Lesson planning is an essential part of any lecturer or teacher’s role. Lesson plans help make sure your teaching is packed full of fascinating content by providing a practical framework you can follow.
What makes a good lesson plan?
A good lesson plan should include:
- Course name, time and date
- Aims and learning outcomes
- Items needed for the lesson, e.g. handouts, equipment etc
- Teaching content
- Details of any activities
- Assignments/homework set
Make sure your lesson plans are clear and easy to follow, and not just something that makes sense to you. Your plans should make it simple enough for one of your colleagues to deliver your lesson in your absence.
Your lesson plan can also help make sure your students stay engaged and motivated, by ensuring that your lecture is filled with relevant and stimulating material.
Lesson plan resources
Here are some resources to help you easily create effective and thorough lesson plans:
Lesson content resources
One of the most important aspects of any lesson or lecture is the content you teach your students, and the books and texts you use to supplement your teaching. Here are some of the online resources you can use to support your class content:
- McGraw Hill provides a range of resources for higher education teachers and faculty, including a library of affordable course materials for a wide range of subjects like social sciences, engineering, and mathematics.
- The Advanced HE Knowledge Hub offers thousands of higher education resources covering a range of themes like equality and diversity, research, and teaching approaches.
- Oxford University Press supplies high-quality resources for teachers that are designed to engage and educate teachers.
- Macmillan International Higher Education is another source of textbooks, e-learning products, and teaching resources.
- The Economic Network is an extensive source of educational resources for lecturers teaching economic subjects and includes links to journals, teaching ideas, and training support.