group work discussion has concluded, the ‘expert groups’ split.

The teacher then forms new ‘topic groups’ with one student from each of the original expert groups in the new groups.

The idea is that each group in the second part of the lesson will have an ‘expert’ on a particular area of a topic. Every expert will be able to contribute their perspective to the group

For example, if the topic is dinosaurs, the initial ‘expert groups’ may get together to discuss separate issues: Group 1 will discuss extinction, Group 2 will discuss bones, Group 3 will discuss diets, and Group 4 will discuss geographical locations.

When the ‘topic groups’ converge, they should contain one expert on extinction, one expert on bones, one expert on diets and one expert on geographical locations. The topic group will therefore have a broad range of expert knowledge to discuss and share.

• Gives each student a sense that they have something meaningful to contribute because they will be an expert on something when converging in the ‘topic’ groups.
• Encourages collaboration and positive interdependence in group work.
• Requires forethought and organization by the teacher.

Social Constructivism: social interaction helps students construct ideas in their minds. Each student gets to hear the expert perspective of another student who is a ‘more knowledgeable other’, while also acting as the more knowledgeable other when it is their turn to share their expertise.

83. KWL Charts

A KWL chart is a type of graphic organizer that can be used throughout the course of a lesson to help students keep track of their learning.

The chart can be on a simple piece of paper split into three columns: (K) What I already know; (W) What I want to know in this lesson; (K) What I learned.

At the start of the lesson the students can fill out the first two columns. The first column will help the teacher assess prior knowledge. The second column will help the teacher and students guide the lesson by outlining what they want out of it.

At the end of the lesson, the third column can be filled-in: (L) What I learned in the lesson. This helps students reflect on the lesson to show them that they did actually learn something!

• Students can keep track of their own learning.
• There is physical evidence of what was learned that teachers can use in students’ final report card comments and teaching portfolios.
• It is a good structured tool to help guide a lesson.
• It would be good if there was a fourth column for ‘what I still want to know’ so student can leave the lesson with more questions that can be addressed in future classes.
• Students sometimes place topics in the (W) What I want to know column that are relevant but not covered in a pre-made lesson plan. This can require the student to get a bit creative in re-arranging their lesson on the fly.

84. SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis is a teaching tool used to help students identify their own Strengths , Weaknesses , Opportunities , and Threats .

It is often used at the beginning of a term or unit of work to help students self-identify how best to proceed in their studies.

A SWOT analysis starts with a piece of paper split into four quadrants. The top-left has ‘Strengths’, top-right has ‘Weaknesses’, bottom-left has ‘Opportunities’ and the bottom-right has ‘Threats’.

There are plenty of templates online you could download also.

Students then fill out the SWOT sheet, identifying their strengths and weaknesses (e.g. ‘I am organized’ or ‘I am time poor’) and opportunities and threats (e.g. ‘I have the opportunity to work with my peers to improve’ or ‘I have an upcoming swim meet that will take up more of my time’).

• Students are taught to self-assess and plan ahead to avoid upcoming challenges in their lives.
• Students can balance affirming statements about their own skills with honest recognition of their weaknesses.
• I often find students use generic phrases copied from their neighbors. It’s a good idea to insist on depth of engagement and thinking when doing this strategy .

85. Read Aloud

Read aloud is a strategy that involves the teacher reading a text out loud to students. The strategy relies on the teacher using strategic pauses, pitch and tone changes, pace and volume changes, and questioning and comments. These reading aloud strategies help students to become more engaged in a lesson and get more out of the reading experience.

• Can be more engaging than getting students to read to themselves.
• By using strategic pauses and asking questions of students, the text can both be read and analyzed at the same time. This may improve comprehension.
• I’ve found many pre-service teachers get nervous doing this task. Remember that people of all ages love being read to.

86. SIT: Surprising, Interesting, Troubling

A SIT analysis asks students to list aspects of a lesson that were surprising, interesting and troubling. It is useful following the viewing of a short film or reading a book about a topic that seems bizarre or a fact that is counterintuitive.

Like a KWL chart, you could do this task by splitting paper into three columns: one for ‘surprising’, one for ‘interesting’ and one for ‘troubling’.

• Gets students to take a critical stance and make judgements (particularly for ‘troubling’)
• Is a good way to take stock of students’ interests in order to create follow-up lessons based on topics the students have already demonstrated concern for.
• The ‘troubling’ part is often hard for students to complete – consider explicitly modeling a sample response before asking students to complete it alone.

Critical theory: students can use a SIT analysis to critique the justice or inequality issues presented in a text.

87. Higher Order Thinking

When writing a lesson plan, it’s often a very good idea to note any time you’re encouraging higher order thinking – especially if there’s a column in your lesson plan for ‘teaching strategies’. This help people reading the lesson plan to see that you’ve been intentional about promoting higher order thinking.

Following Bloom’s taxonomy, higher order thinking usually includes tasks that involve verbs like : Judge, Appraise, Evaluate, Compare, Criticize, Assess, Estimate, Deduce, Hypothesize and Generalize.

• Helps a teacher to be more explicit in their language and to ensure a lesson is challenging for students.
• Ensures students are practicing their critical thinking skills rather than just repeating a teacher’s ‘facts’.
• For higher order thinking tasks, it’s important that you don’t give students the answers. Instead, give them hints, pointers and resources that will help them to come up with the answers on their own.

Constructivism: Bloom was a constructivist who believed learning happens when students build knowledge in their mind rather than just copying facts from an authority figure in the classroom.

88. Debating

Getting students to debate an idea is a great way of getting them to build coherent and logical arguments in defence of a position. It requires them to gather, analyze and sort facts before they present them to an audience.

• Students learn to identify positive arguments on a topic even if they disagree with it, helping them to see things from multiple perspectives.
• Students may require resources to do background research to come up with strong points for or against a position.
• Split the class into two groups and assign each group a position for or against a statement.
• Give each group 15 minutes to come up with some arguments for their side of the argument. Each student in the group should have one argument to make for the team. The student writes their argument down on a piece of paper.
• Line the two groups of students up facing one another.
• Go down the lines getting each student to make their point for or against the position. Zig-zag from one group to the next as you go down the line
• Once the students have completed, do an anonymous poll of the class to find out which position is most convincing. For the poll, students do not have to vote for their team’s position.

89. Note Taking (Cornell Method)

Note taking involves getting students to actively listen out for key points in a speech or video and synthesize it into key points for remembering later.

A popular framework for not taking is the Cornell method. This involves splitting a page into two columns.

The column on the left is a ‘Cue’ column. In the cue column write key words, phrases or Quotes as if they were headings or headline points to remember.

The column on the right is the note taking column. This column is larger and allows space to add detail and diagrams explaining the ‘cues’ that were written on the left in more detail.

• Turns passive learning during a didactic explicit instruction lesson into a more active learning environment.
• Helps students organize and synthesize their thoughts.
• Helps with studying for exams later on.
• Teachers may talk too fast for students to take detailed notes. Remember to use strategic pauses and remind students at strategic times that they need to be taking notes.
• Feel free to download cornell method worksheets off the internet. Just look for them on your favorite search engine!

90. Lesson Recording

Recording a lesson involves using either video, audio or Screencast technology to save the lesson for revision later on.

• This method is very useful for students with learning disabilities who may require more time to process information. They can rewatch later on and make use of pause, rewind and slow functions during the revision.
• Great for when students miss a day so they can catch up.
• Whenever you work with technology, be prepared for issues to arise that may delay the lesson.
• Use Screencasts when teaching a lesson online.
• Screencasts can also save your work when writing on an Interactive Whitenoard. Revision at a later date will show the steps you took in doing the ‘working out’.

91. Word Wall

Word walls are sections on the walls of a classroom where teachers and students can record new vocabulary, quotes or key terms they encounter during a unit of work.

• Word walls can be visible evidence of progression through a unit.
• Students can refer to the word walls when trying to explain their points and ideas to the class.
• During exams, remember to cover the word walls so students can’t cheat by looking over at the answers.
• Word walls can be great props for refreshing students’ memories at the start of a lesson. Start the lesson by reviewing the vocabulary learned in the previous lesson.

92. Goal Setting

Goal setting involves explicitly instructing students on how to set short (within a lesson), medium (within a unit of work) and long term (through the year) personal targets for success.

The goals can be for a whole group or individual.

• Goal setting gives students something to strive toward.
• It is a way of gamifying education. Students can challenge themselves to reach their step by step goals.
• It helps students understand where they are headed and what the purpose of the lesson is.
• Ensure goals are achievable lo that students do not become disillusioned.
• Have students prepare their daily goals at the end of the previous day or start of the current day.
• Reflect on medium-term goals weekly.

93. Worked Examples

A worked example is a completed piece of work that students can look to as models for their own work.

A worked example could be a sample of a completed diagram our 3D model, a completed essay or anything else that is a finished product of something the students are about to attempt.

• Students feel more secure knowing what they are working toward.
• Students can get ideas from the worked sample that they can adapt for their Ken work.
• Sometimes students copy the sample too closely rather than using their own thinking. Consider using a sample that requires similar skills and processes but a different end product.
• Make sure you spend time discussing the steps it takes from going from nothing to the completed product.
• Provide students with past examples of creative writing pieces and discuss the strategies used by the authors.
• Show samples that are good and poor. Get students to discuss how the poorer samples could be improved.

94. Multiple Intelligences

Students have different learning styles (or more accurately, different learning preferences ).

One theory proposes that there are eight ‘intelligences’. A student may have one that is dominant and others that are weaker.

The eight intelligences are:

• Visual-Spatial : Prefers learning through images and visual arts. Uses diagrams to model relationships between concepts.
• Linguistic-Verbal : Prefers learning through storytelling, reading and writing.
• Interpersonal : Good at working in social situations, gets energy from social interaction, and can empathize with others easily. Enjoys group work.
• Intrapersonal : An introverted person who prefers learning alone. They do a lot of thinking and reading but mostly like to think through things in their own time (see: intrapersonal skills ).
• Logical-Mathematical : Sees patterns easily. Enjoys mathematical puzzles.
• Musical : Enjoys learning through music, songs and rhymes.
• Bodily-Kinesthetic : Learns through movement. Prefers lessons that require moving about.
• Naturalistic : Has an affinity with nature. Learns well in calm natural environments.

A teacher can integrate different activities into a lesson plan that appeal to different people’s learning preferences. In this way, they create a more inclusive classroom for multiple different types of learners.

• Inclusion: Teachers can use this theory to engage students who do not learn well in traditional lessons.
• Attempts to be student-centered and teach in ways that are appealing to students.
• In 2004, a detailed study in Scotland found no evidence or scientific toxic basis for the theory that different people have learning styles. Furthermore, it argued that the 8 styles in the multiple intelligences model were a arbitrarily contrived. Thus, learning styles may simply be learning preferences.
• It is unclear whether a teacher should create lessons catered to a student’s learning preference or help students strengthen their skills in areas students identify as their weaknesses.
• If students are not given a chance to practice all “styles” (not just their preferences) they may miss important skills, such as mathematical skills or literacy skills.

Howard Gardner: The theory of multiple intelligences was invented by Howard Gardner in the United States.

95. Non-Interventionism

Non-interventionism involves a teacher taking the role of ‘unobtrusive observer’ while students learn. The students are left to come to their own conclusions, face up to their own challenges, and ‘struggle’ through the lesson.

The teacher’s intervention may come through changing what they plan for the next lesson based on what they see, or lightly intervening after the students have struggled for some time.

Other reasons for intervention may be for safety or fairness reasons.

• Struggling to find an answer is Important for learning. Students can make mistakes and learn why the mistakes are wrong instead of just being told what us correct.
• Without a teacher imposing their views, students can come up with creative and thoughtful solutions to problems that the teacher dis not foresee.
• Students develop independent minds.
• Many parents and mentors watching your lesson may come away with a sense that you were lazy or did not do enough to help the students. This approach needs to be clearly explained and justified in lesson plans (I’d recommend referring to Montessori in your justification) and situations when you would go from observer to intervener should be spelled out in advance.
• If students are struggling too much, learning may not occur – there is a limit to this approach!

Montessori Classrooms: The role of the teacher as “unobtrusive observer” was pioneered by Maria Montessori.

Montessori argued that children learn best when placed in resource rich environments and left to explore. Our interventions may impede creativity, self-belief, autonomy and self-discovery.

96. Constructive Alignment

Constructive alignment involves explicitly linking the lesson assessment tasks to the compulsory learning outcomes in the curriculum.

This is an impressive thing to see in a lesson plan.

Use language (including verbs and nouns) from the learning outcome in the assessment task. Furthermore, make sure to provide a criteria for what constitutes pass or fail.

• Teachers can easily justify their lesson choices to their boss or assessor.
• The assessment tasks are always relevant and focused.
• Students can see the relevance of the assessment task to their learning goals.
• If the language of the curriculum objectives are complex or obtuse, it may just confuse students to use that language in their assessment task.

Biggs: Constructive alignment was invented by John Biggs who designed this method to ensure all lessons are relevant and move students a step closer to completing all learning outcomes.

97. Zone of Proximal Development

The ‘ zone of proximal development ‘ is a phrase used to explain the ideal difficulty level for a lesson.

A lesson that is too easy won’t help a student progress.

A lesson that is too hard will disengage a student who just won’t be able to do the task.

But a lesson that is difficult but achievable with effort will push a student forward. These lessons that are just hard enough but not too hard are lessons in the “zone of proximal development”.

• Students get lessons catered to their own needs.
• There is always catered support for any student in the class.
• By creating lessons that are always challenging, you are setting high expectations for all students.
• Differentiation like this can lead to bug Differences in ability levels across the whole class.
• You’re often under pressure to teach content that is too hard for students to meet standardized curriculum requirements

Sociocultural theory: Lev Vygotsky, one of the most famous educational psychologists, invented this approach to help teachers provide lessons that are at the right level for progressing a student’s learning.

• Weave the ZDP into a lesson plan by stating that you will assess a student’s current ability then teach them the thing that is the logical next.step.
• Another way to do this is create three student worksheets for three different ability levels. State in your lesson plan that you will assess each student’s ability and give them the appropriate worksheet. Each worksheet should build on the previous to help students move through their ZPD one step at a time.

98. Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is the use of praise, stickers, candy or other rewards to show students that they have done a good job.

Teachers can stack positive reinforcements so students can take steps to get small, medium and large rewards to encourage students to keep on trying and working hard consistently.

• Students get clear signals to know when they have done well.
• Students get encouragement to keep going and keep trying in order to get the reward.
• Too much positive reinforcement can come across as insincere and lose students’ respect. Furthermore, students may become desensitized to praise if it occurs too much. Praise ‘scarcity’ makes occasional praise more valuable.
• Explicit reinforcements are extrinsic motivation . The best sort of motivation is intrinsic motivation (wanting to do something for the pleasure of doing it). For more, see my full guide on intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation .

Behaviorism: Positive reinforcement is believed to be beneficial for changing behavior over time. See: John Watson’s operant conditioning examples .

• Sticker charts
• A subtle nod or wink
• Certificates and awards

99. Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of a privilege, points or tokens when a student gets an answer wrong.

This is often confused with punishments. For me, negative reinforcements should not punish but be used in limited learning scenarios as part of the learning ‘game’.

An example might be losing points in a gamified lesson so the student is less likely to win against their opponents. Students know it is part of the game and not a punishment designed to distress the student.

• Provides very clear messages to students about what is correct and incorrect, helping them to learn quickly.
• Parents often do not like any negative reinforces, so be very careful to set clear guidelines and use this strategy in limited circumstances.
• Be careful not to embarrass students in front of their classmates.

Behaviorism: Watson brought negative reinforcements into education, arguing that repeated use of them can change students’ behaviors.

• Losing points in a class contest.
• Failing a level in an educational computer game.

100. Drop Everything and Read

Drop everything and read (DEAR) involves getting students to stop what they are doing and read for 10 minutes.

It is a strategy that helps build students’ literacy skills (especially when students can choose their own book). However, it is also useful for helping students get more depth of knowledge on a topic being taught when you give them all an article or book to read to help them have more knowledge for subsequent parts of the lesson.

• An effective way of getting students to spend intense time learning about a topic.
• Helps integrate literacy into your daily activities.
• There will always be a small group of students who squirm and struggle when asked to read. Consider alternatives like the Read Aloud strategy or using videos instead if DEAR doesn’t work for your class.
• Make sure to follow up DEAR time with discussion and comprehension tasks.
• Introduce a topic with initial information to engage the class.
• Set a 10 minute silent reading task based on the topic.
• Discuss what was read with comprehension prompts.

101. Gallery Walk

A gallery walk involves a teacher placing stimulus questions on flip chart paper (butcher’s paper) around the walls of the classroom.

The charts the teacher has put up are stations that students will stop at during the activity.

The teacher places students into groups. If there are 5 stations around the room, the teacher will create 5 groups.

Students get a set amount of time at each station to read the prompt questions. The students can write on the chart paper with their group response and also respond to other groups who have already written their points.

Once all students have rotated through the stations, the students end up back at the station where they began. The teacher the. gives each group 3 minutes to present to the class a summary of the comments written on the paper at their station.

• Students get to learn from others and see other groups’ responses.
• The students are up and moving about which may help the concentration of bodily-kinesthetic learners.
• Some students may not participate fully. Consider getting students to rotate who writes on the paper at each station to mitigate this challenge a little.

102. Metacognition

Note whenever you would encourage metacognition in a lesson within your lesson plan. This will help anyone reading it know that you’ve thought about giving students strategies for “thinking about thinking”.

Metacogntion is about thinking about how you think. Strategies include:

• Thinking aloud
• Writing your steps to reach an answer
• Explaining your thought processes
• Reflecting on your learning and considering faster ur more efficient processes
• Helps students understand the processes required for thinking deeply about an issue.
• Gives students the strategies and skills to learn any task, not just the ones at hand.
• Metacognition is difficult because it requires explanation of your thinking. However, it is necessary if people want to know how to think .

103. Case Studies

Case studies are in-depth examples of an issue being examined. A case study should show how an issue or theory looks in real life. Teachers can present case studies through videos, newspaper articles, magazine articles, guests coming into the classroom, etc.

• Case studies help students to see how theories and ideas look in real life. This can also help a student understand the relevance of the topic being studied.
• A case study may help students make sense of a complex idea by putting it in real concrete terms.
• Case studies might not be representative of a generalized issue – they may be outliers or flukes. Pick your case study carefully and discuss whether it is a typical or outlier sample.
• A case study of city planning may be an innovative city that has recently been designed.
• A case study in mathematics may include looking at the mathematics underpinning a famous bridge’s construction.
• A case study during a unit of work on refugees might look at the experiences of one real-life refugee.

104. Mystery Making

Educators can create ‘mystery’ in their classroom by carefully structuring lessons that give ‘clues’ to a mystery that needs to be solved by the students. Ask the students to act as detectives and place clues around the classroom (like a gallery walk). Have students move around the classroom taking notes on the mystery which will reveal an answer after thorough investigation.

• Creates a sense of excitement in the classroom, helping students to engage.
• Forces students to use critical, logical and lateral thinking in order to find the answer.
• Ensure the mystery is not too far outside a student’s zone of proximal development so that the mystery can be solved.

105. Storytelling

Storytelling in the classroom involves teaching through narrative-style stories rather than telling (‘didactic learning’). Teachers can tell stories by reading books (see: Read Aloud strategy), turning a dry explanation into an allegorical story off the cuff, or bringing people into the classroom who have an engaging personal story to tell.

• Stories can draw students into a topic through the creation of a sense of excitement and entertainment.

Steiner-Waldorf Schools: Rudolf Steiner called the teacher the ‘chief storyteller’ whose role is to create a sense of enchantment around learning through stories.

• Invite guests into the classroom who have stories to tell.
• Use stories that have a moral of the the story, then analyze the moralistic message.

106. Newspaper Clippings

Use newspaper clippings to link topics and theories to current affairs. Teachers can bring in recent newspapers to let students search through them for relevant stories or use old newspapers to search for how a topic was discussed in the past. Alternatively, teachers can get students to search for newspaper articles online.

Teachers could also assign reading through newspapers and bringing newspapers to class as a part of their homework.

• Newspaper stories can show students how the topic being discussed plays out in real life.
• They also show students how the topic is relevant to the present-day lives of people in the community,
• Newspapers are increasingly uncommon – consider adjusting this to use online news sites and printing out articles from the web.
• Some topics won’t have relevant news articles associated with them. Do a search in newspapers and online yourself for articles before using this teaching strategy.

107. Self-Paced Learning

Self-paced learning involves.letting students progress from activity to activity in their own time. For this approach, a teacher lays out a list of 10 – 20 lessons that students can work on at their own pace. Students work on the activities while the teacher walks around and gives support.

• Students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning development and only move on when they are confident that they have consolidated the knowledge from an assessment.
• Less students will fall behind if the teacher doesn’t pressure them to move on.
• Teachers have time to work one-on-one with students while students work away at student-led tasks.
• Fast students will need extension tasks or personal projects to complete once they have finished and are waiting for slower students.
• There is often not enough time for slower students to finish.

These teaching strategy examples are clearly not the only ones out there – there are probably thousands! But, in my time teaching, these have been the most effective and common teaching strategies that I have come across. Use this teaching strategies list for your own lesson plans to demonstrate pedagogical knowledge and depth of understanding of how to educate a range of different learners.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Animism Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 10 Magical Thinking Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?

4 thoughts on “List of 107 Classroom Teaching Strategies (With Examples)”

this is valuable in my course production of Instructional materials in social studies. maraming Salamat!

Thank you very much for these valuable teaching strategies & techniques which can be used to enliven the classroom atmosphere, encourage students to do their tasks and learn more in the process. God bless!

As a student of Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies and also the Curriculum Lead in my school, this is best of resources I have had on the subject of teaching strategies. Thanks so much.

Thank you so much, these are very helpful and remind me that some of my teaching styles are already mentioned here.

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Student Podcast Challenge

• Contest Website
• Submissions Form
• College Contest Rules
• Middle/High School Contest Rules
• Podcasting Resources
• Students’ Podcast

Teaching Podcasting: A Curriculum Guide for Educators

Whether you're leading your class or advising an extracurricular group, we hope this guide will make the podcasting process easier.

Below, you'll find a breakdown of the process and a series of sample lesson plans to ensure that students have the skills and background knowledge to start making a podcast.

For our contest, teachers must submit entries to NPR, but we expect that students themselves are the ones creating them. (Teachers: The submission form is here.)

That's why we've provided a guide for students, covering the same material, here .

Planning Instruction

We recommend dividing the project into stages, listed below. Of course, you and your students are the best judges of what works in your classroom.

Download this guide here.

Learning About Podcasting

• Lesson: Podcasting overview (Download)

Planning Your Podcast

• Lesson: Choosing a topic (Download)
• Lesson: Planning the story (Download)
• Lesson: Brainstorming sounds (Download)

Podcast Production

• Lesson: Recording Practice (Download)
• Lesson: Interview practice (Download)
• Resource: Checklist for field recording (Download)

Submission forms are available now through March 31. Teachers must fill out these forms to submit their students' work.

Podcasting overview, 60 minutes

Objective: Students will learn the difference between scripted and Q&A podcasts and familiarize themselves with a wide range of podcast topics.

What you need: A computer with speakers and an internet connection.

What students need: A pencil and paper.

This can be completed as a class activity or by breaking into groups, if students have access to computers or laptops.

Part 1: Gauging Student Knowledge

Start by spending five minutes in a class discussion about podcasts. Gauge what students know or don't know about them by asking a few questions.

• What's a podcast?

YR Media has a handy list of sounds that all podcasters should consider recording while planning their podcast. Scroll down to "what sounds to gather" on this page to find that list.

• What are podcasts about?
• Where can you hear podcasts?
• Why would YOU listen to a podcast?
• What makes a podcaster different from a YouTuber?
• How does it change the way you tell a story when you're on the phone? How does it change the way you listen when you can't see someone?

Part 2: Listening

Have students listen to a few examples of podcasts and radio stories to get a feel for some different podcast examples.

Kind World : So Chocolate Bar (7 mins, 23 sec.)

In this episode of Kind World , host Erika Lantz uses sounds and interviews with multiple people to tell a story about a friendship.

Have students listen to the episode, then start a group conversation. Do they like it? Who did they hear talking in it? What sorts of sounds does it use, besides interviews?

Hidden Brain : The Haunting Effects of Going Days Without Sleep (7 mins, 2 sec.)

Here's a guide from YR Media about the best ways to record audio on your phone.

Play this story twice. The first time, ask students to make a note of all the sounds they hear and people that speak on tape. Afterwards, have students break into partners or small groups and compare notes.

Then, play the story through a second time — having students follow along with the transcript to check their work. Talk briefly about the sounds that they missed the first time.

How I Built This : Instagram: Kevin Systrom & Mike Krieger (33 mins, 32 sec.)

This is a long one, so perhaps just listen to a few minutes at the beginning. (A good place to start is about 30 seconds in.) Have the class discuss what makes this podcast similar or different from the others they've heard.

After this discussion, the class should understand that this podcast follows the structure of a Q & A/conversation. Unlike the past two podcasts, this doesn't weave in and out of scripted narration. That's one type of podcast that students can choose to make for the Student Podcast Challenge.

Part 3: Debrief

Before wrapping up, have students spend 5 minutes talking as a class about podcasts. Have them consider:

• What types of sounds do podcasts include?
• Students should understand that podcasts vary greatly — but most include a host and can include sounds from interviews, audio from events, audio from movies or TV, and sounds from the world around them.
• What are some ways that podcasts are structured?
• Students should walk away from this discussion understanding that there isn't one right way to tell a story. Some podcasts use narration from a host or a reporter, others feature a conversation between a group, others might be a one-on-one interview between two people. The structure of a podcast fits its content.

Additional resources

If your students are still looking for podcast examples, here are some we recommend:

Kind World : A Different Window (7 mins, 2 sec.)

Hidden Brain : How Labels Can Affect People's Personalities and Potential (6 mins, 35 sec.)

Choosing a Topic, 60 minutes

Objective: Students will choose a topic for their podcast.

*Skip this stage if you're assigning the class a prompt or idea for the podcast. Alternately, use this time as an opportunity for students to brainstorm for that prompt.

What you need: N/A

What students need: Pencil and paper

Part 1: Small-group brainstorming, 30 minutes

*If your class is creating podcasts in small groups, have them split into those small groups now and spend the entire class period completing this activity.

Distribute copies of the following prompts to students as they work in small groups of 3–5.

Directions for students: Pick three of these prompts that you think would be fun to make a podcast about. Come up with an idea for each of these three prompts. How would you structure it? (A conversation as a group? An interview with one person? A story with clips of interviews and sounds, narrated by a host?)

• Tell us a story about your school or community: about something that happened there — recently or in the past — that you want your audience to know about.
• What is a moment in history that all students should learn about?
• Show us both sides of a debate about an issue that's important to you.
• What do you want to change about the world? What's a big change that you want to make in the future?
• Explain something that kids understand and grownups don't.

After 20 minutes, go around the room and have each group share their favorite idea with the class. Have students write these ideas on the board. (10 mins)

Part 2: Class brainstorming, 30 mins

Students should narrow down the ideas on the board to one. Use these questions to help. Students should be thinking about specific tasks — interviews, sound recording, or editing — that each podcast idea could involve.

• What obstacles might come up as we create this podcast?
• If this idea involves traveling somewhere far away or interviewing someone famous, it might be difficult.
• Does the timeline work?
• Can students complete their interviews or record other sounds well before the podcasts are due — so that they have time to edit the audio?

Planning The Story, 60 mins

Objective: Students will determine how they'll structure the podcast.

What you need: Six large pieces of tear-off construction paper or easel pad paper.

What students need: A notebook and writing utensil.

Before class:

Place six pieces of large tear-off construction paper or easel pad paper in various places around the classroom. Two should be at the front of the room or the board. Label these two:

• What is my story's driving question?
• What is the story not about?

Label the others:

• How will I ensure my story is fair to the people and ideas it represents?
• How will I engage my audience — and hold them?
• What are my dream ingredients?
• What will the audience remember when it's over?

Part 1: Review Your Options, 10 mins

Start by opening up a class discussion about what types of podcasts students have heard. What are some ways a podcast can be structured? Why might a podcast be a one-on-one conversation, instead of a story told with using clips of multiple interviews?

Part 2: What's the story?, 25 mins

Spend 15 minutes working with students to craft responses to the two questions at the front of the room. Have them raise their hands and give ideas until the group settles on one driving question. Then move on to the second: What is the story not about? The class should have lots of answers to this question and there's no need to settle on one.

Then move on to the papers around the room. Students should get up and write a response to each question. If they like someone else's response, they should draw a star next to that response. Tell students to return to their desks after 10 minutes.

Part 3: Recap, 20 mins

Once students have finished, have one classmate stand at each paper around the room and share the responses. Then debrief: Given the class's responses, what do students envision their podcast including? What will it NOT include? How will these ideas shape the structure of the podcast — will it feature one long conversation or multiple short interviews? Pieces of tape from interviews and scenes?

Keep these posters around to guide students through the podcasting process. When they've recorded interviews and other sounds, remind them to look: this is what they envisioned for the podcast.

This lesson is based on a post from NPR Training . Teachers: Here's a downloadable poster from NPR Training you can use in the classroom.

Brainstorming Sounds, 60 mins

Objective: Students will come up with a list of sounds they'll record for their podcast.

What you need: A computer with speakers, a large tear-off piece of construction paper or Easel Pad paper

Part 1: Listening to examples, 20 mins

Play the following radio stories for the class.

Directions for students: As you listen, make a note of the sounds you hear — the ones that aren't people speaking — on paper.

Listen to this "Radio Field Trip" from New Hampshire Public Radio. (4 mins 12 s)

Ask students: Where is host Rick Ganley? How can you tell?

And here's this one, from Radio Rookies, a series from WNYC. (8 mins)

Ask students: Apart from sounds of Edward's narration — what sounds did you hear? How do these sounds help tell Edward's story?

Part 3: Brainstorming, 20 mins

Label a large easel pad paper "sounds" and place it at the front of the classroom.

Directions for students: In small groups of 3-5 students, come up with a list of three to five sounds you think should be in your class' podcast. Talk about why you think it would help the audience to hear these sounds.

Then, have one representative from each group come to the front of the room and write their ideas onto the large paper.

Open the discussion up to the class. Have students shout out the sounds that are on the paper more than once. Circle those. Then have students underline those they think are especially unique or worth recording.

Keep this paper — it should serve as a guide of the sounds that the class will gather to create the podcast.

Recording Practice, 90 mins

Objective: Students will familiarize themselves with their equipment, including their recording device.

What students need: One phone or voice recorder, one pair of headphones, one computer / per small group. Notebooks and writing utensils.

*Before starting, we recommend identifying a) a voice recorder and b) a computer or laptop. Most smartphones, including iPhones, have built-in voice recorders which can be used for recording narration and interviews for podcasts.

Part 1: Recording, 1 hour

In groups of 3–5, have students practice recording themselves and each other.

Directions for students:

Record your own voice

• Say your name, grade and age into the microphone, and then listen back to the recording on the phone or recording device.

Record another person's voice

• Come up with one interview question for a group member. Record the question and answer. Then, listen back on the phone or recording device.

Record a conversation between two people

• One group member should come up with two interview questions for another. While one person interviews the other, a third group member should record them. Then listen back. Take turns so that each person has a chance to record using the phone or recording device.

Record sounds from around the classroom

• Each group member should record TWO sounds that last approximately 10 seconds from around the classroom. As a group, listen back to the recordings on the phone or recording device.

Part 2: Uploading, 30 mins

In the same groups, students should turn to their computers.

Identify a sound-editing software.

• If your school already uses a sound editing software — like ProTools or Adobe Audition — feel free to keep that and use it. You could also download Audacity , a free audio editing software that students can use to mix their podcasts once they've recorded interviews and sounds.

Upload recordings onto a computer or laptop

• Have students practice saving their recordings into the computer or a drive in a place they can find.

Interview Practice , 60 mins

Objective: Students will practice asking engaging interview questions while recording.

What you need: A computer with sound.

What students need: One phone or voice recorder, one pair of headphones, one computer / per pair of partners. Notebooks and writing utensils.

*If recording devices are scarce, this is a good time for students to split into smaller groups to plan various aspects of the podcast. While some students practice interviewing, others could research for the podcast or begin drafting a script.

Part 1: Review, 5 mins

Take five minutes to review what student learned in the "recording practice" lesson. Student should remember to 1) ask others to introduce themselves and 2) record their own questions while interviewing.

Part 2: Practicing in Partners, 30 mins

Assign students partners. Designate a Partner 1 and Partner 2 in each set. Set a timer for 15 mins.

Partner 1: Ask your partner about the one thing they are most PROUD of. It could be something at home, it could be something at school, it could be something athletic — it doesn't matter.

Once they've answered, keep asking questions about their response until the timer goes off. Why are they proud? How did they achieve this?

When the timer goes off, turn off the recording and switch.

Partner 2, now start recording again — and ask Partner 1 the thing they're most proud of. Don't stop asking questions until the timer goes off.

When the timer goes off, turn off the recording.

Part 3: Class debrief, 10 mins

Ask students to raise their hands and share (with their partner's permission) what they learned and what questions they asked in order to learn what they didn't know about their classmates before.

Part 4: Uploading, 15 mins

Students should use any remaining class time to upload their recordings onto a computer and listen back to as much as they can. They should make notes about parts of the recording that sound clear and strong and those that don't.

It's Go Time

At this point in the podcasting process, your students should be ready to get out there and record sound.

Before they record interviews or sounds, students should set aside time to:

• Contact and reserve time to interview guests
• Write out possible interview questions
• Write a list of sounds to record using the large construction paper from the Brainstorming Sounds lesson

Students should check (and double-check) that they're ready to record before heading to interviews or to record at events. Find our checklist for field recording, which students can take with them, below.

Checklist for Field Recording

Download a checklist for students to take as they prepare to record.

Additional Resources

Sign up for KQED Teach to access this set of guides to teaching podcasting , from the very beginning.

NPR Training is a site full of helpful guides about radio and podcasting.

Guides for creating radio and podcasts, from YR Media, are here.

This Radio Rookies site lists examples of stories that may be useful to play as examples in the classroom.

Transom.org is the go-to site for podcasting hopefuls in public media.

If students are looking for help with tools or learning to use sound editing software, this site likely has what they're looking for. Here's Transom's Kid's Guide To Recording Stories .

StoryCorps provides a series of lessons on storytelling and interviewing here.

Nursing Teaching Plan

A nursing teaching plan is essential for nurses to educate and empower their patients effectively. Here is a free PDF download from Carepatron to assist nurses in developing their teaching plans.

By Wynona Jugueta on May 15, 2024.

Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.

What is a Nursing Teaching Plan?

A nurse teaching plan is a structured framework designed to guide nurses in educating patients and their families about their knowledge of healthcare, wellness, and disease management.

At its core, nursing teaching aids are a personalized educational strategy tailored to meet the specific needs of an individual patient or a small group of patients with similar health concerns. This is similar to concept map nursing templates , too.

The nurse plan outlines the educational and medical terminology objectives, patient teaching plans, teaching methods, and assessment strategies that nurses have for effective knowledge transfer. Nurses are crucial in delivering patient education and empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their health.

The importance of nurse teaching plans cannot be overstated. They contribute significantly to patient outcomes, promoting adherence to treatment plans, preventive measures, and lifestyle modifications. These plans enhance patient engagement and self-management by fostering a collaborative and educational relationship between healthcare providers and patients.

Printable Nursing Teaching Plan

Download this Nursing Teaching Plan to guide nurses in educating patients and their families about their knowledge of healthcare, wellness, and disease management.

How to create a Nursing Teaching Plan?

Creating an effective nursing teaching plan involves a systematic approach to ensure patients receive tailored and comprehensive education. Follow these steps to develop a nursing teaching plan that meets your patients ' unique education needs.

Step 1: Assess patient needs

Begin by conducting a thorough assessment of the patient. Consider their medical condition, existing nursing diagnoses, and the specific disease processes involved. Consider cultural differences, learning styles, and the patient's self-care abilities. This initial evaluation provides a foundation for designing a patient-centered teaching plan.

Step 2: Set clear objectives

Define the goals and objectives of your nursing teaching plan. What specific knowledge or skills should the patient acquire? Clearly outline these objectives to guide your teaching efforts. Ensure your teaching skills and objectives align with the patient's medical condition, addressing any identified nursing notes.

Step 3: Develop a lesson plan

Create a structured lesson plan based on your objectives. Include the key topics, teaching methods, and necessary materials or resources. Consider the patient's learning style and adapt your approach accordingly. This is where the nursing teaching plan template becomes invaluable, providing a framework for organizing your educational content.

Step 4: Tailor content to the patient

Adapt your teaching materials and methods to suit the individual patient's needs. Consider their cultural background, language preferences, and self-care capabilities. Providing information that resonates with the patient enhances understanding and promotes engagement.

Step 5: Incorporate interactive learning

Encourage active participation through interactive learning methods. This could include demonstrations, discussions, or hands-on activities. Evaluate the patient's understanding throughout the teaching process and adjust your approach as needed.

Step 6: Evaluate and adjust

After delivering the teaching plan, evaluate its effectiveness. Seek feedback from the patient to gauge their comprehension and identify any areas that may require further clarification. Use this feedback to adjust and refine your teaching strategies for future sessions.

Nursing Teaching Plan example (sample)

The following example is a practical illustration of an effective nursing teaching plan. Crafted by the Carepatron experts, this sample visually represents how a nursing teaching plan template can be structured to address various patient needs.

This example is a valuable reference, showcasing the application of critical elements such as necessary information such as nursing notes, disease processes, self-care considerations, and cultural nuances within a comprehensive teaching plan.

Download this free Nursing Teaching Plan template example here:

At Carepatron, we understand the significance of a well-designed nursing teaching plan in delivering patient-centered education. The example presented here encapsulates the principles discussed in the previous sections, offering a clear and concise framework for healthcare experts to adapt to their specific patient populations.

Tips on creating a Nursing Teaching Plan

Enhance the effectiveness of your nursing teaching plan with these insightful tips, ensuring that risky information is communicated clearly and patients are well-prepared to manage their healthcare journey.

1. Evaluate patient understanding regularly

Frequent assessments of patient comprehension are crucial. Gauge their understanding of precarious information about the treatment plan and available treatment alternatives and determine any specific dietary requirements. This ongoing evaluation allows for timely adjustments and ensures that patients are well-informed.

2. Tailor teaching to new diagnoses

When patients receive a new diagnosis, customize your teaching plan to address their needs. Cover essential information about the specific condition, treatment options, and potential lifestyle adjustments like a particular diet. Provide support and reassurance during this critical period.

3. Emphasize the importance of follow-up

Highlight the significance of follow-up appointments. Reinforce the idea that regular check-ups are vital for monitoring progress, adjusting treatment plans, and addressing emerging concerns. Encourage open communication to foster a collaborative approach to healthcare.

4. Consider time constraints wisely

Recognize time restrictions and adapt your teaching plan accordingly. Prioritize profound and essential information, ensuring patients leave with critical insights even in situations with limited time. Emphasize key points and provide supplementary resources for further understanding.

5. Utilize small group sessions

Incorporate small group sessions to facilitate interactive learning. This approach promotes a supportive environment where patients can share experiences, ask questions, and learn from one another. Small groups and group dynamics enhance engagement and understanding.

Why use Carepatron as your nursing software?

In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, Carepatron stands out as a premier solution, offering clients a suite of features that seamlessly integrate into the workflow of nursing professionals. With an unwavering commitment to efficiency, Carepatron has become the go-to platform for those seeking top-notch nursing software.

Customizable nurse scheduling software

Carepatron understands the challenges of managing complex nursing schedules. Its innovative nurse scheduling software streamlines the process, allowing for efficient allocation of resources, minimizing conflicts, and ensuring optimal staffing levels. This feature empowers nursing teams to focus on patient care, confident in the reliability of their scheduling.

Secured practice management software

For comprehensive practice management , Carepatron provides a robust software solution. This tool optimizes administrative tasks, from appointment scheduling to billing, freeing up valuable time for healthcare professionals and experts. The user-friendly interface ensures seamless navigation, making practice management more efficient and less time-consuming.

User-friendly patient portal software

Carepatron recognizes the importance of patient engagement in modern healthcare. The patient portal software enhances communication and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients. With secure access to medical records, appointment scheduling, and educational resources from other healthcare professionals, patients can actively participate in their care, promoting a more informed and empowered healthcare experience.

Commonly asked questions

To evaluate a nursing teaching plan, assess patient understanding through open-ended questions and feedback. Regularly review the patient teaching plan's effectiveness, making adjustments to address evolving patient needs and comprehension levels.

To create a nursing teaching plan, follow these steps: assess patient needs, set clear objectives, tailor content to the patient, incorporate interactive learning, and evaluate and adjust after implementation. Utilize a nursing teaching plan template to structure the plan efficiently and ensure comprehensive coverage.

A patient teaching plan should include critical information about the medical condition, treatment plans, and care practices. Address specific dietary requirements, provide information on follow-up medical appointments, and consider the patient's unique learning style, cultural differences, and time constraints for effective education.

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Effective Tips for writing a good Patient Teaching/Education Plan

How do I write a teaching plan for nursing? If this question bothers you, then you are in luck. Patient education is critical in aiding positive patient outcomes and ensuring maximum independence. Nurses play a significant role in patient education by utilizing nursing teaching plans to provide the necessary information to patients to manage their health conditions. A detail-oriented nursing education plan informs patients, improves their understanding of their medical condition, and helps them make the best decisions about their health. As a nursing student, you must learn how to write a teaching plan so that you can communicate well with patients about their medical issues.

In this guide, we will define a nursing teaching plan, show you the steps for creating a teaching plan for a patient, and give tips for writing an impactful teaching plan.

What is a Teaching Plan in Nursing?

A nurse-teaching or patient education plan guides patients about a particular medical issue. In other words, it is a way for nurses to teach patients about their illnesses so that they can know how to take medication and manage their disease.

These plans are necessary for informing patients without medical backgrounds what to do when they are not close to their doctors. They identify a patient's current needs and acknowledge the possible risks. The goal is to achieve long-lasting behavioural changes by providing relevant knowledge to allow patients to make autonomous decisions about their health.

Nurse teaching plans are vital in patient education as they are used to achieve the best care plan for patients. Usually, both nurses and nursing students use these teaching plans to learn more about a particular illness. They can make better decisions concerning a diagnosis, impending surgery, medications, and treatment options.

A well-thought-out patient teaching plan is an effective way for nurses to teach patients instead of communicating information without a plan.

What Should A Nursing Teaching Plan Include

A good teaching plan must include the following:

• Purpose of the lesson.
• The overall goal of the lesson.
• Objectives for achieving the goals.
• Lesson outline.
• Instrumental methods that show how you plan to teach the lesson.
• Timeline for achieving the objective.
• Instrumental resources for achieving the identified objectives.
• How do you evaluate whether the objectives are working?

These are all crucial elements that will help

How to Create a Nursing Teaching Plan

Research shows that a well-thought-out teaching plan significantly improves patient outcomes and saves lives. For this reason, you must learn how to create an effective teaching plan. The following are the steps for creating an effective teaching plan for nursing.

Come up with the Goals of the Teaching Plan

Figuring out how to write a patient teaching plan is challenging, so setting a goal to guide you through every step is necessary. Remember, a lesson plan outlines teaching goals, learning objectives, and how you intend to accomplish them.

An effective and productive nursing teaching plan differs from one in which everything goes well but in which both the teacher and student gain something from it.

Start by deciding what medical issues, such as surgery or treatment ideas, will be the basis for the teaching plan. Then, decide what you want the nursing plan to fulfill.

For example, if you are teaching a diabetic patient, the goal would be to inform them how they would be taking regular insulin injections. Ensure the goals are measurable, realistic, achievable, and relevant to the patient's medical condition.

Find Out What Works Best

Ask the patient how they learn best so that you can match their style. If you don’t know how to go about this, consider asking, "The last time you learned about something new easily, how was it taught?" If they prefer visuals or jotting things down, make sure you make it possible for them. This is necessary for delivering medical information in a way that the patient can understand.

The most common way to teach patients is using visual components and auditorily. Thus, it's best to include images, graphs, and diagrams in your nursing if they prefer visuals. If they prefer auditory, it's best to read to them out loud or provide a recording device they can use whenever.

Assess Patient's Knowledge

Apart from knowing how patients learn best, it's important that you also assess their medical knowledge. This will then help you know how to write a nursing teaching plan that works well. If they don't understand medical concepts, you may have to find more information in the teaching plan to make it easy for them to grasp what you intend to teach them. You can achieve this by asking the following questions:

• Have you had any health-related issues related to your current condition?
• Do you truly understand your current health condition?
• Have you ever been given a teaching plan before?
• On a scale of 1-10, Please rate your medical condition.

The answers to these questions will help you judge a patient's knowledge of medical concepts. Nurses play a big role in identifying and addressing patients' knowledge deficits, which any of the following could cause:

• Limited access to education - Some patients may need help obtaining educational resources or internet access to understand even the simplest terms.
• Health illiteracy - Not being health literate could make it difficult for one to understand medical terminologies. The reading level for all material should be between 3rd and 5th grade.
• Poor communication - When key information is miscommunicated, patients will miss what they should know.
• Cognitive impairment - those with cognitive impairment, such as intellectual disability, will struggle to process information. Your target should be between 3-5 pieces of information at a time.
• Emotional distress - patients experiencing high emotional stress, such as anxiety, may be unable to focus or understand information when it is shared.
• Language barrier - Nurses and patients will experience difficulty communicating. Patients will also have difficulty understanding important information. If your patient’s primary language differs from English, find an interpreter to translate the resources for effective learning.

As a nurse, you should know all the causes of knowledge deficit to communicate well with the patients. Knowledge deficit refers to a lack of the necessary information to understand and process an illness and treatment options, thus impeding a patient's ability to make informed decisions aligning with their health.

Also, ensure you know all the patient's needs and concerns before teaching them. This means you should be aware of all their issues and key details of the after-care plan.

For example, a patient may have been given prescription medication by their therapist to take at home.

At the same time, they may be required to do some exercises according to their physical therapist. Therefore, it's imperative that you keenly evaluate theory ability to understand what you will be teaching them.

Please note that some patients may struggle to understand even the simplest information because of a mental issue. So, it's best to know this before you begin teaching them.

Create an Outline

Now that you have figured out the patient's learning style and knowledge of medical concepts, you need to develop an outline of what information you will deliver. Use either an online template or create one. Include the following in the outline:

• Short and long-term goals that you would want the patient to achieve.
• Patient medical information.
• Strategies for achieving the goals.

Include the patient through every step by sharing information to make them feel they are in control of their health.

Write Clear Instructions

Write down clearly what you expect the patients to do. Explain when, where, and how you want the patient to complete the task.

Don't beat around the bush. Make sure every information you are sharing is as specific as possible. For instance, if your teaching plan is about chemotherapy treatment, include details of when they should come, how many times they should come in a month, and the side effects of the treatment. Other information you should add:

• Predicted outcomes
• Alternative strategies
• Resources for medical help
• Medications
• Exercise strategies
• Nutrition information

 All this information is necessary to understand the patient's medical condition comprehensively.

Provide information in Small Chunks.

It’s essential to share information with patients in a way that they can understand. For this reason, sharing information in smaller, more manageable, and meaningful chunks is necessary so that you don’t overwhelm them. Therefore, it breaks down complex phrases and sentences into smaller sections that are easy to process.

Before moving to the next section, ensure the previous one is easy to digest. In addition, make it easy for patients to ask for information about what they do not understand and provide clarification when needed.

Create a Glossary of the Medical Terms

Patient information must be written and communicated in a way that is easy for patients to understand. Medical terms refer to words and phrases that are used specifically in healthcare. Including a glossary list ensures that patients can refer to terms they do not understand. A glossary of terms is crucial to the success of the nursing teaching plan because some medical terms are extremely complex, especially for patients without any medical background.

Provide Relevant Copies of the Material

Increase your chances of success by providing relevant material and the teaching plan. This could be information about health facilities pamphlets, contact information for emergency clinics, and information about specialists.

Also, customize and print the resources instead of just handing the patient a stack of papers. The teaching plan should address their plans.

Additionally, before being discharged, repeat the plan with the patients to ensure they understand it. Some of these resources are valuable in multiple languages, so you can find the one suitable for your patients to make it easier for them to understand the information.

Evaluate the Outcome of the Teaching Plan

Check-in with the patient occasionally to know how well they follow the teaching plan. If they are having difficulties, offer to show them again or adjust the mode of information delivery.

Also, consider reviewing the teaching plan once more to know whether information could confuse the patient. If there are, consider simplifying the questions.

You may be forced to reteach the information once more through different methods. So, modify the nursing education plan until the main objective is achieved, which is learning.

Use the following steps to evaluate the patient outcomes:

• Use a teach-back strategy- Ask the patient to explain what they have learned in their own words. The aim is not to test them but to know whether they described the information in a way that meets their learning needs. Use the following questions to implement the teach-back strategy:
• “How you will….”
• “What are you going to do if…."
• “How would you explain….”
• As they answer, encourage accurate responses and respectfully clarify any gaps.
• Encourage return demonstration. Evaluate how well they can demonstrate through kill performance. As they do this, gently correct any mishaps.
• Measure a change in patient outcomes- Measure how they adhere to the self-management plan through tools such as questionnaires, symptom logs, etc. Likewise, consider checking readmission rates and verify whether they have adhered to the treatment by checking lab reports.

Tips for Success

The following are some tips to increase your chance of success when using a nursing teaching plan to educate your patients.

Anticipate Questions

Before you begin teaching the patients, you must anticipate any questions or concerns they might have. This will help you act on them and prepare adequately for the lesson.

For instance, if you teach a parent of a child with high blood pressure, you might anticipate a question like, why does a young child have high blood pressure?

Prepare a teaching plan that addresses the fact that high blood pressure in children is a common result of kidney problems.

Involve the patient's Family.

Patients’ family involvement in a patient education plan is critical as it impacts the quality of care and patient outcomes. It also improves their mental health and motivates them to follow the teaching plan.

Family involvement will ensure that the patients get the help they need to follow through with the teaching plan. If they cannot come, arrange to speak to them by phone or email.

Stimulate Patient’s Interest

Patient interest is necessary for them to learn and follow through with the teaching plan. The best way to stimulate this interest is by first building a rapport, asking questions, being respectful, and considering their concerns. i

f your patient prefers detailed information about a particular concept, provide it to them. If they prefer facts, ensure that you also offer them.

Final Word 

Creating an impressive nursing teaching plan is necessary to ensure patients take a proactive role in their health. For this reason, you must know how to write it well. Including clear objectives and implementing the appropriate teaching methods will ensure that patients learn everything they need. The above tips will help you create an impactful nursing teaching plan.

Are you struggling to figure out how to write a teaching plan for a patient? Whether it is a Flyer, Poster, or Word document, you can get assignment help here at Nursemygrade.com.

We have competent online nursing writers who can complete various nursing assignments, including a nursing patient teaching plan. Our writers will include every detail based on instructions to ensure you get an A grade. Just reach out to us by placing an order , and we will get back to you immediately.

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Request for Proposals for lesson plans under the “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Basic Education in Namibia and Zimbabwe” project

UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) is implementing the Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in basic education project in Namibia and Zimbabwe. This project is supporting the integration of living heritage in basic education, through a whole-school approach involving communities, teachers, and learners. Incorporating living heritage in schools can help contextualize how and what students learn, create stronger connections between classrooms and learners’ everyday life and strengthen their sense of pride for their own cultures and respect for others. Integrating living heritage in schools strengthens appreciation of cultural diversity; connects schools, families and communities; reinforces relations between children, their parents and grandparents; engages them in heritage safeguarding; and stimulates students’ curiosity – all this while making learning more relevant, inclusive, and accessible. 

Furthermore, intangible cultural heritage supports linking education systems to the local community and vice versa, recognizing the role of the communities in the teaching and learning processes. In this regard, intangible cultural heritage provides a needed and incredibly rich resource for attaining SDG 4, notably Target 4.7 which emphasizes learning to ‘appreciate cultural diversity’ and to ‘understand the role of culture for development’ as part of education for sustainable development and global citizenship.  

THE ASSIGNMENT AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS

In this context, UNESCO is seeking a consultant(s) to coordinate and manage the development of lesson plans under the “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Basic Education in Namibia and Zimbabwe” project.

The consultant(s) will  appoint a project manager who will cover the following tasks:

Coordinate and manage the development and implementation of lessons plans on integrating living heritage in lessons plans .  

Tasks for the implementation partner include the following: 

Using the approved UNESCO template, review all lessons plans, received from 24 participating schools in Namibia (12) and Zimbabwe (12) on integrating living heritage. 

The project manager should expect to receive at least 5 lesson plans per school, which include 3 elements from various domains of intangible cultural heritage. 

These lesson plans should cover at least 5 different learning areas from the basic education curriculum. 

Amend, where necessary, the content of the lesson plans, to ensure that it aligns with the UNESCO approved template and guidelines. 

Coordinate the translation of the lesson plans into other official languages of Namibia and Zimbabwe including Oshiwambo and Afrikaans, as well as Shona and Ndebele. 

The project manager, with support from the UNESCO Project Coordinator, needs to enquire if there are any other indigenous languages within the regions or provinces of the participating schools which should be used to translate the lesson plans. 

Provide copy editing and design services for all lesson plans received from the 24 participating schools. 

Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the lesson plans in the participating schools and provide monthly feedback to the UNESCO Project Coordinator.  

PROJECT TIMELINE

Project duration is estimated to be at least 6 months. 

The contract will be managed by the UNESCO ROSA based in Harare, Zimbabwe. The contractor will be expected to provide an updated status of the assignment as per agreement in the terms of references. Formal reporting is expected upon delivery of each deliverable. Additional reporting activities may be requested by UNESCO ROSA on a need basis. 

BUDGET AND PAYMENT

The consultant/firm will be selected following a competitive bidding process. Candidates must submit a cost estimation (in USD) as an expression of interest, clearly itemizing costs. Payment will be done upon submission of each deliverable. 

COPYRIGHT, PATENTS AND OTHER PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

All rights, including title to property, copyright, trademark and patent; in any work produced by the consultant by virtue of the contract, shall be vested in UNESCO which alone shall hold all rights of use.  

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

Accountability (C)  

Communication (C)  

Innovation (C)  

Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)  

Planning and organizing (C)  

Results focus (C)  

Teamwork (C)  

Professionalism (C) 

ELIGIBILITY/ REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The successful bidder is expected to demonstrate experience and list relevant projects as follows:

 - A minimum of a master’s degree in a related field (culture, heritage, development, education or international relations)

 - At least 5 years’ experience in the field of intangible cultural heritage and/or curriculum development

 - Sound understanding of project management supported by two references/examples 

- Proven experience of working with ministries and relevant government departments in the fields of education and culture 

- Proven experience in curriculum development and/or policy development is an added advantage. Please support this with at least two references/examples  

- Excellent writing and communication skills  

For detailed information, please consult the [UNESCO Competency Framework] ( https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/competency_framework_e.pdf ). 

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Proposals should be received by 24 May 2024 at the latest. No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The proposals received after the above deadline will not be considered. 

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice and may include tests and/or assessments, and a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. 

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

All interested candidates are required to submit a technical and financial proposal via email to  [email protected] with cc to  [email protected] by 24 May 2024. 

The technical proposal shall be no more than 4 pages concisely presented and structured to include the following information: 

- Presentation of your profile/ up to date Curriculum Vitae 

- Brief Workplan and timeline 

- At least two (2) verifiable references

The financial proposal should be no more than 1 page and should detail: an appropriate Price Schedule which includes, as a minimum, the consultancy rate (in USD) and indication of which items may be negotiated, if applicable, or which items can be modified as per the budget. Full and final costing should include all taxes.

Within your application please include at least three samples of work related to this assignment, including reports; lesson plans; curriculum development reports etc. These will be assessed on quality, effectiveness of the presentation of findings and conclusions, amongst other key issues.

Related items

• Priority Africa
• Sharing knowledge
• UN ＆ International cooperation
• Country page: Zimbabwe
• Country page: Namibia
• Region: Africa
• UNESCO Office in Harare
• SDG: SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• See more add

This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals .

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The impact of transformational leadership on classroom interaction in UAE secondary schools

• Open access
• Published: 16 May 2024

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Haifaa Y. Abuhassira 1 ,
• Ahmad Zabidi Abdul Razak 1 &
• Kazi Enamul Hoque   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8152-9250 1  

Department heads play a critical role in executing school plans, particularly in adopting contemporary instructional methods, integrating technology, assessing student progress, and maintaining high standards of classroom interactions. They facilitate essential interactions within the classroom, spanning teacher-student, student–student, and student-content interactions, aligning with transformational leadership practices. This study explores the influence of department heads' transformational leadership on classroom interaction, mediating teachers' teaching experience in enhancing leadership capacity. Using a straightforward random sampling procedure, 374 teachers from 226 privately owned secondary schools were selected. Descriptive statistics were employed to represent the extent of department heads' engagement in transformational leadership practices. Findings indicate that teachers' role in clarifying activities and assignments to encourage classroom involvement received the highest average rating, emphasizing the importance of diverse instructional approaches. The study reveals a significant, positive influence of teachers' years of experience as a moderating factor in the relationship between department heads' transformational leadership and classroom interaction. A positive correlation was observed between student–teacher interactions and department heads' use of transformational leadership practices, with teachers' experience levels shaping these relationships. Notably, the study suggests that teachers' experience partially affects this phenomenon. The research concludes with recommendations for policymakers and educators to leverage their pedagogical expertise in fortifying the impact of school leadership on heightened student participation within the classroom.

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1 Introduction

Despite the critical significance of the department head's role within educational institutions, the academic literature has shown a relatively limited focus on delineating the characteristics of an effective department head (Coats, 2000 ; Williams, 2001 ). Yielder and Codling ( 2004 ) assert that academic leadership, encompassing department heads, requires a more precise definition. Middle leadership or management in schools primarily comprises department heads (Shaked & Schechter, 2017a ), who bear responsibility for achieving educational objectives, fostering collaboration, and guiding specific academic activities. Consequently, establishing a comprehensive definition of the role of the department head is imperative to address pertinent issues in this domain. In academia and management, multifaceted leadership and decision-making processes emerge. These terms encompass determining future directions, objectives, visions, and goals. An ethical approach by the department head is essential to foster an environment of ethical, professional, and interpersonal interactions among personnel in leadership positions (Osseo-Asare et al., 2005 ).

Building on Middlehurst ( 1993 ), Gordon and Patterson ( 2006 ) underscores five pivotal academic leadership dimensions: 1. accountability, 2. mentoring, 3. achieving results, 4. personnel management, and 5. distinguishing leaders from their counterparts. This study adopts the nomenclature "Department Head (DH)" to signify a leadership role within the school, responsible for collaborating with school leadership to uphold high standards in teaching and learning practices under the guidance of the Head of Curriculums (Bolam & Turner, 2003 ). Furthermore, department heads necessitate appropriate training not only in their administrative roles but also in curriculum development and pedagogy. This expectation often leads to perceptions among teachers that department heads are primarily faultfinders (Alkutich, 2017 ).

In line with these demands, it is critical that department heads receive further training in the ever-evolving curriculum (Tapala, 2020 ) to ensure effective teaching and support for personnel development (Christie et al., 2007 ; Mampane, 2017 ). Thorpe and Bennet-Powell ( 2014 ) emphasize the primary responsibility of department heads in enhancing curriculum leadership to elevate the performance of students and teachers, thereby facilitating effective handling of various classroom situations and educational content.

The department head's role assumes a pivotal position in bridging the gap between classroom dynamics and school objectives. This is achieved by providing necessary resources, professional development opportunities, and facilitating the teaching and learning process. Department heads play a crucial part in implementing school plans, especially when it comes to adopting contemporary instructional methods, technology, student progress assessment, and maintaining high standards of classroom interactions (Tapala, 2019 ). They are also responsible for conducting classroom visits and lesson observations to ensure qualitative and quantitative curriculum implementation (Ogina, 2017 ). Their role extends to monitoring syllabus coverage in each subject, necessitating substantial training and development (Tapala, 2020 ).

While the leadership of department heads holds a delicate position due to its significant impact on daily educational operations and goal attainment (Tapala et al., 2022 ), it remains imperative to elucidate the direct influence of department heads on classroom participation. Leadership styles have evolved to address the multifaceted challenges encountered, with department heads emerging as key figures in achieving and sustaining educational reform. The extent of their responsibilities varies according to school size and the scope of their duties. They may oversee one or more subjects and departments, ensuring positive learning outcomes and teacher performance (Ogina, 2017 ; Tapala, 2020 ). Their oversight extends to managing the divisions they lead (Bambi, 2012 ), and they bear the ultimate accountability for student and teacher performance (Manasseh, 2016 ). As part of their curriculum leadership responsibilities, department heads must supervise and moderate the work of teachers and students.

In a related study by Al-Ghamdi ( 2008 ), it was observed that department heads have developed extensive educational competencies, particularly in student assessment methods, teaching method diversity, and classroom interaction, albeit with moderate proficiency in planning and the utilization of teaching aids. These findings underscore the need for a transformational leadership role for department heads to enhance classroom interaction by supporting teachers throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes and by providing solutions and proposals to elevate the quality of classroom interaction.

In many educational systems across the globe, the position of the Department Head occupies a significant role within the framework of middle leadership or management in schools (Shaked & Schechter, 2017b ). These individuals are also variously referred to as curriculum leaders, subject leaders, subject coordinators, and, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as department heads (MoE, 2017 ). The role of an educational department head is defined as "a facilitator and advisor appointed by the school administration to aid teachers in their personal and professional development" (Al-Balawi, 2011 ). Procedurally, an educational department head is designated as a teacher appointed by the school administration to oversee the educational process with the objective of achieving academic and educational goals, improving teachers' performance, and enhancing their professional competence through various supervisory techniques.

The contemporary understanding of the role of department heads, which the department head and school administration should embrace, revolves around the fundamental notion that all teachers possess the potential for professional growth provided they are placed in an environment conducive to making informed choices for effective teaching and goal attainment (Mulford, 2003 ). Consequently, the traditional practices of department head leadership, which primarily involve advice and direction, have given way to a more modern and nuanced concept of leadership (Bennett, 2008 ).

These definitions closely mirror the description of department heads in the UAE, where they are perceived as facilitators, observers, developers, supervisors, and guides in the teaching and learning process. Nevertheless, department heads are often encumbered with numerous administrative tasks, which, at times, reduce their capacity to effectively manage their departments and actively engage in subject development activities (Fullan, 2015 ; Flückiger et al., 2015 ; Lárusdóttir & O'Connor, 2017 ; Javadi et al., 2017 ).

In their study, Elyakim et al. ( 2023 ) identified four modalities of the principal's ongoing leadership presence in social media networks: branding and communicative, transformational, supportive-protective, and enforcement presence. In this study, transformational leadership is employed as a focal variable, aligned with the UAE perspective, given the prevalent utilization of transformational leadership by school leaders in the UAE (Alshammari & Al-Mahdy, 2018 ; Al-Taneiji & McLeod, 2019 ; Alzaydi & Alghamdi, 2019 ). A comparison of leadership styles among 22 principals in public and private schools in the UAE indicated that transactional and passive/avoidant leadership styles were less frequently practiced (Al-Taneiji & McLeod, 2019 ). Furthermore, research conducted by Ibrahim and Al-Taneiji ( 2012 ), examining the relationships between the principal's leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) and school performance, underscored the predominance of transformational leadership over other styles. Consequently, the selection of transformational leadership as the focus of this study is substantiated.

From a UAE perspective, studies have yielded mixed results regarding the use of dimensions of transformational leadership. Burns ( 1978 ) transformational leadership traits, which encompass idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, personalized attention, and inspirational motivation, resonate with the practices of department heads. Idealized influence, as defined by Bass ( 1985 ), signifies the transformative leader's ability to convey a compelling vision and motivate followers effectively. In the UAE, Al-Taneiji and McLeod ( 2019 ) conducted a study involving 22 private and public school principals, revealing Burns ( 1978 ) dimensions, including idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, personalized attention, and inspirational motivation in the practices of UAE school leaders. However, a study by Alshammari and Al-Mahdy ( 2018 ) involving 30 public school principals produced slightly different findings, highlighting patterns of idealized influence and individualized consideration among school leaders. In their qualitative study of ten public schools, Alzaydi and Alghamdi ( 2019 ) identified the presence of inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation practices among UAE school principals. Consequently, this study incorporates all the dimensions of transformational leadership, acknowledging the variability in study results.

Classroom interaction" encompasses the dynamic exchanges that transpire among educators and learners or between learners themselves (Eisenring & Margana, 2019 ; Li, 2023 ; Tsui, 2001 ). It may also encompass the interactions between educators. Historically, studies on classroom interaction primarily centered on the language employed by instructors and students, the resulting interactions arising from this language use, and the consequential impact on students' learning capabilities (Waring, 2017 ; Sert, 2019 ). Recent research endeavors have ventured beyond these surface-level analyses to explore the underlying factors that mold classroom interaction. These influencing factors include the beliefs held by educators and students, the socio-cultural backgrounds of educators and students, and the psychological dimensions of the learning process (Sundari, 2017 ; Tsui, 2001 ). Moore's model has been the basis for the development of subsequent interaction models (Anderson, 2003a , 2003b ; Hirumi, 2013 ), encompassing various forms of interaction, such as teacher-student interaction and student-interface interaction. Research suggests that learning is a product of students' interactions with educators and peers, irrespective of the context of these interactions (Tirri & Kuusisto, 2013 ).

Both student–teacher and student–student interactions entail multifaceted communication processes involving two or more individuals. Student–student interaction involves the reciprocal exchange of ideas, information, and knowledge related to the subject matter. Teacher-student interaction pertains to communication between educators and students, which can take on various forms, including assessment, feedback, guidance, and support. "Student-content interaction" pertains to the relationship between students and the educational material as they engage with and reflect upon it (Moore & Kearsley, 1996 ; Anderson, 2003a , 2003b ; Miyazoe & Anderson, 2010 ). Overbaugh and Nickel ( 2011 ) also underscore the significance of interactions between educators and students in fostering a sense of community and, consequently, enhancing student satisfaction (Kuo et al., 2014 ). This study places its focus on the interactions occurring within the classroom, encompassing teacher-student, student–student, and student-content interactions. It aims to elucidate the influence of department heads' transformational leadership practices in effectively facilitating classroom interactions by fulfilling their roles and responsibilities.

Moreover, studies have indicated that experienced teachers tend to be more responsive to the directives of department heads compared to their less experienced counterparts. In the realm of school improvement activities, research by Leithwood et al. ( 2002 ) emphasized that experienced teachers aligned their activities more closely with school leaders' mission and vision. Similarly, the OECD ( 2019 ) found that experienced teachers placed greater value on school leaders' feedback and support than those with less experience. Notably, head teachers often encounter challenges in acquainting new teachers with the curriculum instruction, as reported in a study by Edutopia ( 2020 ). Teachers with over 15 years of experience were found to engage less effectively in cooperative activities concerning instructional plans (Ronfeldt et al., 2015 ), requiring leadership support and a sense of significance in their work compared to their less experienced counterparts (Walker & Slear, 2011 ). Additionally, teachers with over seven years of experience encountered challenges beyond the classroom, necessitating greater teaching support (Louws et al., 2017 ). Thus, understanding how teaching experience can influence the relationship between leadership and classroom interactions is of paramount importance.

Based on this conception, the following research questions were formulated to investigate the impacts of department heads' transformational leadership practices on classroom interaction in UAE secondary schools:

What is the Department heads' transformational leadership practice level in UAE private secondary schools?

What is the level of classroom interaction among teachers-students and students-students, and student-content in UAE private secondary schools?

Do department heads’ transformational leadership practices significantly impact classroom interaction?

Does teachers’ teaching experience moderate the relationships between the department heads’ transformational leadership and classroom interaction?

2 Literature review

2.1 department heads’ transformational leadership.

In many countries, the Department Head is part of the school's middle leadership or management structure (Shaked & Schechter, 2017b ). They are also termed curriculum leaders, subject leaders, subject coordinators, and departmental heads, as they are called in UAE (department heads) (MoE, 2017 ). The educational department head is "the facilitator and advisor appointed by the school administration, who helps teachers develop themselves personally and professionally" (Al-Balawi, 2011 ). The educational department head is procedurally defined as a teacher assigned by the school administration to supervise the educational process to achieve its academic and educational goals to improve teachers' performance and raise their professional levels through various supervisory methods.

The modern concept of the department head that the department head and head of the school should adopt is based on the fundamental idea that all teachers have the potential for professional development to the extent that they can make the right choices to plan effective learning and accomplish their goals if they work in the right environment (Mulford, 2003 ). Consequently, the traditional practices of the department head's leadership, based on advice and direction, have replaced a more contemporary idea of leadership (Bennett, 2008 ).

All the previous definitions are identical to the description of the department head in the UAE, as the department head is considered a facilitator, an observer, a developer, a supervisor, and a guide to the teaching and learning process. In addition, department heads are nevertheless needed to carry out a lot of administrative tasks while spending less time managing their departments and participating in subject development activities (Fullan, 2015 ; Flückiger et al., 2015 ; Lárusdóttir & O'Connor, 2017 ; Javadi et al., 2017 ). This study used transformational leadership as a study variable from the UAE perspective because it is evident that UAE school leaders mostly use transformational leadership in their practices (Alshammari & Al-Mahdy, 2018 ; Al-Taneiji & McLeod, 2019 ; Alzaydi & Alghamdi, 2019 ). While comparing the methods of different leadership styles, such as transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership styles of 22 principals in UAE public and private schools, transactional and passive/avoidant leadership styles exhibited less practice (Al-Taneiji & McLeod, 2019 ). Similarly, Ibrahim and Al-Taneiji ( 2012 ) examined the relationships between the principal's leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) and school performance, which indicated the dominance of transformational leadership over others. Thus, the use of transformational leadership for this study is more justified.

Different studies found mixed results from UAE perspectives regarding the use of dimensions of transformational leadership. Burns ( 1978 ) transformational leadership traits—idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, personalized attention, and inspiring motivation—apply to these department heads. Bass ( 1985 ) defines idealized influence as the transformative leader's ability to communicate a vision and motivate followers convincingly. In the UAE, Al-Taneiji and McLeod ( 2019 ) conducted a study on 22 principals in private and public schools concerning transformational leadership practices. They found the presence of Burns ( 1978 ) dimensions, such as idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, personalized attention, and inspiring motivation in the practices of UAE school leaders. However, Alshammari and Al-Mahdy's ( 2018 ) study on 30 public school principals showed slightly different results in that they found patterns of idealized influence and individualized consideration among school leaders. In their qualitative study on ten public schools, Alzaydi and Alghamdi ( 2019 ) found inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation practices among UAE school principals. This study employed all the dimensions of transformational leadership, as different study results are inconsistent.

2.2 Classroom interaction

Classroom interaction refers to the interaction between the instructor and the learners or among the learners (Eisenring & Margana, 2019 ; Li, 2023 ; Tsui, 2001 ). It may also refer to the contact between the teacher and other teachers. The earlier study on classroom interaction mainly focused on the language that the instructor and the students used, the interaction that emerged from the language, and the impact of the interaction on the student's ability to learn (Waring, 2017 ; Sert, 2019 ). Recent studies have begun to examine the underlying factors that shape classroom interaction. These factors include beliefs held by teachers and students, the social and cultural backgrounds of teachers and students, and the psychological aspects of learning (Sundari, 2017 ; Tsui, 2001 ;). Based on Moore's model, further interaction models have been constructed by (Anderson, 2003a , 2003b ; Hirumi, 2013 ), including models for various types of interaction (teacher-student interaction, student-interface interaction). According to research, learning occurs whenever students connect with teachers and other students, regardless of the contact situation (Tirri & Kuusisto, 2013 ).

Both student–teacher and student–student interactions include a process of communication between two or more individuals. Student–student interaction is a two-way street where students share Ping, ideas, information, and knowledge about the course. Interaction between students and teachers refers to communication between them. It may take various forms, including assessment, feedback, and direction or assistance. "Student–content interaction" refers to the relationship between students and the course material as they develop and reflect on it (Moore & Kearsley, 1996 ; Anderson, 2003a , 2003b ; Miyazoe & Anderson, 2010 ). Overbaugh and Nickel, ( 2011 ) also mentioned that the interaction between students and teachers is critical for fostering a feeling of community and, as a result, increasing student happiness. Effective teacher-student interaction (TSI) is crucial for promoting learning efficiency and fostering harmonious interpersonal relationships between teachers and students (Jiang et al., 2023 ; Kuo & Yu-Chun, 2014 ).

This study focuses on the interactions that occur in the classroom with the interaction forms between teacher-student, student–student, and student-content, which reflects the department heads' transformational leadership practices in enabling classroom interaction effectively by fulfilling the DHTL roles and responsibilities.

2.3 Department heads’ transformational leadership practices and classroom interaction

Interactions between school leaders and teachers have undergone tremendous changes ((Ping et al., 2023 ). Evidences show that transformational leadership fosters frequent interaction with teacher which significantly promote teachers’ job satisfaction, student learning, and participation in the classroom (Bolkan & Goodboy, 2009 ; Liang & Zhang, 2021 ). Hallinger’s ( 2003 ) research on educational leadership has linked leadership behaviors that indirectly affect student academic achievement development through their behaviors and actions and affect what is going on in the class. It also has an impact on the effectiveness of teachers' performance. This highlighted the role of leadership in promoting students' continuing education and teachers' professional development. Effective educational leadership is of great importance to achieving success for the school, and many programs have been adopted around the world to train academic leaders in schools to achieve this success and, thus, the educational institution's success (Hallinger, 2005 ). Hallinger also concluded that progress had been made in finding a model through which the tasks performed by the academic leader can be determined and that have an impact on the learning process, as well as in his possession of competencies, experiences, and visions in which he can develop the learning in collaboration with the rest of the members the learning community to ensure the dissemination and achievement of the school's vision and goals. (Hallinger, 2011 ). Alkutich ( 2017 ) examined the impacts of the Department head's (DH) leadership on Arabic language instruction at two Abu Dhabi private schools. In this study, teachers viewed them as fault finders, needing to lead by example and continuous professional development. Leithwood ( 2016 ) examined 42 studies from traditional literature searches to determine how department-head leadership affects student learning, how departments compare to schools as change agents, and the barriers to significant department-head leadership. The study found schools and school administrators have less impact on classroom interaction than department heads. Well-performing departments may improve without school leaders. Leithwood ( 2016 ) also identified reasonable departmental and personal leadership procedures. These strategies and materials reflect a proven school leadership model. In its mini-dissertation data, Rajoo ( 2012 ) suggests that the HoD/middle manager/curriculum increases learning and teaching. As middle management, the Head of Department (HoD) should have the vision to attain academic excellence in a subject area and holistically develop learners.

In New Zealand, Highfield's ( 2012 ) surveys identified five intermediate leadership traits: teamwork, clear goals and objectives, student academic achievement, resource management, and a pleasant learning environment for students and instructors. In addition, among 30 departments in 10 institutions, the results showed that certain variables positively correlated with academic achievements and others adversely. Middle leaders had better certification scores but not NCEA Level 1 (15-year-old) outcomes. Goals, resource management, and a good learning environment predict academic performance.

2.4 The role of teaching experience in enhancing leadership capability and interaction

Teaching experience helps students understand leaders' instructions (Hallinger & Heck, 1996 ), receive effective guidance and support (Leithwood et al., 2004 ), and thus influence classroom practices and student achievement. In line with this, Robinson et al. ( 2008 ) revealed teaching experience as one of the factors that help HoDs enhance a conducive and orderly learning environment. A study by Day et al. ( 2009 ) explored the relationship between school leaders’ professional development, learning, and capacity building and their impact on student outcomes. They discovered that experienced teachers developed a shared vision and collaboration with leadership, which enhanced teaching and learning quality. In connection with better student achievement in mathematics, reading, and science in PISA, Hallinger et al. ( 2014 ) discovered a strong association between more experienced teachers and leadership instructions. Based on this evidence, this study assumed that teachers’ experiences (moderating variable) might influence the HoD’s transformational leadership style (independent variable) and classroom interaction (dependent variable).

3 Materials and methods

3.1 research design and data collection.

The present quantitative study employs a correlational methodology to examine the association between the department heads and classroom interaction and the moderation of teachers' teaching experience in UAE private secondary schools. The questionnaire was distributed to more than the required sample, so about 400 questionnaires were sent to ensure that all the required data were collected. Two hundred were sent via a Google form, and two hundred through schools were done on paper. The questionnaire instrument comprised three different existing questionnaires, from which the research instruments were adapted and adopted for use in this study. The questionnaire consists of two main subsections: demographic variables, Department Heads' Transformational Leadership, and Classroom interaction. This research conducted a comprehensive survey among educators to assess the extent to which department heads' transformational leadership practices impact classroom interactions within private secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These private schools encompass various curricula, including American, British, Indian, Asian, and Arabic, where the roles and responsibilities of department heads tend to be more subject/department-specific. To ensure the questionnaire's reliability and validity, a pilot study was conducted with a random sample of 30 participants from a secondary school in Ras Al-Khaimah. The participants provided feedback and comments on the questionnaire's clarity and comprehension. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, resulting in a coefficient of 0.934 for the instrument developed for teachers, which consisted of 23 items. Several modifications were made to enhance the questionnaire's clarity and comprehensibility, including reorganizing instructions and providing definitions for terms participants found challenging to understand, such as "classroom interaction types."

3.2 Participants

Based on the statistical data available for the year 2020, the study's population was initially estimated, revealing approximately 6,452 teachers within the secondary education sector of private schools in the UAE. The research sample consisted of 226 private secondary schools and a total of 374 teachers.

In terms of their teaching experience, 85 teachers (22%) of the participants have years of experience from (1–5) years, whereas 114 of the teachers (31%) had teaching experience between 4 to 7 years. In the meantime, 126 teachers (33.6%) have years of experience from (6–15) years, while 93 teachers (25%) and 43 teachers (11%) of the participants have (21–25) years, and (11%) also have (more than 25 years of experience) in the field of teaching (Table  1 ).

3.3 Instruments

The questionnaire used in this study was developed based on an extensive literature review to investigate the impact of department heads' transformational leadership practices on classroom interaction. It aimed to identify the critical competencies for department heads to lead the teaching and learning process effectively.

The questionnaire consists of three sections. The first section collects demographic information, including participants' gender, to assess whether gender plays a role in department heads' leadership. The second section comprises the Department Heads' Transformational Leadership Scale (DHTL), which includes ten items. The third section covers the Classroom Interaction Scale (CI), which measures various aspects of classroom interaction, including teacher-student, student–student, and student-content interactions, and their influence on learning. This section consists of thirteen items. Respondents used a five-point Likert scale (ranging from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly Disagree"), where a higher score (5) indicates a stronger presence of the construct. In comparison, a lower score (1) suggests a weaker presence of the construct.

3.3.1 Department heads’ transformational leadership (DHTL)

A total of 10 items were used in the study to validate the instrument to examine Department heads' leadership (DHL) in schools. Previous research has shown that the dimensions included in the Leithwood leadership survey are reliable, with Cronbach's alpha scores ranging from 0.78 to 0.85 (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2006 ). Four dimensions of the Leithwood School Leadership Survey exhibit internal solid consistency, according to a recent study by Boberg and Bourgeois ( 2016 ). The researchers reported Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each dimension: a) defining goals: 0.93, b) developing people: 0.93, c) reorganizing the company: 0.94, and d) enhancing the company: 0.95. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.98 was reported for the complete scale of Transformational School Leadership. According to the study conducted by Boberg and Bourgeois in 2016, it was found that.

3.3.2 Classroom interaction (CI)

A total of (13) items were used in the study to validate the instrument to examine classroom interaction. A previous study used Cronbach's alpha to perform the reliability test, with scores ranging from 0.713 to 0.913. These findings indicate that the items in each factor have high internal consistency or may be used to test the same underlying meaning of the factors, indicating that the factor analysis is adequate. The original scale consisted of three dimensions: 'Teacher-student,' 'student–student,' 'student-content'. The number of items under each dimension comes from a) 4 items for 'Teacher-student' based on the study of (Balagová & Haláková ( 2018 ), b) 4 items for 'student–student' from Lasfeto, ( 2020 ) study, and c) 5 items from the study of Çakiroğlu et al. ( 2009 ) for the 'student-content.'

3.4 Data collection and analysis procedures

Multiple data collection methods were employed in this research study. Initially, a total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to teachers. The first stage involved obtaining consent letters from the faculty, followed by supervisor approval. Questionnaires with proper authorization were submitted to the UAE Ministry of Education for approval to conduct research within educational institutions. School administrators subsequently granted permission for questionnaire distribution to instructors. Instructors were selected using a basic random sampling technique. Each participant received a physical copy of the questionnaire and was given sufficient time to complete it, with a seven-day response period. The data collection faced challenges, particularly in transporting and collecting questionnaires from the seven Emirates (cities). The online Google Form survey was distributed via email and WhatsApp groups to expedite responses. Data collection began in September 2022 and extended over several months due to unforeseen difficulties in some schools, including teachers' heavy professional commitments and the end of the academic year. To ensure sufficient data collection, more than the required sample of 400 questionnaires were sent, resulting in a response rate exceeding 85%. In total, 374 responses were collected, surpassing the target population size.

The collected data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 29) to address the research questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to uncover findings. Central tendency and data dispersion were assessed, and measurement reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive analysis was employed to identify prevalent practices, while regression analysis examined the associations between dependent and independent variables. The mean scores in this research were categorized into three levels of interpretation: a mean value between 1 and 2, considered in the lower range; values from 3 to 3.99, classified as moderate; and values ranging from 4 to 5, commonly regarded as high, following the categorization proposed by Hoque et al. ( 2020 ).

In order to assess the extent of transformational leadership practices and classroom interaction among department heads, descriptive statistics, specifically percentages. The research used a method of item-level analysis wherein the perceptions categorized as 'strongly agree' and 'agree' were combined into a single positive perception, represented as percentages. The mean and standard deviation were utilized to determine the level of each variable, as well as their respective dimensions (sub-constructs) and items.

To ascertain the direct relationship or effect between the variables under study, the researchers utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The study employed a hierarchical component model (HCM) consisting of reflective-formative and reflective-reflective constructs, necessitating a two-stage analysis approach. The researcher used a two-stage hierarchical component model (HCM) analysis, utilizing a repeated indicator approach and latent scores to address the challenges associated with this particular analytical framework (Hair et al., 2017 ). During the initial phase, a methodology known as the repeated indicator approach was employed to obtain the latent variable scores about the subconstructs or lower-order components (LOC). Subsequently, the latent inconsistent scores are utilized as indicators, specifically manifest variables, within the higher-order construct (HOC) measurement model in the subsequent phase of the analysis. The evaluation of the structural model was initiated by examining the presence of collinearity issues within the model. Path coefficients were estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to assess the direct relationship between variables. This involved regressing endogenous variables on their corresponding antecedent variables or constructs. The hypothesized relationships among the variables in the present study were directional.

The research employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) must take measures to verify that the analyzed data do not show a substantial departure from normality. This can be accomplished by evaluating the degree to which the data deviate from a distribution that adheres to the normal distribution. Hence, normality can be evaluated by obtaining skewness and kurtosis values, as proposed by Hair et al. ( 2017 ). Hence, the determination of data normality in this study was predicated upon the statistical analysis of skewness and kurtosis. Table 2 shows skewness and kurtosis values for the overall variables of the study (Table 3 ).

4.1 Respondents’ experience

The inclusion of experience is considered a crucial component in providing support for this study. Most teachers who participated in this study possessed ample teaching experience. A total of 85 participants, constituting 22% of the sample, reported having 1 to 5 years of teaching experience. Additionally, 114 teachers, accounting for 31% of the participants, indicated having teaching experience ranging from 4 to 7 years. Altogether 126 teachers, accounting for 33.6% of the participants, possess 6 to 15 years of teaching experience. Additionally, 93 teachers (25%) have accumulated between 21 and 25 years of experience, while 43 (11%) fall within the same range. Furthermore, 11% of the participants have acquired more than 25 years of experience in teaching.

4.2 Level of department heads’ transformational leadership practices

Table 4 shows that the teachers' opinion of their department heads’ transformational leadership had a mean score of 3.945. According to the data above, mean values indicate a moderate level of satisfaction in most areas.

Table 4 shows participants' first axis paragraph replies. Item 1, "Department Head seeks high expectations for your teaching," obtained the highest average score of 4.12. Participants strongly feel the Department Head values good teaching standards. Teacher performance is directly affected by such expectations. Paragraph (5), where the department head promotes best practices in teaching and learning to meet curricular goals, took second place. The arithmetic mean of 4.05 shows that the department head's support and motivation of people and staff are vital to curricular goals. Paragraph (2) emphasizes the department head's role in encouraging innovative teaching concepts, ranking third. This paragraph averaged 4.01 with a standard deviation of 1.091. To sum up, the department head's support as a form of transformational leadership style is essential for encouraging new and varied teaching methods that foster creative and good thoughts .

4.3 Level of classroom interaction

The level of classroom interaction was measured at a high rate (4.204). The first item, on teacher-student interaction, highlighting the teacher's role in clarifying activities and assignments to encourage classroom involvement by presenting examples and explanations, had the highest average rating of 4.307. Student–student interaction significantly impacts educational outcomes, highlighting its importance. The third item about integrating students into group class activities had the highest arithmetic mean of 4.214. After that, the third item on student-content interaction, "pictures and shapes help students engage in the classroom." The arithmetic mean was 4.25%. This emphasizes the need to add forms, diagrams, and visuals to interest students. Overall, the study found that the teacher's role in clarifying activities and assignments to encourage classroom involvement by presenting examples and explanations, had the highest average rating which emphasizes the need to add forms, diagrams, and visuals to interest students.

4.4 DHs’ Transformational Leadership Practices and Classroom Interaction

The regression analysis has been performed to determine the effect of DHTLP on CI. The results show that DHTLP significantly impacts classroom interaction (β = 0.659). The results of the study are presented in Tables 5 .

As shown in Table 7 , as a whole, the model is significant (R2 change = 0.434, F = 0.000, p  < 0.05). The coefficient table (Table  6 ) shows the impact of the independent variable (TL) on Classroom interaction (CI). The β value of TL (β = 0.588, p  ≥ 0.05) significantly impacts CI. It means TL explains 58.8% of the variance in CI.

4.5 Teaching Experience as a Moderator

Table 7  shows the interaction between department heads' transformational leadership practices and teachers' years of teaching experience (t-value = 0.476) significantly and positively influences the relationship between DHTLP and classroom interaction (CI).

This finding underscores the importance of considering teachers' years of teaching experience as a moderating factor when exploring the impact of DHTLP on CI.

Additionally, the interaction coefficient between department heads' transformational leadership practices and teachers' years of teaching experience was negative (β = -0.036), indicating that the interaction effect has a negative influence on the relationship between department heads' transformational leadership practices. In this context, it suggests that as teachers' years of teaching experience increase, the impact of department heads' transformational leadership practices on the outcome becomes less favorable or more negative (Fig. 1 ).

Moderation analysis

5 Discussion

This study emphasizes the crucial role of department heads' support, a form of transformational leadership, in promoting diverse teaching methods that nurture creativity and critical thinking. Leithwood and Jantzi ( 2000 ) propose a direct connection between transformational leadership and student learning, with Harvey et al. ( 2003 ) highlighting its positive impact on student learning. Research, including Cheng and Tam ( 1997 ), underlines the correlation between transformational leadership strategies employed by department heads and increased student engagement and classroom interaction.

Similarly, Wang et al. ( 2019 ) investigation shows a positive association between the adoption of transformational leadership strategies and enhanced collaboration among teachers, as well as increased student engagement. The study contends that department heads' transformational leadership practices directly influence classroom interaction by fostering a positive school climate, encouraging collaboration among teachers, setting high expectations, and providing personalized support to both students and teachers.

In contrast, comparative studies, like Alkutich's ( 2017 ), reveal discrepancies in recognizing the impact of department heads' transformational leadership on classroom interaction within some UAE societies. This study acknowledges the need for further research to understand the varying effects of department heads' transformational leadership in diverse UAE communities. Cultural and social factors, such as differing perspectives on teacher autonomy and the role of department heads in instructional leadership, may contribute to these variations.

The research also explores the moderating effect of teachers' experience on the relationship between department heads' transformational leadership and classroom interactions. It suggests that as teachers gain more experience, the influence of department heads' leadership may diminish due to increased teacher autonomy, aligning with OECD findings ( 2019 ). Moreover, the study underscores the importance of leadership education for department heads, advocating policy-level actions to enhance their skills.

Notably, the research observes concerns among instructors regarding department heads' involvement in curriculum and unit creation in centralized systems. It suggests that department heads' formative input and collaborative efforts are underutilized transformational leadership techniques in UAE secondary schools.

6 Practical implications

The findings of the current study bear significant implications for theories, policymakers, and practitioners, particularly school leadership and department heads in UAE schools. Distinguished by its unique exploration of department heads' transformational leadership and its impact on classroom interaction in UAE secondary schools, this study stands out as one of the most critical in the country. The practical implications derived from these findings extend to department heads, who are urged to employ transformational leadership practices to foster classroom interactions conducive to student learning. However, the choice of leadership style should be attuned to the diverse personal and contextual needs of teachers.

In supporting blended learning practices, department heads can cultivate a collaborative working atmosphere among teachers, fostering knowledge sharing, peer support, and the exchange of innovative teaching practices. This collaborative approach instills a sense of shared purpose and collective growth, ultimately enhancing classroom interactions. Additionally, department heads are encouraged to actively support and motivate teachers by providing tailored professional development opportunities and resources. This proactive support empowers teachers, boosting their confidence and enthusiasm for implementing effective teaching practices, thereby positively influencing classroom interactions.

The study underscores the evidence supporting the adoption of transformational leadership by department heads, emphasizing the promotion of collaboration, motivation of teachers, and provision of individualized support to create an environment that values and supports classroom interactions. By doing so, department heads can effectively enhance classroom interactions, contributing to a positive and engaging learning experience for both teachers and students.

7 Limitations

The study acknowledges some limitations. The generalization of results is limited to UAE secondary schools, and the context specificity may vary. The inclusion of qualitative research methods, such as phenomenological or case studies, could provide deeper insights into how department heads' transformational leadership influences classroom interaction in the specific sociocultural context of UAE secondary schools.

8 Conclusion

The study establishes that the transformational leadership practices of department heads exert a significant influence on classroom interaction. Moreover, the research affirms that department heads' transformational leadership acts as an indicator of classroom interaction. These findings offer fresh insights into the pivotal role played by department heads' transformational leadership in advancing classroom interaction. The study underscores the importance of providing leadership education to department head candidates for the enhancement of their leadership skills. Advocating for policy-level actions, the study suggests initiatives such as developing a clear school vision, instituting staff evaluation systems, and adopting self-assessment techniques to improve the leadership abilities of department heads. The research concludes that the positive impact of department heads' transformational leadership practices on classroom interactions is evident in their contribution to fostering a conducive educational atmosphere, encouraging teacher collaboration, setting high expectations, and providing personalized support to both students and teachers.

For department heads to effectively promote classroom interaction, they must employ well-established and well-practiced transformational leadership methods. Particularly during periods of significant educational reform, such as the adoption of new UAE secondary schools, implications connected to both theory and practice become crucial drivers of essential changes. When incorporating the study's conclusions, it is imperative to carefully assess its limitations. A long-term investigation would provide valuable support for the research's conclusions.

Data availability

Data are preserved with the authors. They will be available upon request.

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Paper exams, AI-proof assignments: Wisconsin college professors adjust in a world with ChatGPT

Something about the student's writing seemed off to Sam Harshner. The syntax was sophisticated. The topic choice was advanced. All this from a student who'd barely spoken in the first few days of Harshner's Writing and Argumentation class last fall.

Harshner, who teaches in Marquette University's political science department, ran the work through an online artificial intelligence detector. It came back all red.

Harshner ran his other students' work through the AI detector. He said eight of the 40 assignments, or 20%, came back with an 85% chance or higher of AI-generated work. The facts hit him like a gut punch.

"Honestly, like, you want to think what you're doing matters," Harshner said. "You want to think that at least in some part all the work you're putting in actually impacts people's lives."

AI is disrupting colleges across the country, offering shortcuts for students and uncomfortable questions for professors. Tools like ChatGPT can, in a matter of seconds, solve math problems, write papers and craft code on command.

"It’s entirely changed the way I teach," Harshner said.

Harshner's writing-intensive course was previously heavy on take-home essays. He now has students write their papers during class. Not only does he outline an AI ban on his syllabi but he also has students sign a contract agreeing not to use it, even for generating ideas or paper outlines.

"You have to take steps to, you know, kind of push back on this," Harshner said, adding he believes AI is a "threat to higher education in real, meaningful ways."

College instructors rethink lesson plans

Not everyone is as alarmed as Harshner. Other instructors admit they've come across ChatGPT-written work students passed off as their own. But they believe the vast majority of students aren't outsourcing their assignments.

Even so, many are tweaking how they teach.

Some run assignments through ChatGPT to see how well the chatbot performs, and then make adjustments. Others incorporate AI into coursework to expose students to the tools of the future — and to highlight their limitations.

Gabriel Velez, a Marquette professor in the department of education policy and leadership, was surprised how few of his students knew about ChatGPT when he demonstrated it in class.

"The freshmen we're getting now, they've gone 12 years of education without using AI," he said. "I don't think just because it's become quickly available that they're going to jump ship and 100% dive into it."

Velez's own research supports this. He anonymously surveyed nearly 500 Marquette students last fall on their use of AI. Preliminary results found 66% of respondents said they don't use AI tools at all. Those who have said they most often turned to it when hitting a writing block or to generate ideas — a start rather than a crutch.

Another Marquette professor, Jacob Riyeff, used to ask students to write short summaries of readings ahead of class discussion. Deemed too tempting for students to turn to AI to complete the work, the English professor now hands out physical copies of readings and asks students to underline and analyze the text by hand.

"If it’s going to be really easy to cut corners, how are we setting students up for success?" Riyeff asked.

AI isn't a two-minute talking point during syllabus week in Riyeff's class. He said he has multiple discussions about his stance on AI with students throughout the semester.

"I want them to understand why I take this approach pedagogically," he said. "It's not 'because Dr. Riyeff says so.' That’s not the way to change hearts and minds, especially when they’re hearing lots of hype about this."

Eric Ely, who teaches in the Information School at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has made some of his assignments more personal, asking students to write about topics that connect to their own lives. In a new assignment this semester, he has students engage with an AI chatbot and document the process.

"Part of my job is to prepare students for life after college, right?" he said. "This is the world that we're living in, and so I feel like I would be doing a disservice to students if I would not talk about this or limit or completely prohibit the use."

Ely sets clear expectations for which assignments students can and cannot use AI. For the most part, he believes students abide by the rules and turn in their own work. But he and his teaching assistants have talked about how sometimes it can be hard to tell.

Can professors easily detect AI-generated work?

The more Elena Levy-Navarro played around with ChatGPT, the more her worry about how well it could complete her assignments faded.

The chatbot's essays lacked specifics. Its arguments were vague. And when the UW-Whitewater English professor asked it about neo-Nazism, a topic often discussed in her class on 1930s fascism, the chatbot demurred . There were other tells, too, like when it cites nonexistent sources.

"I feel fairly confident I could tell if they’re using ChatGPT," Levy-Navarro said.

Levy-Navarro hasn't yet come across work she suspected was AI-generated, and that's why she hasn't dramatically changed her teaching approach. Her assignments often require close readings of literary texts.

Another English professor, Chuck Lewis at Beloit College, has come across a few cases of chatbot-produced work. It's important to craft assignments that are meaningful and engaging to students, he said.

Lewis predicted the standard five-paragraph essay to be "doomed." He believes he's created "relatively AI-proof" assignments.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tested it out , asking Lewis and other instructors for one of their class assignments. The newspaper told them some of the homework would be done honestly and some would be handled by ChatGPT. But the professors weren't told who did the work until after giving a grade.

The Journal Sentinel's experiment found ChatGPT earned one A, two B's and two incompletes.

More: Can ChatGPT pass college assignments? We tested it out, with help from Wisconsin professors

For UW-Madison professor Dietram Scheufele, the big question isn't what AI can — or cannot — do for college students.

There's a commercial interest in improving the accuracy of AI, he said. Eventually, the idea of coding from scratch will disappear. Using AI to assist in the writing process will be the new normal.

"What I’m much more concerned about is the fundamental disruption to our social system and how we prepare students for that," said Scheufele, whose research includes technology policy, misinformation and social media. "The question for universities right now is why this degree will be worth something 40 years from now."

Is cheating on the rise?

John Zumbrunnen, the vice provost of teaching and learning at UW-Madison, said the most-asked question he gets about AI is whether the university has or will have a policy on it.

UW-Madison does not, meaning students navigate at least four different class policies per semester. In some cases, individual assignments will have their own AI expectations. That's why it's important, he said, for instructors to offer grace in this new world.

"The answer in the teaching and learning space cannot be one-size-fits-all," he said earlier this month at a UW Board of Regents meeting.

Riyeff, the Marquette English professor, serves as the university's academic integrity director. He said he hasn't seen an overwhelming increase in the number of AI-related plagiarism cases.

Still, some instructors said they have second-guessed their students while grading papers.

"I’m trying not to be suspicious all the time," Riyeff said. "It’s one of the challenges in this moment."

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at  [email protected] or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at  @KellyMeyerhofer .