What do you think makes a good and effective lesson?
By XoyyoX
@XoyyoX (1055)
China
December 11, 2008 3:38am CST
As a teacher trainer, you know a novice trainer, I'm trying to find or design a framework for effective lessons. we can always easily feel and say that it's a good lesson or a terrible lesson, but what are our criteria to judge whether a lesson is good and effective or not? if you are a teacher or a student, do you know any teaching effectiveness framework? My future daily work could be to observe primary and secondary teachers' lessons and give some constructive comments, though, it must be tough. what are your suggestions? I wanna observe and analyze a lesson from the following major aspects; teacher behavior, student behavior, interaction between teachers and students, classroom climate.
3 responses
@JeztheNun (90)
• United States
11 Dec 08
I think that some important parts of lesson teaching and planning are to make your methods interesting and informative, such as implementing games and exercises that are fun AND educational. Also, involving the class is always a good teaching method. Using easy to understand diagrams makes a lesson easier to absorb, and speaking in plain terms that describe complicated processes is much more effective than using technical terms with little or no clarification.
For example, a teacher is teaching a science class to a group of high school kids. The teacher plans a game show style pop quiz and the winner of the quiz gets a pass on homework that day. Then, the teacher begins the day's lesson by explaining the process of photosynthesis. The teacher uses simple terms to explain what photosynthesis is, and then gives a list of vocabulary words and definition for the specific terms of the process. After is it fully explained in simple terms with vocab words, the class is assigned homework based on the lesson that involves a study chapter AND a hands on project, such as a drawing.
That's my idea of a great lesson plan.
@XoyyoX (1055)
• China
11 Dec 08
Thanks for your great idea. Anyway, I'd like to know whether we have some model or theories to judge whether a lesson is good or not, you know like a classroom observation form teachers can use to decide whether the teaching is giving an effective lesson or not.
@JeztheNun (90)
• United States
11 Dec 08
Well, I guess that's harder to put into words.
Here are some questions:
Does the teacher express the ideas and methods in the lesson accurately?
Do the students seem interested in the teacher's specific method? (ie; lecture, competition, or student self-teaching/reading assignment)
Do the students actively participate in lesson discussion/question and answer?
Does the teacher encourage student participation by asking lesson based questions or opening lesson details to debate?
I hope that's what you mean, otherwise I look like an idiot.
@XoyyoX (1055)
• China
11 Dec 08
LOL, you can't look like an idot but a nice girl, i dare say, my dear Jez. LOL
you did give us some good examples, and u did name some of it.
What I exactly mean is i want to create a framework that consists several categories of questions, like:
1) classroom enviroment (fun, inspiring, participative, happy)
2) students' paticipation, you name it "involving"
3) lesson objectives (clear?...)
4) classroom activities (diverse? meet students' needs, personality, learning style?)
so you know, i wanna a complete list of questions that i can put into categories so that i can build a framework or a system for other teachers to observe and evaluate another teachers' teaching. lol thanks
@benhilo (871)
• Tripoli, Libya
11 Dec 08
From teaching english as a second language, teaching Saudi's how to operate a power and desalination plant, to teaching college level religion courses the method of instructions was always different for me. But what was the same is using the interest of the class (collectively) as a means to get the students interested in whatever subject matter you are teaching. For instances, in Saudia I used football as a means to get physics across to my students. Or in Japan, used baseball or fashion and music to get them to speak english. But the bottom line is that all you can do is prepare them for the next lesson. Hope this helps!
@ashwlzhq (47)
• China
11 Dec 08
Hello XoyyoX,I'm a student.Firstly,i think a teacher who can listen to others is a good one.As a college student,i have been taught by so many teachers.Of course,I think some are succeful and some failure.Like most students,I like humous teachers.A humous teacher should have the ability of analogy and examples.Besides,a good teacher should not be just teaching from the books,on the contray,he or she should bind the theories and the practices.And it the best to teach students vividly.Of course,students' response is also very important.If there's no response from the students,the teacher will lose the interst quickly.
And that's my opinion. Best Wishes!!!!!
