Why is planning important?
Imagine starting a journey but with no idea where you are going. You are the driver of a bus full of students and although
you know you have to drive them for a particular period of time, without your map you have no idea where you want to go
or how to get there. It may still be an interesting journey but it would be very easy to get lost and your passengers would
not be very happy!
Without some kind of planning, a lesson could be just as chaotic and could leave the students with no clear idea of what
they were doing or why. This kind of uncertainty is not good for effective learning or class discipline.
One of the most important reasons to plan is that the teacher needs to identify his or her aims for the lesson. Teachers
need to know what it is they hope to achieve in the class, what it is they want the students to be able to do at the end of
the lesson that they couldn’t do before.
Here are some more reasons why it is essential to plan:
• Planning is a sign of professionalism. Students expect teachers to be professional. If you are prepared, the
students can tell. They also know if you are not prepared. Planning is a way to help gain the respect of
your students.
• By planning you are considering your teaching situation and your particular students. However good your
teaching material or course book may be, it is unlikely that it was prepared for your particular students.
Planning gives you the opportunity to tailor your material and teaching to your class.
• As we have seen, lessons need to have certain elements and features such as ESA. Planning encourages
teachers to consider these points and ensure they are included in the lesson.
• Planning gives the teacher a chance to predict possible problems in the class and think about ways to deal
with them. By thoroughly researching the target language and being prepared for difficult questions, for
example, the teacher can feel confident in the classroom.
If you imagine the
lesson is like a journe y,
then the lesson plan is
like a map
Imagine starting a journey but with no idea where you are going. You are the driver of a bus full of students and although
you know you have to drive them for a particular period of time, without your map you have no idea where you want to go
or how to get there. It may still be an interesting journey but it would be very easy to get lost and your passengers would
not be very happy!
Without some kind of planning, a lesson could be just as chaotic and could leave the students with no clear idea of what
they were doing or why. This kind of uncertainty is not good for effective learning or class discipline.
One of the most important reasons to plan is that the teacher needs to identify his or her aims for the lesson. Teachers
need to know what it is they hope to achieve in the class, what it is they want the students to be able to do at the end of
the lesson that they couldn’t do before.
Here are some more reasons why it is essential to plan:
• Planning is a sign of professionalism. Students expect teachers to be professional. If you are prepared, the
students can tell. They also know if you are not prepared. Planning is a way to help gain the respect of
your students.
• By planning you are considering your teaching situation and your particular students. However good your
teaching material or course book may be, it is unlikely that it was prepared for your particular students.
Planning gives you the opportunity to tailor your material and teaching to your class.
• As we have seen, lessons need to have certain elements and features such as ESA. Planning encourages
teachers to consider these points and ensure they are included in the lesson.
• Planning gives the teacher a chance to predict possible problems in the class and think about ways to deal
with them. By thoroughly researching the target language and being prepared for difficult questions, for
example, the teacher can feel confident in the classroom.
If you imagine the
lesson is like a journe y,
then the lesson plan is
like a map
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