The Effective Lesson

Essential Components in
Modern Teaching
 Foreword
As teachers of English language, we face permanent
challenges that put the quality of our work and
professional development to the test. As a result,
improving the quality of our lessons is a necessary
piece for our careers.
Professional development is anything that we choose
to make better what we do, and so we can develop
ourselves by making changes in the way lessons are
delivered.
Choice, change and trust are three pillars of
professional development because when we choose
a new way of teaching, trusting our ability to obtain
results is a sign of adaptation to the needs of the
environment.
This guide shows options that can be used to
designing and delivering effective English lessons,
based on ongoing approaches in educational
theories.
 Modern Schooling
Traditional learning relied on mechanical features like
memorization and passive recitation from conventional
resources. Today, modern education draws attention to
experiences that lead to permanent changes in
behavior.
The truth is that every generation of students comes
with singular characteristics shaped by their particular
sign of time.
In addition, the impact of new theories in education,
triggered by discoveries of how people learn, has
brought out major repercussions in the classroom and
how teachers develop their lessons.
With the arrival of these models, teachers are
challenged to develop their personal brand that
combines background information with their own
learning experience.
Following are some of the most notable implications of
this new teaching model with the purpose to enrich
and if desired, modify our old standards of giving
lessons.
 The Experiential Approach

Learning from experience is the new ideal of

constructivism in which the creation of spaces
to build meaningful learning is emphasized,
used in a conscious, planned and directed way
that adapts to different learning styles –visual,
auditory, kinesthetic and tactile.
One basic concept is learning by doing or
hands-on learning, where knowledge is
displaced and the experience instills through
emotions, sensations and principles that mark
the individual.
Experiential learning brings about new
opportunities for self-discovery, experimenting
and reflecting on group work, strengthening
community building and reflecting on the
experience.
 Meaningful Learning

David Ausubel, an educational

psychologist, built upon the work of Jean
Piaget and other constructivists.
This theory defines learning as the one
achieved when putting together the
following constituents:
• Subject with disposition to learn
• Previous knowledge,
• New knowledge
• Subject-object interaction.
Accordingly, the learning subject will be
able to assimilate, relate and organize the
new knowledge with the previous, in order
to apply it in a practical way.
 Learning Stages
• When we teach a new lesson, students experiment distinct
states of learning, and this is why we keep a sequence of
activities that make the subject assimilate, relate and
organize the new knowledge.
• A first stage must create attention to discover the relation
between previous knowledge with the target language. Thus,
from the stage of unconscious unskillfulness, the learner
recognizes their conscious lack of competence.
• Later, and through clarifying activities, individuals are able to
move on to a stage where they see an increased level of the
incited skill.
• In the following stages, the teacher inserts resources that
promote retention using repetitions, visual references and
choices; seeking meaning through the use of familiar
backgrounds.
• Internalization of the new concept will occur by providing
chances to use after reflecting upon it, projecting how to
apply it in real situations and contexts.
• Lastly, the learner transfers the experience to long-term
memory where they don’t have to concentrate to be able to
use it.
 Student-Centered Lessons
When designing a lesson, teachers normally consider what
they will do but take less time to position themselves
under the learner’s perspective.
This is an essential step in planning objectives and activities
for we want to make sure that by the time the bell rings,
key aspects of the class have met a happy ending.
For a start, we should consider previous knowledge related
to the new material and students’ reactions to the target
language.
Objectives and ways to measure achievements must align
with content, using patterns that can easily identify if
learning takes place.
Some action verbs that are useful at any context are: write,
draw, identify, sort, construct, compare, label, list,
describe, arrange, match. Define, decide, explain,
recommend.
Ensuring full understanding towards our audience is key to
engage and deliver appropriate lessons for each learner,
leveling their work in the classroom adjusted to their
individual capabilities.
 Teacher Talking Time
Effective classes seek for the student’s participation as a
hallmark, placing them at the center of all happenings,
either individually, in pair, or group work.
This means the teacher speaks less during presentation,
and development of activities to support the lessons, by
using inductive teaching rather than traditional
explanation of concepts.
Inductive teaching entails that learners discover for
themselves and are more actively involved in the learning
process, rather than being passive recipients. This way,
they are likely to be more attentive and motivated.
If the problem solving is done collaboratively, learners
get the opportunity for extra language processing which
in turn prepares students for greater self-reliance and
autonomy.
As a result, teachers aim to reduce their talking time and
increase students’ active production of language through
the stimulus to express their ideas, perceptions and
experiences.
 Collaborative Learning
The notion of making students responsible for their
learning extends to the comprehension that learning can
happen from other sources besides the teacher’s. This is
a key component of student-centered classes in which
learners are empowered under a safe setting.
In order to create an environment in which cooperative
learning can take place, three things are necessary. First,
students need to feel safe, but also challenged. Second,
groups need to be small enough that everyone can
contribute. Third, the task students work together on
must be clearly defined. 
The simplest format of collaborative learning is Think-
Pair-Share and it can be consistently used in every single
class. Changing the size of groups and adjusting amount
of interaction will add more interest and excitement to
the lesson, transforming sessions in fun and cherished
experiences.
A desirable culmination of group-work involves reflecting
on the practice and providing outputs to the class about
what has been learnt from others and from themselves.
 Classroom Set Up
The way that learners are arranged plays an important role
in the desired interactions and the nature of planned
activities.
Our primary intention is to enhance channels of
communication and this is easily achievable when students
are strategically located to do so.
Also, teachers can visualize behaviors and activities, which
in turn, facilitates classroom management in a smooth
fashion.
Typical lay-outs with students facing each other should be
the norm for regular classes, as it fits T-P-S instructions as
well as comfortable attention to explanations of the
teacher.
Consider grouping people with enough ease of access and
circulation, since it creates an encouraging environment to
perform instructions that derive from different activities.
Another point to take into account is allowing students to
stand up and freely move for specific purposes.
There will be as many possibilities as space available, if
planned from the beginning to avoid unwanted
disturbance and maximize teaching time.
 Lay-Out Considerations
• Can I see the
faces of every
single student and
can they see me?
• Can everyone see
the board (if
you're planning
on using it)?
• Can the students
see one another?
• Can I move
around the room
so that I can
monitor
effectively?
 Giving Instructions
Just as important as designing a lesson, the details
in the delivery will make it successful or just a
good attempt. Thinking on how students will
perceive and engage with content is a good way to
ensure favorable execution.
We must be clear in what we want to achieve and
necessary steps to complete it. This leads to how
we state instructions and which resources we use.
There are plenty of ways to give instructions, from
simply telling them to writing steps on the board,
or modeling with a volunteer. Either way,
instructions must be given beforehand and
making sure all doubts are clarified.
CCQs or Comprehension Checking Questions
serve the purpose of revalidating instructions
previously given. These questions follow a defined
sequence: Y/N questions, Alternative Answers
Questions and Open WH-Questions.
 Correcting
Teachers regularly have to decide about the
best way to provide feedback of flaws
detected. Appropriate correction inspires
learners to development, while a bad review
can alienate and discomfort language
production.
Nevertheless, this unavoidable task
implicates that we ponder on factors like
timing and means to do it.
When correcting pronunciation, structure or
vocabulary, always pay attention whether
you want to encourage fluency or accuracy
and this will set the pace of your decision.
Methods to correct students can go from
simple gestures to explicit explanation of the
mistake. Here are some ways to reflect on:
 Teaching Activities
The objective of a lesson defines
the nature of the activities that are
suitable in order to put in practice
the target language. Games and
motions in the classroom activate
senses and brain activity that
otherwise would remain
deactivated. The reaction of
emotions during the learning
process generates strong links
capable of transferring the learning
experience to the long term
memory.
 Best Practices
We have compiled some of the best practices that effective teachers
exhibit:
 Always greet your students when arriving to the classroom.
 Write relevant information about the lesson or activity, e.g.
objectives, date, book unit, page number, etc.
 Bring dynamism to the class by not remaining seated in your desk.
 Start your lessons with a reference from students’ surroundings.
 Ask questions and encourage students to ask questions as well.
 Call students by their names.
 Praise students when they achieve progress, no matter how little
they are.
 Allow students to have a say about the lesson. Give them options
to decide.
Provide equal opportunities to participate, even if you have to call
them on.
 Circulate to detect possible distractions, engage by making them
aware of their presence.
Discover the world outside by bringing realia to the classroom.
Take students outside when possible.
Use technology as a supporting tool, to complement what is
discussed in class.