Evaluation of lesson planning
Evaluation of lesson planning helps educators identify strengths, address weaknesses, and continuously improve their teaching practice. For adult learners of English, this process is especially important because it ensures that lessons are relevant, engaging, and aligned with learners’ needs. This lesson explores how to evaluate lesson preparation before and after teaching, using reflection and feedback from tutors, colleagues, and learners. It also discusses how to use this evaluation to plan future lessons.
Evaluation of lesson planning before teaching
Why pre-teaching evaluation matters
Evaluating a lesson plan before teaching helps identify potential issues and ensures that the lesson is well-structured and aligned with learners’ needs. This step is crucial for adult learners, who often have specific goals and limited time.
Steps for pre-teaching evaluation of lesson planning
- Review objectives:
Are the lesson objectives clear, specific, and achievable? - Check relevance:
Does the content align with learners’ goals and real-world needs? - Assess resources:
Are the materials and tools appropriate and accessible? - Anticipate challenges:
What difficulties might learners face, and how can they be addressed?
Example 1:
Before teaching a lesson on writing professional emails, a teacher reviews the lesson plan and realizes that the examples provided are too basic for the learners’ intermediate level. To address this, the teacher adds more complex examples and includes a discussion of tone and formality.
Example 2:
A teacher preparing a lesson on “ordering food at a restaurant” for beginner learners realizes that the menu handouts are too text-heavy. As a result, they replace them with illustrated menus and prepare a short video demonstrating restaurant interactions.
Example 3:
For a class of adult learners preparing for job interviews, a teacher reviews the role-play activity and notices the questions are too general. The teacher modifies the task to include job-specific scenarios, like interviews for customer service or healthcare positions.
Activity:
Choose a lesson plan you have created or observed. Evaluate it using the steps above. Write down one improvement you could make before teaching the lesson.
Evaluation of lesson planning after teaching
Why post-teaching evaluation matters
Reflecting on a lesson after teaching provides valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved. This process helps educators grow and adapt their teaching strategies to better meet learners’ needs.
Steps for post-teaching evaluation of lesson planning
- Self-reflection: Ask yourself questions like
- Did the lesson achieve its objectives?
- Were the activities engaging and effective?
- How did learners respond to the lesson?
- Gather feedback: Seek input from tutors, colleagues, and learners.
- Tutors and colleagues can provide constructive feedback on teaching methods.
- Learners can share their perspectives on what they found helpful or challenging.
- Analyze outcomes: Compare the actual results of the lesson with the intended objectives.
Example 1:
After teaching a lesson on making small talk, a teacher reflects that the role-play activity was successful but the warm-up discussion took too long. Learners also mentioned that they wanted more practice with specific phrases. The teacher notes these observations for future lessons.
Example 2:
Following a lesson on describing graphs and charts for academic writing, a teacher observes that while learners understood vocabulary, they struggled with structuring their descriptions. Learners requested a template, which the teacher plans to provide next time.
Example 3:
After a lesson on “complaining in a hotel,” a teacher realizes that many learners didn’t speak up during the role-play. Peer feedback revealed they felt unsure about using polite forms. The teacher plans to revisit modal verbs and polite expressions in the following session.
Activity:
Reflect on a lesson you have taught or observed. Write down one thing that went well and one thing that could be improved. Share your reflection with a colleague or peer for feedback.
Using evaluation to plan future lessons
Why continuous improvement matters
Evaluation of lesson planning is not just about identifying weaknesses; it’s about using insights to plan better lessons. For adult learners, this means creating lessons that are more relevant, engaging, and effective.
Steps for applying insights from evaluation of lesson planning
- Address identified issues:
Make adjustments based on feedback and reflection. - Build on strengths:
Add successful elements into future lessons. - Set new goals:
Use evaluation insights to refine lesson objectives and teaching strategies.
Example 1:
A teacher who received feedback that learners struggled with listening comprehension in a lesson on travel directions decides to incorporate more listening activities in future lessons. They also add visual aids, such as maps and videos, to support understanding.
Example 2:
After noticing high engagement during a group brainstorming task on cultural traditions, the teacher decides to design more lessons around learner-led discussions and presentations.
Example 3:
A lesson on expressing opinions in debates revealed that learners hesitated to speak due to a lack of vocabulary. In future lessons, the teacher incorporates targeted vocabulary-building activities with sentence stems like “I believe that…” or “In my opinion…”
Activity:
Choose one piece of feedback or reflection from a previous lesson. How could you use this insight to improve a future lesson? Write down a specific change you would make and explain why.
Real-world examples of evaluation of lesson planning in action
Example 1: Professional English for IT specialists
- Lesson: Writing technical reports.
- Pre-teaching evaluation: The teacher realizes that the examples provided are too generic and adds industry-specific examples.
- Post-teaching evaluation: Learners found the lesson useful but requested more practice with collaborative writing.
- Future planning: The teacher plans a follow-up lesson where learners work in teams to write and edit reports.
Example 2: English for immigrants
- Lesson: Asking for directions.
- Pre-teaching evaluation: The teacher anticipates that learners might struggle with pronunciation and prepares a pronunciation drill.
- Post-teaching evaluation: Learners enjoyed the role-play activity but wanted more practice with map reading.
- Future planning: The teacher incorporates a map-reading activity in the next lesson.
Example 3: University Academic Skills Class
- Lesson: Referencing sources in academic writing.
- Pre-teaching evaluation: Teacher ensures learners have access to citation style guides.
- Post-teaching evaluation: Some students still confused referencing styles.
- Future planning: Teacher includes a guided practice worksheet with examples and non-examples for citation practice.
Example 4: Workplace communication for customer service employees
- Lesson: Handling customer complaints over the phone.
- Pre-teaching evaluation: The teacher adds audio clips of real phone conversations for listening practice.
- Post-teaching evaluation: Learners appreciated the real-life examples but needed more role-play time.
- Future planning: The teacher prepares a follow-up lesson with extended pair work simulations.
Final thoughts
Evaluating lesson planning is a vital part of effective teaching. By reflecting on lessons before and after teaching and incorporating feedback from tutors, colleagues, and learners, educators can continuously improve their practice. For adult learners of English, this process ensures that lessons are relevant, engaging, and aligned with their goals. Use the activities provided to reflect on and apply these principles in your own teaching practice.
To your CELTA journal
Create a simple evaluation checklist for your lessons. Include at least five questions or criteria (e.g., “Were the objectives clear?” and “Did learners achieve the intended outcomes?”). Use this checklist to evaluate your next lesson and make adjustments based on your findings.