Provide a Constructive Learning Environment
The best way to create a successful lesson plan is to organize and rehearse your material well before the class. The learning environment you create will affect your students' success, so it is important that you prepare your lessons with these ideas in mind.
- Create a learning environment based on mutual respect, shared vision, two-way communication, group discussion and reflection.
- Support students in taking ownership of their learning experience.
- Provide access to resources and tools that encourage self-assessment and test their competency in group settings both in classroom training and through hands-on training.
Actively Engage the Learner
The world around us is busy and therefore we get easily distracted. Here are some ideas to get your learners focused on the material you are teaching.
- Activities should be relevant, motivating and exploratory and should encourage problem solving, decision making, group collaboration, discussion, storytelling and reciprocal teaching.
- Trainers can accomplish this by guiding learning with a humanistic approach. If you show your passion for the subject, are well organized and enthusiastic, you will notice a difference your students’ attentiveness.
- Be a coach and mentor. Help with prior-knowledge activation, goal setting and action planning.
- Provide opportunities for questions and conduct demonstrations and simulations. Provide frequent constructive feedback and be available to provide extra help.
After the Lesson
Reflect on your lesson and explore ways to improve it.
- What did you take away from the lesson?
- Did you learn something?
- Were you open to suggestions and questions?
As education and training continue to develop and change, stay current and be open to new ways to educate yourself.