The Importance of Lesson Plans

To have a successful class the teacher has to be prepared and organized. This will help him/her to avoid improvisation and to feel confident during the class. Lesson plans are very important because it is a useful tool. First of all, planning a lesson will help the teacher to be organized. Objectives, time, procedures, and also the materials are controlled on a lesson plan. This can help the teacher to follow a coherent order, which can help students to learn in a correct way. A lesson plan can help the teacher to avoid future problems. For instance, if the teacher is going to be absent, the lesson plan will guide the substitute teacher. Other reason is that lesson plans help the teacher to notice with anticipation when an activity is not going to work, and if a class is appropriate for the students. Something that for me is very important is that a lesson plans keep the teacher guided. If a teacher plans a class, he/she will keep in mind the next step to follow. As I mentioned above, this will avoid improvisation and the teacher will feel confident. It is important to know why a lesson plan cannot be planned without Bloom’s Taxonomy, and a useful method for planning.

Bloom’s Taxonomy has been a synonym of organization for many teachers. Lesson plans and Bloom’s Taxonomy are strongly connected. If a teacher plans a lesson without this taxonomy, the class will be a disorder. This taxonomy presents what a successful lesson plan needs. It allows the teacher to create their lesson plan according to the level of knowledge of their students. Since teachers need to be organized, this taxonomy helps the teacher to choose the correct verb to create perfect objectives, and with that, the teacher can create the appropriate procedures for the class.  It is very difficult to create and organize a class without Bloom’s Taxonomy.

On the other hand, a useful method for planning and creating objectives is the ABCD method. This method helps teachers to create very clear objectives. In this method, we have to keep in mind that A is for Audience, B is for Behavior, C is for condition, and D is for Degree. This method is very useful when you want to write very specific objectives. Though sometimes writing an objective is very difficult, following this format will help you to write objectives easily.

In conclusion, lesson plans are essential for teachers. There are a lot of advantages when a teacher plans his/her classes. A perfect lesson plan will help not only the teacher, but also students. With a good lesson plan the teaching/learning process becomes easier. The students will learn in a coherent way and it will be easier for the teacher to keep in mind the things that he/she has to teach, and the things that are not appropriate to teach. H. Stanley Judd describes perfectly why is so important to plan. He said, “A good plan is like a road map: it shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there." 

Jose Mario Ruiz
ELT Student
Costa Rica