UNIT 2.

2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 65

UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING

MARILYN LEASK AND JON DAVISON

INTRODUCTION

Our lesson observations revealed that in classes run by effective teachers, pupils are clear
about what they are doing and why they are doing it.They can see links with their earlier
learning and have some ideas about how it could be developed further.The pupils want to
know more.
(Hay McBer, 2000: para. 1.2.4)

If your time with the pupils is to be used effectively, you need to plan carefully for each lesson –
taking account of how pupils learn, the requirements of the curriculum, the most appropriate
methods of teaching the topic and the resources available as well as the evaluations of previous
lessons.
There are two levels of planning particularly appropriate to your work in the classroom – the
scheme of work and the lesson plan. Examples of lesson plans are available on the web –
for example, on the sites listed in the introduction to Chapter 1, p. 6.You will quickly gain
experience of planning as you plan lessons and schemes of work on your school experience.
However, planned activities do not have to be followed through rigidly and at all costs. Because
planning is integrally linked to evaluation and development, evaluation of plans for a specific
situation may point to the need to change or develop your plans.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

• explain what is meant by the terms,‘aims’,‘objectives’,‘progression’,‘differentiation’;
• construct schemes of work (also known as programmes or units of work);
• construct effective lesson plans.
Check the competences/standards for your course which relate to lesson planning and
schemes of work to make sure you understand what is required of you.

PLANNING WHAT TO TEACH

What should you teach and how should you teach it?

The factors influencing what should be taught (lesson content) are discussed in Unit 1.1, but how
much you teach in each lesson and how you teach it (teaching methods) are the teacher’s own
decisions.
66 BEGINNING TO TEACH

Lesson content

Recall the ‘sabre-toothed curriculum’ of the Stone Age and the ‘queen of studies’ from medieval
times (Unit 1.1). Similarly, the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes appropriate for a
young person entering the world of work in the twenty-first century are vastly different from those
that were considered appropriate even fifteen years ago. Ideas about what teachers should teach
change regularly and the curriculum is under constant scrutiny by those responsible for education.
As a student teacher, you are usually given clear guidelines about what to teach and the goals
for pupils’ learning within your subject. These goals are in part usually set out in government-
produced documents, e.g. the National Curriculum documents, school documents and syllabuses
prepared by examination boards. If you teach in England and Wales, you need to become familiar
with the National Curriculum requirements and the terminology (see Chapter 7). However,
before you plan individual lessons you need an overall picture of what learning is planned for the
pupils over a period of time.This overall plan is called a scheme of work and most departmental
schemes of work cover between half a term’s work and a couple of years’ work.

Teaching methods

However constraining the guidelines on content are, the decision about which teaching methods
to use is usually yours. As you become more experienced as a teacher, you acquire your own
personal approach to teaching. But as people learn in different ways and different teaching
methods are suitable for different types of material, you should become familiar with a range of
ways of structuring learning experiences in the classroom. For example, you might choose to use
discussion, rote learning, discovery learning, role play and so on to achieve particular objectives.
Chapter 5 gives you detailed advice on teaching styles and strategies appropriate to different
approaches to learning.

Task 2.2.1
HOW DO YOU LEARN?

Spend a few minutes making notes of the methods that you use to help you learn and the methods
of teaching used by teachers from whom you felt you had learned a lot. Then make notes about
those situations from which you did not learn. Compare these notes with those of other student
teachers. People learn in different ways and different areas of learning require different
approaches. You need to take account of such differences in planning your lessons, and to
demonstrate that you can use a range of teaching methods in order to take account of such
differences.

SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANS

There are two main stages to planning for pupil learning:

1 Preparing an outline of the work to be covered over a period – the scheme of work.
2 Planning each individual lesson – the lesson plan.
 UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 67

A number of formats for both schemes of work and lesson plans are in use.We suggest you read
the advice given for the teaching of your subject in the subject-specific texts in this ‘Learning to
Teach’ series. However, whilst the level of detail may vary between different approaches, the
purpose is the same – to provide an outline of the work to be done either over an extended period
(scheme of work) or in the lesson (lesson plan) so that the planned learning can take place.Try
different approaches to planning in order to find those most appropriate to your situation.The
best plans are ones which support you in your teaching so that your pupils learn what you intend
them to learn.The illustrations in this unit are intended to provide examples with which you can
work and later modify.

The scheme of work

This might also be called the ‘programme of work’ or the ‘unit of work’. Different terms may be
used in your school or in your subject but the purpose is the same – to devise a long-term plan for
the pupils’ learning. So a scheme of work sets out the long-term plans for learning and thus covers
an extended period of time – this could be a period of years, a term or half a term, or weeks, e.g.
for a module of work. A scheme of work should be designed to build on the learning that has
gone before, i.e. it should ensure continuity of pupil learning.
Schemes of work should be designed to ensure that the knowledge, skills, capabilities,
understanding and attitudes of the pupils are developed over a particular period in order to ensure
progression in learning. The term ‘progression’ means the planned development of knowledge,
skills, understanding or attitudes over time. In some departments, the schemes of work are very
detailed and include teaching materials and methods as well as safety issues.

Using a scheme of work

Usually, you are given a scheme of work. In putting this together, the following questions have
been considered:
1 What are you trying to achieve? (Aims for the scheme of work and objectives for particular
lessons – see the definitions in the numbered paragraphs below.)
2 What has been taught before?
3 How much time is available to do this work?
4 What resources are available?
5 How is the work to be assessed?
6 How does this work fit in with work pupils are doing in other subjects?
7 What is to be taught later?
The scheme itself may be quite brief (Figure 2.2.1 shows a pro forma used by student teachers on
one course) but it will be based on the above information. Each of these areas is now discussed in
turn.To start with, think about what learning should be taking place.
1 What are you trying to achieve? The aims of a scheme of work are general statements
about the learning that should take place over a period.
Objectives are specific statements which set out what pupils are expected to learn from a
particular lesson in a way that allows you to identify if learning has occurred. Objectives are
prepared for each lesson and further detail is included under lesson planning later in this unit.
68 BEGINNING TO TEACH

Scheme of work for x topic

Area of work Ref:

Class No. in class Age

Key stage

No. of lessons Duration Dates

Aims (from the National Curriculum programmes of study)

(Objectives are listed in each lesson plan)

Framework of lessons NC reference

Assessment strategies

Other notes (safety points)

Figure 2.2.1 Scheme of work pro forma

In devising each scheme of work a small aspect of the whole curriculum has been taken and a
route planned through this which provides the best opportunities for pupils to learn. Progression
in pupil learning should be considered and built into schemes of work.
2 What has been taught before? This information should be available from school
documentation and from staff. In the case of pupils in their first year of secondary education, there
 UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 69

is usually a member of staff responsible for liaising with primary schools who may have this
information.
3 How much time is available to do this work? The length of lessons and the number of
lessons devoted to a topic are decided by the department or school in which you are working.
Don’t forget that homework has a valuable role to play in enhancing learning and that not all the
lessons you expect to have are available for teaching. Some time is taken up by tests, revision, fire
drill, special events, lateness.
4 What resources are available? Resources include material resources as well as human
resources, and what is available depends on the school where you are working.You need to find
out the procedures for using resources in the school and what is available.You may find there are
resources outside the school to draw upon – parents, governors and charities. Many firms provide
schools with speakers on current topics. There may be field studies centres or sports facilities
nearby.You need to check if there are any safety issues to consider when choosing appropriate
resources.
5 How is the work to be assessed? Teaching, learning and assessment are interlinked. Most
of the work you are doing with pupils is teacher-assessed, although some is assessed by outside
agencies. A main purpose of teacher assessment is formative – to check pupils’ progress, e.g. in
relation to lesson objectives. In any case, you should keep good records of the pupils’ progress
(homework, classwork, test results) in your own record book as well as providing these in the form
required by the school or department. Chapter 6 focuses on assessment issues.

Task 2.2.2
RECORD KEEPING AND ASSESSMENT

Ask staff in your department how they expect pupil assessment records to be kept and what forms
of assessment you should use for the work you are doing.

6 How does this work fit in with work the pupils are doing in other subjects? There
are many areas of overlap where it is useful to discuss the pupils’ work with other departments. For
instance, if pupils are having difficulty with measurement in technology, it is worth checking if and
when the mathematics department teaches these skills and how they teach them. Cross-curricular
dimensions to the curriculum (see Units 7.2 and 7.3) will have been considered by the school and
responsibilities for different aspects shared out among departments. Ask staff in your department
what responsibilities the department has in this area.
7 What is to be taught later? Progression in pupil learning has to be planned for and a
scheme of work has to be drawn up for this purpose. From this scheme of work you know what
work is to come and the contribution to pupil learning that each lesson is to make.

Task 2.2.3
DRAWING UP A SCHEME OF WORK

In consultation with your tutor, draw up a scheme of work to last about six to eight lessons. Focus
on one particular class you are teaching. Use the format provided for your course (or the one we
provide in Figure 2.2.1) or one which fits in with the planning methods used in the department.
70 BEGINNING TO TEACH

The lesson plan

The lesson plan provides an outline of one lesson within a scheme of work. In planning a lesson,
you are working out the detail required to teach one aspect of the scheme of work.To plan the
lesson you use a framework and an example of a lesson planning framework, is given in Figure
2.2.2.

Date: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Area of work: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aim: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Objectives: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
...............................................................................

Time Teacher activity Pupil activity Notes/Equipment

needed

0–5 min Class enter and settle Coats and bags put away

5–10 min Homework discussed/

recap of work so far/task
set/new work explained

10–25 min Teacher supports Pupils work in individual

groups/individuals groups to carry out the task

. . . and so on

Ending Teacher summarises key

points/sets homework

Evaluation: Were objectives achieved? What went well? What needs to be addressed next time?
How are individuals responding?

Figure 2.2.2 Planning a lesson: one possible approach

The following information is required for you to plan effectively.

1 Overall aim(s) of the scheme of work and the specific objectives for this lesson.
Defining objectives which clarify exactly what learning you hope will take place is a crucial skill
for the effective teacher. It helps you to be clear about exactly what the pupils should be achieving
and it helps the pupils understand what they should be doing. However, drawing up effective
objectives requires thought.
At this stage in your career, if you ensure that your lesson objectives focus on what should be
achieved from the lesson in terms of pupils’ learning, then you have made a good start. Listing
objectives after the following phrase
By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to . . .
may help you to devise clear goals and to understand the difference between aims (general
statements) and objectives (specific goals).
 UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 71

Words that help you be precise are those such as state, describe, list, identify, prioritise,
solve, demonstrate an understanding of.These words force you to write statements which
can be tested. If you think your objectives are vague, ask yourself whether the objective makes it
clear what the pupils must do to achieve it.When you tell the pupils what your objectives are, do
they understand what is expected of them? Objectives may be related to knowledge, concepts,
skills, behaviours and attitudes.

Task 2.2.4
WRITING OBJECTIVES

There is different terminology in use – some people refer to behavioural objectives, some to
learning objectives. These are the same things and they refer to the observable outcomes of the
lesson, i.e. to what pupils are expected to be able to do. Discuss the writing of objectives with other
student teachers and your tutor. Choose a particular lesson and, as a group, devise appropriate
objectives which relate to changes in pupils’ learning or behaviour. Pay particular attention to the
quality and type of objectives you are setting – are they focused on the pupils’ learning?

2 Range of abilities of the pupils As you develop as a teacher, you are expected to
incorporate differentiation into your planning. This refers to the need to consider pupils’
individual abilities when work is planned, so that both the brightest pupils and those with lesser
ability are challenged and extended by the work. Differentiation can be achieved in different ways
depending on the material to be taught. Differentiation may, for example, be achieved by out-
come, i.e. different types or qualities of work may be produced, or by task, i.e. different tasks may
be set for pupils of differing abilities. (Unit 4.1 provides further information.) You provide
continuity of learning for the pupils by taking account of and building on their existing
knowledge, skills, capabilities and attitudes.
3 Time available On the examples of a lesson plan provided (see Figure 2.2.2), a time line is
drawn on the left-hand side. If you refer to this in the lesson, you are quickly able to see if it is
necessary to adapt the original plan to fit the time available.
4 Resources available Staff usually go out of their way to help students have the appropriate
resources. But don’t forget that others may be needing them, so ask in good time for the resources
you require. Check how resources are reserved in your department.
5 Approaches to classroom management These should be suitable to the topic and
subject (see Chapters 3 and 4).
6 Teaching strategies and the learning situationThese should be set up as appropriate to
the work being covered (see Chapter 5). Explaining and questioning are two key skills which you
should work to improve. It is a good idea to write out questions in advance which you may want
to use to test the pupils’ grasp of the topic and which develop thinking. Phrasing appropriate
questions is a key skill for a teacher (Unit 3.1 has further details).
7 Assessment methods Decide which ones to use in order to know whether your objectives
have been achieved (see Chapter 6).
8 Any risks associated with the work Safety is an important issue in schools. In some
subjects, the assessment of risk to the pupils and incorporation of strategies to minimise this risk
are a necessary part of the teacher’s planning. Departmental and national guidelines are provided
to ensure the safety of the pupils and should be followed. Student teachers should consult their
72 BEGINNING TO TEACH

head of department or tutor for guidance on safety issues. If you are in doubt about an activity and
you cannot discuss your worries with the class teacher or your tutor, do not carry out the activity.
9 What do the pupils know now? As your experience of the curriculum and of pupils’
learning develops, you will find it easier to answer this question.You need to consider what has been
taught before as well as the experience outside school which pupils might have had. It may be
appropriate to do some form of testing or analysis of knowledge, skills and understanding, or to
have a discussion with pupils to discover their prior experience and attitudes to the work in
question.As a student teacher you should seek advice from the staff who normally teach your classes.
Lessons have a structure and a rhythm to them.As you read this next section, think about the
overall pattern to a lesson and the skills you use at each stage.

Constructing a lesson

Initially, you might find it difficult to see exactly how teachers manage their classes. In order to
help you see the underlying structure of a lesson, we have divided the lesson and its planning into
five key stages:
• preparation;
• beginning;
• moving on;
• ending;
• evaluation.
Figure 2.2.3 illustrates this rhythm. Each stage is discussed below.

Preparation
The most successful lessons are thoroughly planned and structured beforehand, and you manage
a class more effectively if you carefully consider how to organise yourself and the pupils
beforehand.
1 Preparation

5 Evaluation 2 Beginning

4 Ending 3 Moving on

Figure 2.2.3 The structure of a lesson

Acknowledgement: Chris Kettle
 UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 73

Task 2.2.5
PLANNING AND GIVING LESSONS

As you read about the five stages of a lesson, make notes in your diary to remind you of key points
to pay attention to when you are planning and giving lessons. Unit 2.3 provides more details.

Make sure you have enough of the necessary materials, equipment and resources. Know the exact
number of the items you are using so that you know if something has been lost and can take steps
to find it immediately. Most departments have developed their own systems of stock control – e.g.
a useful technique for textbooks is to number them and, when you give them to pupils, record the
textbook number in your mark book.
Ensure that you know how to operate any equipment you plan to use (e.g. television monitors,
videos, computers or subject-specific equipment) and that it is in working order. If you are
carrying out a science experiment, you should do it yourself before the lesson.This enables you to
anticipate problems pupils might encounter.
Plan a variety of appropriate teaching and learning activities (see Chapter 5). Remember, the
concentration span of adults is about twenty minutes and that of most pupils is shorter. Plan extra,
related activities in case your chosen approach does not work or pupils complete tasks more
quickly than you anticipate.
Give advance warning to pupils of any books, materials, etc. that they need for the lesson. If you
have asked them to collect particular items or materials, don’t rely on them remembering – bring
enough yourself in order for the lesson to proceed, just in case, or have alternative plans.

Beginning
A good beginning is a crucial part of a successful lesson as it sets the tone, motivates pupils and
establishes your authority.There are a number of key points to be kept in mind when you think
about beginning your lessons.
Be in the classroom before the pupils arrive and ensure equipment is ready. Undoubtedly, the
school you are in has established rules about pupil movement around the school and entry to
classrooms. However, in the lower years in particular, it is common to line up pupils outside your
teaching room and to usher them inside in an orderly manner.
Settle the class as quickly as possible and ensure that all pupils are facing you – even when they
are seated in groups around tables – and are listening in silence before you begin the lesson. Do
not begin the lesson when any pupil is talking, but wait calmly, confidently and expectantly for
quiet.You will get it! Do not press on until you have established quiet. It is worth taking the time
to do so.
Class management is much easier when you know the pupils by name. So make a determined
effort to learn their names as quickly as possible. It does not happen by osmosis, so you have to
work at it. Seating plans are useful, as is the practice, in the early stages, of asking pupils to raise
their hands when you register them. Although it might appear time-consuming, giving out
exercise books to pupils individually quickly allows you to put a face to a name.
If you are unable to address pupils by name, address them by their class/form designation. For
example,‘Right 7G, I want everyone looking this way.’This is far better than ‘Right girls/boys/
ladies/lads, etc.’ Never resort to ‘Oi you, blondie!’ or some equally unprofessional outburst.
74 BEGINNING TO TEACH

Similarly, impersonations of deflating a balloon through continued ‘Sshh-sshh-ing’ do nothing to

enhance your authority.
Pupils like to know what is expected of them.They relax and have a far more positive approach
if you explain what you plan to do in the lesson, with a brief rationale of how it fits in with
previous and future work, and if you let them know what you want them to achieve in the lesson.
Establish a crisp, but not rushed, pace from the beginning. Never stand in one place in the
room for more than a matter of a few minutes. Some teachers suggest that, as a student teacher,
you don’t sit at the teacher’s desk during the lesson except in extremis. Use eye contact, vary the
pace and tone of your voice (see Unit 3.1) and monitor pupil reaction continually.

Moving on
Smooth, seamless transitions between one part of the lesson and the next are vital if there is to be
overall continuity and coherence. Having introduced the lesson, you need to explain the purpose
of the first (and thereafter any subsequent) pupil task. Be very clear about what you want the
pupils to do and tell them exactly how long they are to spend on the activity.They then have an
idea of the pace they need to work at and how much you expect them to ‘produce’, and what
quality of work you require.
Before they begin the activity, check that all pupils understand exactly what they are expected
to do. Deal with any queries before the class begins work.This saves endless repetition of the task
to individuals.
Have a definite routine for distributing books and materials.Will you give out equipment? Will
pupils come out to collect it row by row, table by table? Will one pupil per table/row collect it? In
any event, it is essential that this activity is carried out in a controlled and orderly manner in any
classroom. Moreover, if you are teaching a physical education or science subject, the safety aspect
of this area of class management is of vital importance.
When the pupils are engaged in the activity, move around the room monitoring pupil progress
and dealing with questions; but do not interfere unnecessarily. Let them get on with the task.
Effective class management depends upon your active involvement. Key skills are: circulation;
monitoring progress; the use of proximity to pupils; sensitivity to, and awareness of, pupil needs.
Even when the whole class is engaged in a task, it is rarely appropriate to sit at the teacher’s desk
and ‘switch off ’.
Give one or two minutes’ warning of the end of the activity. Be vigilant about keeping to the
time limit you imposed at the beginning of the activity. Do not let things ‘slide’. Be aware that not
every pupil will finish the task set. Use your judgement in assessing whether, while a few may not
have finished within your deadline, most are ready for the next stage. If, however, it becomes clear
that the whole class needs longer than you anticipated for an activity, be flexible enough to adjust
your planning.
At the end of the activity, settle the class and expect all pupils to be sitting quietly, facing you,
before you proceed to the next stage of the lesson. Be sure to maintain your businesslike manner
and the crisp pace you established earlier.

Ending
It is important that any learning experience is rounded off, so that pupils experience a sense of
completion. Similarly, pupils need some mental space between lessons.They need to ‘come down’
from one lesson in order to prepare themselves for the next. Remember, depending upon
 UNIT 2.2 SCHEMES OF WORK AND LESSON PLANNING 75

the timetable, pupils may need to negotiate the conceptual intricacies of between four and eight
subjects in a day.Your lesson, therefore, needs to be completed in an organised manner.
Plan enough time at the end of the lesson to: sum up what has been achieved; set homework
where appropriate; give a brief idea of what the next lesson will comprise and (if necessary)
explain what pupils need to bring to it.
As with the distribution of materials (see the section on ‘Beginning’), have a definite, orderly
routine for collection.
Before pupils leave, make sure the classroom is neat and tidy, and remember that the pips or
bell are signals for you, not the pupils. Dismiss the pupils by table or row and ensure that they
leave the room in a quiet, controlled fashion. Enforcing a quiet orderly departure also adds to the
pupils’ experience of the standards you expect, i.e. that your classroom provides an orderly and
calm learning environment.Take a well-earned ten-second breather before beginning the whole
process again with the next class!

Evaluation and planning future lessons

As soon as you can after the lesson, evaluate its success. What went well? What didn’t go well?
What evidence do you have which allows you to answer with some degree of certainty? (See
Unit 5.4.) What should you change next time on the basis of this evaluation and how does this fit
in with the scheme of work? If you develop the practice of reflecting on your work as a matter of
course, then modifying future practice on the basis of this reflection becomes second nature. In
this way, you use your experience systematically to build up your professional knowledge and to
develop your professional judgement.

SUMMARY AND KEY POINTS

You should now be able to explain the following terms: aims, objectives, progression,
differentiation. And you should have considered how to construct schemes of work and
lesson plans which are comprehensive and useful.
At this point, you may like to reflect on criteria used by the Office for Standards in
Education (OFSTED) inspectors for judging teaching quality. Although teaching methods
vary, the criteria to judge a teacher’s effectiveness which are used by OFSTED are standard.
Table 5.4.2 (see p. 280) lists these criteria.

FURTHER READING

Canter, L. and associates, Assertive Discipline Programme, available from www.behaviour-learning.com

Teachers speak highly of this programme which focuses on positive behaviour management
strategies. Behaviour Management Ltd, HMA House, 78 Durham Road, London SW20 0TL.
(Tel: (020) 8944 6161).
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (1996) A Guide to Teaching Practice (4th edn), London:
Routledge.
A useful, comprehensive book dealing with central issues of classroom practice. Readable and
aimed specifically at those with no teaching experience.
76 BEGINNING TO TEACH

Hay McBer (2000) Research into Teacher Effectiveness, London: DfEE.

This comprehensive report into effective teaching proposes a model of teacher effectiveness
comprising teaching skills and professional characteristics. The early sections are particularly useful
in relation to the preparation and planning of lessons.
Kyriacou, C. (1997) Essential Teaching Skills (2nd edn), Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes.
An excellent and readable overview of the key skills which underpin effective teaching.
Mager, R. (1997) Preparing Instructional Objectives – A Critical Tool in the Development of Effective
Instruction (3rd edn), London: Kogan Page.
Mager provides a transatlantic perspective on training. He has written many books around the
theme of goal setting and teaching techniques. Although this book is focused on skills-based
objectives, nevertheless the exercises in it will help you develop your skills in setting objectives.
Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum (1996) Teaching for Effective Learning, Dundee; see
the website: http://claudius.sccc.ac.uk
The SCCC have produced a very readable booklet on the principles of effective teaching and
learning. Discussion forums are available via the website.