THOROUGH LESSON PLANNING is KEY
Whatever lesson plan format you choose, make sure that you are writing more than a list of activities. Be cognizant of how you talk to your students about objectives, how you help them make sense of the learning THROUGHOUT the lesson, how you transition, and how you are attending to the variety of learners in your room. The following template can help you keep these things in mind:

daily_lesson_plan_template.doc |

objectives.doc |
Engage Students from the Beginning!
Set the tone for an interesting class by varying the way you begin your lessons. While you may rely on a daily warm-up to provide structure, you can utilize resources such as pictures, demos, problems, current events, music, graphs, articles, quotes, news clips, etc. as the source from which to react and respond. Take a look at the handout below for more ideas.

interesting_ways_to_hook_students.doc |
Tips for Providing Closure to Your Lessons
As you work to engage students at the beginning of your lessons, don't forget about the conclusions. Conclusions give you insight into how well your objectives were met.
Providing time for reflection at the end of your lesson will help you understand what you need to review, clarify, or even re-teach the next day. Or maybe you will be able to soar ahead confidently!
Conclusions can also be a source of validation. It's exciting when your students pull it all together after a period of hard work! Check out the resources below to help you infuse interesting conclusions in your lessons.
Providing time for reflection at the end of your lesson will help you understand what you need to review, clarify, or even re-teach the next day. Or maybe you will be able to soar ahead confidently!
Conclusions can also be a source of validation. It's exciting when your students pull it all together after a period of hard work! Check out the resources below to help you infuse interesting conclusions in your lessons.

wrap_it_up.lesson_conclusions.doc |

concluding_lessons.abcs.doc |