The Theory Underpinning Lesson Planning

This week I will share with you a snippet from our online training. Teaching is a science and a craft which means there are evidence based facts on best practices in teaching and learning. These are encapsulated in learning theories propounded by psychologists or social scientists. One of such, is the theory underpinning lesson planning which is constructivism.

This theory explains that for lessons to be engaging we must adhere to these four rules and I will share 2 with you
1. Learning is an active process: So you must teach in a style that has students engaged and participating in the lesson. It’s all about immersing the student into the learning. The teacher takes a step back and puts the learners in the driver’s seat. The question is how will you get students to be involved in your lesson? How will you get them to take the lead? These are very vital questions which if answered correctly will exponentially multiply the understanding your students’ gain around the topic you are teaching

2. Making connections: This is about making learning meaningful which is connecting learning to real life is. Using examples that students can relate with. Ensuring that lessons are not abstract and purely theoretical. The lessons we teach can easily be made practical it just requires some thought and planning. But it is worth it, as you see your students faces light up. The message finally has hit home. One of my students said to me “when I am in your class I am so motivated and I don’t feel like going home to face the real world”. I was touched so my class had become a center of motivation, passion and learning.