A Successful Lesson (wk 6)

A successful lesson is one where my students are fully engaged, and interacting with me, each other, and the content. At the end of the lesson I ask, "Did we achieve the desired outcome?" Teaching a successful lesson is not about activities, but about outcomes. For example I planned an elaborate lesson to teach my students about the Boxer Rebellion in China, but due to time constraints I had to change the activities that I had planned, but the outcome was the same. My students were able to interpret primary sources, work in collaborative groups and discuss about imperialism and take a position on the issue. Even when the lesson that we imagine doesn't pan out, we can still have the results that we hoped for with a few adjustments. The key is to be flexible. You must be willing to make changes, to think on the whim, adjust things throughout the day/lesson as needed. 

 

Even more importantly a successful lesson can relate to something students are doing in other areas of school. I try to connect the content with students lives and experiences. If teachers can connect student learning throughout the school day, students are more likely to retain information. Students are more motivated to learn when they see how the knowledge they learn can be applied outside of the school building.