Tommy Said:

Can primary teachers re-use the same lesson plans every year?

We Answered:

Teachers can use the same lesson plans each year with the same age group. I think all good teachers can do this. However, I think a great teacher can do this plus add to the lesson plans each year from what they have learned from their students throughout the year.
I think all teachers need to evaluate the lesson plans at the end of each year and look for what worked the best. Add from the experience of each year.

After children leave many teachers grade papers, go to staff meetings, look over the lesson plan for the next day, or get the room ready for the next day.

Travis Said:

I want to start a business that helps teachers find lesson plans, how do i find out the # of teachers in U.S.?

We Answered:

easiest way to find out number of teachers would be to contact the Teacher's Union. Try the AFT.

Then - there are generally state wide and national groups which have teacher members - for example - CATE (California Association of Teachers of English).

However - this is not a new idea...there are many sites that offer this. Furthermore, teachers are not rich and there are PLENTY of sites that offer great lesson plans for free. Most teachers care about good TEACHING and are willing to share their brilliant ideas with others. Occasionally it's nice to get paid for the work - but for the most part, we look to help one another.

Katie Said:

Teachers, how long do lesson plans take and is it required?

We Answered:

I am an English teacher teaching outside the US. I spend about one hour for one hour of class on lesson plans. These include notes, research, new information, and the plan for the class period. Even though I teach the same class at different levels, all students learn at a different speed. They are always at different leavels and they always need different kinds of help. At times I have a class and out of that class 1/2 understand and the other 1/2 just don't get it: I must adjust my leason plan for the day to help those behind and not to bore those who are advanced. Then there is time to correct leasons, read reports, and give progress reports.My day does not end when the bell rings.

Tommy Said:

HS English Teachers, information about lesson plans and the like?

We Answered:

Each school has its own way of doing things. In the 3 high schools in which I worked, I had a lot of autonomy in creating lessons and deciding how I wanted to teach the material.

In two of the schools (both public), each grade level has a course outline, which tells you all the units you are to cover during the year: grammatical concepts that students need to master, writing pieces and their formats (research paper, creative, reflective, etc.) and titles they needed to read. The titles were always a list where I picked, say, 1 play from 3 choices, and 4 books from 6 or 7 choices. You are also given a list of literary terms and devices you need to teach.

In the one private, special ed school I worked at, I taught whatever they had the materials for, and it wasn't much.

Grammar is hard: it's not fun to teach and kids are turned off at the mention of the word. But it's soooo necessary.

Some schools require you to submit your lesson plans (to the principal, for example) two weeks in advance. My schools never asked for this, and I appreciated the trust they had in me that I was doing a good job. I started my first year writing lesson plans for my own benefit, but eventually I stopped doing that as the lesson plan database in my head grew and multiplied. Eventually, you know how best to teach which topic, the best approach to use, how much time it will take (so crucial to planning), and how best to assess them when they're done. It's more of an art than a science, and by year 3, you're well on your way to knowing what to do and how to do it.

That said, you will be observed by department chairs, principals or other district personnel, sometimes as many as 4 times your first couple of years (pre-tenure), and they will expect lesson plans in advance (only to not show on the day they're supposed to observe you, ha ha!!). These plans should align your goals and objectives with state standards to show that your lesson planning is taking these things into consideration. But in English, which is such a great, creative field to teach in, you can fit nearly anything you do within state standards.

If you work in a more collaborative environment, the more experienced teachers will help get you started with their lesson plans, materials and tests. I hear it's not always like this though, and some teachers can be very territorial, thinking they spent all that time creating a lesson and they're not gonna just give it to someone else. That's a crappy attitude though, and one I didn't encounter where I worked. My schools also had mentoring during my first year (which was invaluable) and mandatory "new teacher induction" the first 3 yeras just to make sure everyone was basing their lesson plans on valid research and proven methods.

Good luck! Email me if you have any other questions.

Megan Said:

What is the history of lesson plans? Did teachers always use them?

We Answered:

I was at teachers' college in Australia in 1969-70 (40 years ago). We had a semester unit of study on lesson plans which was linked to our practicum (prac teaching). We were shown many styles of lesson plans for introducing, practising, revising and testing a topic. Each lesson plan had a space for aims and objectives, an introductory activity, the main part of the lesson and the conclusion. There was also a space down the side for materials and equipment needed. At the end was a space for teacher reflection after the lesson. For the first three years I had to submit my lesson plans to the Principal! An inspector could ask to see them as well. As I became more experienced, I was allowed to use a much more truncated version in the form of a day book - maybe a few lines for each lesson. By that time much of the planning went on in my head. I suppose my lecturers were drawing on their own experience as well as theory. I don't think someone sat down one day and said, "Eureka! I've invented lesson plans!"