Albert Agyapong
A lesson note is simply a step-by-step plan or a guide on a lesson that a teacher plans to teach. It further entails all steps highlighted in a lesson plan.
In Ghana, public and private school teachers must write lesson notes. These lesson notes are to be presented to the headmaster or headmistress of a school weekly to ascertain that the teacher is ready for the week ahead.
Occasionally, Ghana’s educational policies require a superior officer in the person of a Circuit Supervisor to go into schools, attesting the frequency of lesson notes and if they are in tune with the scheme of work.
A lesson plan is a step-by-step action through which a teacher intends to teach a class to attain the objective of the school season.
In simpler terms, a lesson plan details all educational theories. These are 6 steps on how to write a lesson note in Ghana.
Have a purpose
It is crucial to have a goal for which the lesson note is being prepared. Defining that purpose helps you to prepare the lesson note as planned. It is vital to be aware of the specific topic or lesson the students are required to understand.
Usually, this purpose is called ‘Specific Objective’ in the teaching arena. So as a teacher, you should clearly define your objective for a particular day’s lesson or a particular week’s lesson.
You begin mostly by writing the preamble:
“By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to: “
Write an outline
Like any other venture, it is best for you to outline what you intend to do, even before the time is nigh.
So, during the lesson note preparation, it’s best for you to list down an outline of what you intend to do during the lesson and what you intend to achieve as well.
You can note down the key areas of interest and the various examples and stories you’d want to use in backing them up.
Have a schedule
It is essential to have a schedule. Breaking lessons into timeline format clarifies what is supposed to be covered in a particular time frame. With 50 minutes allocated to a lesson, a teacher can share vital activities in 10 to 15 minutes so the learners can grasp the lesson unhesitatingly.
Practising this helps you know the part of the lesson students understand and which they didn’t.
It’ll then help you strategize a better way to go about the lesson at a later date. Also, it makes your lesson more effective since you won’t end up spending too much time on one aspect of the lesson, thereby limiting the other.
Know each student
The holy grail of the teaching profession is that a teacher must know each of his students.
Students are unique individuals with different talents, learning styles, and comprehension speeds. Acknowledging this fact makes it less difficult to communicate a topic.
This means that a teacher is required to study each student in class to know their learning curve. You’ll know which student needs more focus on the lesson and who doesn’t.
This will specify which pupil needs extra tutoring and plan towards delivering that. It also helps you to choose the best teaching techniques to appeal to all students in the class, without leaving out anyone based on their special traits.
Utilize different communication designs
With regards to the previous step, you’d understand the importance of planning lessons to meet every special child.
Some children prefer learning in groups while others would rather be alone. Some may even opt for the art version of a lesson. This will help you authenticate lessons to suit everyone.
During group studies, students get to discuss more topics and their interactions get deeper and more insightful, which helps some students to come out of their shells.
Utilize different learning methods
As a professional teacher, you are privy to the various learning methodologies available. Knowing your students very well and understanding the topic at hand, it’s best to design your lesson plan by incorporating various methodologies at various points of the lesson, to get everyone involved.
Some teachers opt for games, quizzes, lab lessons, group discussions, outdoor classes to solidify lesson comprehension.
You must include these in your lesson plan, under the Teacher-Learners Activity, to give credence to what you seek to achieve at the end of the lesson and to further set out a meaningful document for reference.
Conclusion
As a teacher, your job is to teach students, to the best of your understanding and the best of their abilities.
One of the best ways to ensure that you are effectively carrying out your duty is by writing your lesson notes ahead of time and getting a hold of everything you want to do during the lesson.
The lesson note also serves as legal proof of the work you’re doing. So, it is always important to write your lesson notes, especially in the Ghanaian educational system.
We hope that this article has achieved the aim for which it was written. Kindly share the article with other teachers.
