Introduction to Lesson Planning

Lesson planning is one of the fundamental skills new teachers grapple with. Often, we don’t have explicit training on how to break down course objectives into 50- or 115-minute chunks, design active learning sessions, and monitor student progress. This workshop is an introduction to some helpful structures and considerations you can use to plan lessons that are effective, equitable, and repeatable. Whether you’re new to teaching, want to be more intentional about your practices, or just want to cut down on stress and planning time, this workshop is for you!

After this workshop, you’ll come away with…

• Some helpful building blocks for getting started with any lesson

• Ways to easily build in evidence-based techniques that support effective and equitable learning

• Practical tips on structure, flexibility, record-keeping, and iteration

• A plan for one upcoming lesson, including an active learning strategy and a simple classroom assessment technique

This workshop will…

• Focus on “good” techniques and principles over “advanced” or “ambitious” approaches. We’ll talk about using lesson planning to manage your time as an instructor and build repeatable routines.

• Address how to adapt these practices for the structure of a TA discussion or lab section. Graduate students, postdocs, and instructors of record are welcome.