Why You Need a Lesson Plan

LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT: Lesson plans, believe it or not, are a lot like the maps you have in the back seat of your car. They're probably not covered with the ketchup and pencil marks that your maps are, but they are directional guides. You need some way of checking to see if you are on the right road in your classroom or on the highway. A lesson plan is really nothing more than a map of where you and your students will be heading for the time you are together. To paraphrase the American Express Card commercial, "Lesson plans -- don't leave home without them."

"DO I REALLY NEED A LESSON PLAN?" Yes, you do. An important part of the preparation for your session lies in your lesson planning efforts. There are several good reasons for constructing a lesson plan for every session in which you are involved. Properly outlined, a lesson plan will outline the priorities you want to cover in a logical and systematic sequence. The plan will help you stay on the proper track and lead you to your stated objectives without time-consuming tangents and loss of momentum. 3. By staying with your game plan, you are better assured of having your trainees attain the prescribed goals. With a well-constructed format, you'll be self-confident, knowing that you are prepared in advance. If your session is one that is repeated in other groups, the preparation and planning you have undertaken can be easily used by another instructor in your absence or by you for a different group of trainees.

FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: An effective lecture or training presentation is the result of a specific development process. The effort of preparing your lesson is really only the beginning. Once the guidelines for presenting your material have been established, however, maximum impact can be achieved far more certainly and with far less anxiety for the instructor. You can be assured that there will be no waste of time in the classroom. Every minute of the valuable time allotted for training will be used to the fullest by you and your trainees.

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.