What Does a Great Lesson Look Like to Your Students?

What may seem like a powerful lesson to a teacher may seem like a boring, confusing lesson to a student. In order to have a delivery that excites and speaks to your students, you have to be willing to change a few things. The following are the keys to delivering effective and memorable lessons in your classroom. They can be used to teach students in any grade, from pre-school all the way up to college.

• Explain and state the objectives.  Each lesson that you teach will have a focus, which is centered on what you want the students to learn by the end of your lesson. It’s very important to share this goal with your students in terms that they understand, so everyone knows where the lesson is headed. It’s also important to refer to the objective a few times throughout the lesson so the students stay focused on what the goal is. 

• Set the rules.  Prior to every lesson, the teacher should remind students how they should behave as they participate in the class. If students are interacting with laptops or other technology, they should be reminded about the proper ways of handling the equipment and the consequences if the rules aren’t followed. Reviewing these expectations with students is an important way to keep everyone on track. 

• Engage your students.  Don’t let your students daydream -- keep them interested in your lesson delivery. To get your students involved in your lessons, create interactive presentations, share appealing web content, and other resources that will grab and keep your students’ attention. When your students are engaged, they will be able to take your lessons to levels you didn’t even know were possible. 

• Give positive reinforcement.  To keep your students going down the path you want, it’s important to give them feedback on how they’re doing. Be obvious and specific with your praise, so that students are aware that you’re noticing their involvement. Further, giving positive feedback is a great way of informing students that they’re meeting (or surpassing) your expectations. 

• Use questioning to further push students.  To fully develop your students’ reasoning abilities and comprehension, pose questions to them about the subject matter. Ask them "why," "how," and "if" questions that test their understanding and absorption of the material. It is through this questioning that you will be able to determine if the lesson’s objectives were met.

By incorporating these elements into your lessons, you will be creating effective methods for your students.