Achieve Success As A TEFL Teacher: Learn To Craft Powerful Online Teaching Lesson Plan
In this digital era, the way of learning and teaching is changing especially after the pandemic. The whole world is embracing e-learning which also creates multiple opportunities for likes of TEFL teachers around the world to teach online.
According to upskillwise.com, 70% of the students agree that online learning is much better than the traditional way of learning.
If you’re considering teaching English as a TEFL teacher online then you must learn pre-lesson planning which should be well structured so that your non-native English-speaking students can learn in an engaging learning environment.
In this blog post, we will get to learn certain effective strategies with examples with which you can create online lesson plans that will help you to develop engaging and interactive lessons for your students.
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Understanding the Significance of Lesson Planning
Lesson planning plays a role in effective teaching whether it's in a traditional classroom or an online environment. It ensures that all the necessary content is covered within the allocated time. A prepared lesson plan also helps in creating a positive and engaging learning environment for students.
Now that we have a basic idea of what a lesson plan actually is. Let’s explore some practical tips and strategies to create effective lesson plans.
1. Setting Clear Goals
Before getting into the specifics of your lesson plan, it is crucial to establish goals. Goals outline what students should be able to accomplish by the end of the lesson. They serve as a guiding framework for your teaching. Assist in maintaining focus, on desired outcomes. When setting goals ensure they are measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
For example, if your lesson focuses on colours a clear goal could be; "By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify and name colours."
2. Structuring Your Lesson Plan
A structured lesson plan guarantees that you will address all the required material and activities within the allocated time. It assists in maintaining a progression throughout the lesson and ensures students remain actively involved. Below is a proposed framework, for structuring your online teaching lesson plan:
Introduction
- Greet the students and establish a positive learning environment.
- Review the previous lesson (if applicable) to reinforce learning.
Warm-up Activity
- Engage students' prior knowledge and activate their interest in the topic.
- Use icebreaker questions, visuals, or short videos to spark conversation.
Presentation of New Material
- Introduce the main topic or concept.
- Use visuals, real-life examples, or multimedia resources to enhance understanding.
- Introduce words, sentence structures, or grammar rules.
Practice Activities
- Provide opportunities to practice newly introduced learning materials.
- Include opportunities for speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
- Encourage participation and interaction among students.
- Provide step-by-step guidance and support during practice sessions.
- Offer feedback and correct any mistakes or misunderstandings.
Encourage Individual Practice
- Assign activities for students to complete on their own.
- Ensure instructions and provide necessary resources for independent practice.
- Encourage students to ask questions if they need clarification.
Review and Summary
- Conduct a review session after the completion of every lesson and recap all the points covered.
- Ask every student if they have any doubts and address their concern by understanding their problems during lesson learning.
Assessment and Closure
- Assess student learning through quizzes, assignments, or discussions.
- Give feedback and reinforce key concepts as part of the assessment process.
- End the lesson on a positive note and preview the next lesson (if applicable).
3. Choosing Engaging Topics
Selecting engaging topics is crucial to capture students' interest and motivation. Consider your student’s age, language proficiency, and cultural background when choosing topics. You can incorporate a variety of themes such as daily routines, hobbies, travel, food, or current events. Tailoring your lessons according to student's interests and needs will make the learning experience more enjoyable and meaningful.
4. Incorporating Visual and Audio Elements
Visual and audio elements play a vital role in enhancing understanding and engagement in online lessons. Utilize tools such as PowerPoint presentations, videos, images, and interactive whiteboards to present information effectively.
For example, when teaching colours, display colourful images or use colour-coded flashcards to reinforce learning. Additionally, incorporating audio elements like songs, chants, or recorded dialogues can help students improve their listening skills.
5. Encouraging Student Participation
Active student participation is key to successful online teaching. Encourage students to actively engage in the lesson through interactive activities, discussions, and group work. Incorporate open-ended questions, role-plays, or debates to stimulate critical thinking and promote communication. Use breakout rooms or online collaboration tools to facilitate small group activities and encourage peer-to-peer interaction.
6. Providing Ample Practice Opportunities
Practice is essential for students to internalize new language skills. Incorporate a variety of practice activities to cater to different learning styles and reinforce learning. These activities can include pair work, group work, online games, quizzes, worksheets, or role-plays. Provide ample opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in real-life contexts and receive feedback on their performance.
7. Assessing Student Learning
Regular assessment is crucial to gauge student’s progress and identify areas for improvement. Use a mix of formative and summative assessments to evaluate student’s understanding and mastery of the lesson objectives.
Formative assessments can include class discussions, quizzes, or short writing assignments, and Summative assessments, such as tests or projects, can be used to evaluate students' overall performance at the end of a unit or semester.
8. Adapting Your Lesson Plan
Flexibility is key in online teaching, as you may need to adapt your lesson plan based on students' needs and feedback. Monitor student’s progress and adjust the pace or difficulty level of the lesson accordingly. Be open to incorporating student’s interests and incorporating their suggestions into future lessons. Regularly reflect on your teaching strategies and make necessary adjustments to optimize student learning.
Create Lesson Plans For Effective TEFL Teaching
Teaching responsibility is more than just teaching lessons. Teachers also need to make sure that their students understand all the lessons that have been taught in an online class. This digital era has opened multiple opportunities all over the world, especially in teaching English.
For those teachers who have pursued courses like live online TEFL course, this era is proving to be a boon for them. However, every TEFL teacher must know how to lesson plan effectively to make the learning experience engaging and interactive for non-native English speaker students.
By applying all the above-mentioned lesson-planning strategies, you will be well-equipped to deliver engaging and effective online lessons.
Happy teaching!
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