Planning to Teach: Preparing the

Essential RecordsNasir M. Baba

Dept. of Curriculum & Instruction, Federal College of Education (Tech), Gusau

(a paper presented at a training workshop for teachers of GGDSS S/Kudu Gusau on

Saturday 27th Oct. 2007 at GGDSS S/Kudu)

Introduction… We teach because we want to bring about

LEARNING. Learning is not mere acquisition of

knowledge, facts or ideas and their reproduction via a written test.

Learning is promoting understanding; the type that will enable learners to explore, manipulate & add onto what has been given to them.

…teaching Teaching is not therefore reading out, dictating,

copying out old notes to pupils. It is not simply standing before a group of

students and shouting down instructions, swearing, boasting and beating here and there.

Teaching is presenting, mediating, facilitating and guiding an interaction process in which learners confront the learning material so that they may examine, dissect, question and build on it.

Planning To bring about the type of learning we described, teachers

must plan. Teaching and learning consists of a sequence of events, all of which require teachers to make the appropriate decisions.

For instance, we teach because there are some learning we want to bring in the students. To bring about such learning, we must decide on the content, the learning experiences, the activities etc. we would expose learners to. We then have to judge whether the learners have acquired the kind of competencies we expect from the lessons. All of these stages require teachers to make the appropriate decisions.

Stages of Instructional Planning

1. Curriculum

2. Syllabus

3. Scheme of Work

4. Lesson Plan

…curriculum This is the sum total of all experiences

planned and offered to the learner by the school. It is:

What we teach (content) How we teach (method) With what we teach (materials) How we assess (assessment)

…syllabus Curriculum experiences and content are

sometimes broken into subjects – each with its subject matter and organisational patterns.

The content selected for each subject (usually presented in chunks called topics or units) to be taught in a given period is called Syllabus.

Scheme of Work Content (topics) contained in the syllabus have to

be further broken down into smaller topics that are suitable for the type of learners we have and that can be taught within the limited duration of a lesson.

Schemes of work are prepared with a particular set of learners in mind. It is the opportunities teachers have to bend the curriculum to the unique characteristics of their students.

Lesson Plan A lesson plan is the teacher’s attempt to

translate schemes of work into classroom realities. It is planned for every lesson.

Therefore, while a scheme of work describes what the teacher will do in a term; a lesson plan describes what the teacher will do in a lesson.

Teachers Instructional Records For the purpose of instruction, a teacher needs: Syllabus Scheme of Work and Lesson Plan However, once a Scheme of Work is drawn, a

teacher may not need syllabus again. The Scheme of Work becomes the working document which is implemented through the lesson plan

Teacher’s Diary The sequence is such that a teacher consults

his/her scheme of Work to see the expected work for a week; prepares lesson plan to the number of periods per week; and finally records each week’s work in Record of Work.

Therefore, scheme of work describes the work expected to be done each week for the whole term. Record of Work describes work done each week for the whole term. The two taken together give us DIARY OF WORK.

Diary of Work

DIARY OF WORK

SCHEME OF WORK RECORD OF WORK

Describes work to be done per class per subject per period for a term

Describes work done per class per subject per week for a term

Scheme of Work It is defined as the breaking down

(interpretation) of the syllabus. If you ask me, I will tell you that the Scheme is the most important academic record.

Its most important function is that it allows teachers to adjust the syllabus content to the needs, abilities, interests and circumstances of their pupils.

Components of Scheme of Work Typically a Scheme of Work contains the

following components: Week = the school calendar is normally

broken into weeks. A scheme covers all the weeks in a term. However, in preparing a scheme, it is important teachers make allowances for the unforeseen by reserving some weeks free i.e. do not load all the weeks with academic activities.

Theme A theme (a.k.a UNIT) is a chunk of content that

can further be broken into sub-topics. It may not be covered in a lesson.

Syllabus topics are normally given in chunks or units. For instance, the Economics syllabus may only say “Money”, “Production”, “Market”, etc.

It is the responsibility of the teacher to break these themes/units into sub-topics appropriate to the type of students he/she has.

Topic This describes the sub-topics into which the

theme/unit has been broken. Each topic is normally taught in a lesson. It

is therefore expected that when you break your theme into say 5 sub-topics, it will require 5 lessons to cover those sub-topics.

Objectives Objectives describe the expected outcome of a lesson.

Having identified topics, the teacher would now describe what he/she expects students to learn from those topics.

Objectives may be BEHAVIOURAL i.e. when they are specific about the behaviour expected from the students as a result of a lesson or NON-BEHAVIOURAL (EXPRESSIVE) i.e. when they are not specific about a particular behaviour. Instead they allow enough latitude for the learners to exhibit different kinds of behaviours or learning.

It is recommended that the scheme of work contains the latter i.e. non-behavioural. This is because this objective will further be specified (into behavioural) when writing lesson plan.

Content This is what is to be taught or learnt. It may

be KNOWLEDGE (facts, ideas, principles, formulas, etc.) ATTITUDE (behaviours, ethics, aesthetics, conduct, feelings, etc.) or SKILLS (practical or performance skills, thinking skills, creativity, life skills, etc.).

Content does not only mean what is in the textbook. It may come from the teacher, the pupils, the environment, the internet, etc.

Materials & Activities Materials (or resources) refer to anything

(material or non-material) that could be used to assist learning and teaching. When content is made relevant to the students’ environment, it is easier to find resources in the locality that could aid learning.

One of the crimes we commit as teachers is to refuse to make use of relevant materials in our teaching.

…Activities What will learners engage in as they

interact with the learning material or content?

Traditionally the only thing our students do is LISTEN and sometimes write. But activities learners could be engaged in are numerous, they include:

…activities Observe Read Listen Do (Perform/demonstrate) Write Speak Draw Make (Construct)

A Specimen SchemeWeeks Theme Topic Objectives Content Materia

ls/Activities

1. Free Free Free Free Free

2. Money 1. Meaning & Types of Money

Students should understand the concept and types of money

-define money

-types: -Paper money-Coins

-different denominations of money, bank drafts, cheques, etc.

-students give further examples of other legal tender

…specimen schemeWeeks Theme Topic Objectives Content Materia

ls/Activities

3. Money Functions of Money

Students should identify and explain functions of money

Functions of Money-Store of value-Medium of exchange

-Bank acts. Share certs.& cheque books- students to examine roles of money in modern & ancient economies

Record of Work This is particularly useful in giving account of the

teachers’ work per week i.e. for administrative purpose.

But more importantly, record of work gives an idea of the areas covered by students in each subject, and actions needed to be taken for improvement.

However, a record of work is only useful when mechanisms are put in place for effective supervision of teachers.

…record of work By supervision, I don’t mean the periodic one

received from ministries. I mean internal supervision of teachers by senior

teachers, subject heads, vice principals and principals i.e. school based supervision.

For these categories of personnel to perform this function, they need to update their knowledge through training and other self-improvement programmes.

Conclusion Teaching is deliberate and planned, it is not

casual or ad hoc. This planning is facilitated by the

preparation, keeping and use of academic records such that we discussed above.

For Further Reading Baba, N. M. (2006). Contemporary Approaches to Teaching and

Managing Primary Classes. A Paper Presented at a Workshop for Teachers of Prince International Schools Held on 21st August.

Cohen, L. & Manion, L. (1978). A Guide to teaching practice. Akure: Olaiya Fagbaigbe

Limited UNESCO (2004). Changing teaching practices: using curriculum

differentiation to respond to students’ diversity. Paris: Author. Retrieved on May 1st 2006 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001365/136583e.pdf

Shallah, B. M & Baba, N. M. (2007). Concepts and methods in early childhood education. Gusau: Ol-Faith Prints.

…thanks THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME and again for LISTENING