Teaching: Getting organised

Last updated: Monday, July 03, 2023


You now have decided what your learners need to learn, developed your learning outcomes, decided how to deliver your teaching and developed the content. The next step is to plan your session.

The easiest way to do this is to use a lesson plan; click here to see a template that you can download and use.

Points you might need to consider include:
    Booking and accessing a room – make sure it’s large enough for your learners and the planned activity and accessible to all. Check you will be able to access the room on the day, does someone hold a key? 
    Timings – plan a timetable for your session describing what the teacher and the learner will be doing throughout your session. Estimate a time for each activity. Allow for activities to under-run by having extra material you can add in, or over-run by having content you can drop if necessary. Schedule in breaks for longer sessions. 
    Resources – think about what equipment you will need. Does the room have reliable internet access? What will you do if the connection fails? Maybe take a paper copy of your session notes in case you need to read from them. Do the learners need to bring laptops and passwords? Are you taking handouts or will you send them to students beforehand and expect them to bring them? What will you do if they forget? 
    Needs of your learners – do any of your learners have any special needs? How will address them?

You can see an example of a completed lesson plan here 
Remember: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance (6Ps)

The better you plan your teaching, the less likely you are to run into problems. However be reassured that even experienced teachers can run into completely unpredictable situations every so often.

On the day

    Arrive early and set up the room if you are able to access it
      • Check that the room temperature is ambient and not too warm or cold 
      • Take some water with you to quench your thirst when you are speaking
        Welcome your students as they arrive, use their names if you know them
        • Explain where the toilets and fire exits are if learners are unfamiliar with the environment 
        • Give the learners an overview of the structure of the session, what will they be doing when, when can they expect a break? 
        • Set the ground rules around asking questions, not interrupting one another, not dominating a discussion, mobile phone use etc.