Plan for Organized Instruction

You wouldn’t start a long road trip without making a plan for where you’re going and how you will get there. In the same way, you shouldn’t start a semester, unit, or lesson without a plan for what you will teach and how students will practice the necessary skills. In addition to making an organized plan for the course content, you should also have an idea of the class norms and rhythms that students will participate in week-to-week. While making all of those plans may sound overwhelming, creating an organized plan will save you so much time once your course is up and running. In order to make a solid plan for learning, consider the following techniques.

1. Establish Classroom Structure

What do you want your class to look like, sound like and feel like? Which voices are important to hear and how often? Where will students find their resources? How will you give them directions both in class and out of class? By decking on your answers to questions like these before class starts, you will set yourself and your students up for success. Use the ideas below to guide your thinking.

• Create classroom norms for participation and communication, and then enforce those norms to keep students organized and engaged. 

• Share class objectives and agendas so students can track their own progress.

2. Adapt to Meet Learner Needs

Sometimes our best-laid plans have to change. When you realize students are not making the progress you would expect, based on your in-class assessments, it’s time to be adaptable and flexible. Be prepared to adapt your plans to address learner needs in the following ways. 

• Slow down or speed up content delivery based on how students are responding. Move on when students demonstrate mastery. 

• Use specific examples or delivery methods that you learn resonate with students. If something works well in class, think about how you can incorporate it again.

3. Communicate and Manage Time Consistently

Clear communication connects you to students, and students to each other. Providing information in a variety of modalities can accommodate for a variety of learning needs and differences within a student population. Using the following communication and time management best practices will help your students feel safe and successful as they engage in class. 

• Communicate clear timelines and then demonstrate the importance of those timelines by sticking to them in your own work. 

• Make sure your communication, whether written or verbal, is clear to students. Check for understanding and respond to feedback when communication breaks down.