OBSERVE 2.

LESSON PLANNING: Activity Selection, Sequence and Transition

In methodology courses it is often discussed that planning lessons facilitates the teacher’s job in the
classroom by enabling him/her to be more organized, punctual, and prepared. However, it is not
uncommon that some experienced teachers do not make lesson plans. Most of those teachers
frequently state that years of experience help them while teaching without a need for planning. One of
the reasons for the unwillingness to prepare lesson plans could be that teachers prefer following the
course book step by step without having a need for making adaptations according to their students’
needs, interests, or level. Although course books, coming with a teacher’s book, are a great help for the
teachers they are always written for a general audience. Moreover, it is not uncommon that in Turkey
teachers in state schools complain about the books. The irony here compels us to think about the untold
underlying reasons for not making lesson plans. Lesson plans: Are they really a burden or a real and
inevitable need for teachers?

Task Objective:

In this task we will focus on the teacher’s lesson plans by trying to understand and reflect upon the
reasons for making or not making them. Whether there is a plan or not, we will pay attention to activity
selection and sequence as well as the transitions.

Procedure:

Before the Lesson:

1. Talk to your cooperating teacher and ask for his/her lesson plan of the lesson for that day. If s/he
doesn’t have one interview the teacher about his/her decision making process and his/her reasons
for not making plans. How does s/he select the activities and materials? What are some criteria
s/he uses when sequencing the activities?
2. If the teacher is using only the course book ask her ideas about the course book activities. How
effective are they? Do the students like them? Do they have an effect on student participation?

During the Lesson:

1. Write down each activity the teacher uses by using the chart below. Note down how s/he connects
one activity to the other.
2. Observe students’ behaviors/ reactions to the activities. Do they seem to encourage student
involvement?

After the Lesson:

Reflection: Upon your observation discuss whether you really believe in the value and importance of
lesson planning. Considering the Turkish context, how realistic is it to make lesson plans? Or should a
teacher continue planning his/her lesson no matter what the circumstances are?
 Table 2. The selection and sequence of activities: Note each activity the teacher uses and how s/he sequenced them, write how s/he enabled
the transition from one activity (for ex. by relating one to the other contextually, or moving from known to unknown, smoothly …) and write
down the students’ reaction (interested, bored, eager to talk, puzzled, enjoyed..) to them.

Activity Sequencing Transition Students’ reaction

Eager
Random
Matching the presents (Teacher chooses the
students randomly)

Not much
Random (They can’t understand
Listen and write their birthdays the speaker)

Less eager

Look at the pictures and answer the questions Random

(Teacher chooses the
students randomly)
Less eager

Read the story and complete the sentences Random

Look at the pictures and make some suggestions and excuses Random Eager