Sunday, August 4, 2024

Adapting and Modifying the Lesson to the Students

 Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

It is important to prepare a good lesson with a successful writing activity since a well-planned lesson can benefit students in achieving learning goals and memory retention. Additionally, it guarantees that students are actively involved in their education and are capable of using what they have learned in practical settings. Nonetheless, for a variety of reasons, we frequently observe students who are uninterested in the subject. In this situation, customizing a lesson to fit their learning requirements and including an engaging writing exercise for disinterested students is essential since it can boost their engagement, motivation, and achievement. 

Situation Analysis

After spending hours designing the "perfect" writing activity for my students, if my excitement to introduce the activity to them proves ineffective due to their lack of interest in the subject, which they find extremely challenging, I believe that I should keep the activity that I have already designed because I invested a lot of time into it and it is pertinent to the lesson topic. I am aware that spending time and energy developing a lesson that doesn't seem to connect with students can be demoralizing for a teacher. However, I should keep in mind that elements like students' prior knowledge, interests, and learning preferences are also important in determining student involvement in the classroom (Thorson, 2019). I must therefore modify the lecture to fit the needs of the students in the given context. I think that adapting a lesson to a present situation calls for creativity and flexibility and that I must take the context and the needs of the students into account. A purposeful, interesting, and current learning experience should be planned and developed for my students. 

How would I adapt the lesson for the students in the current scenario?

I must first determine the causes of my students' lack of interest in the subject and their difficulties with the task before I can modify the lesson to the current situation. I should consider whether the subject is too complex or abstract for their level of comprehension. Are the instructions ambiguous or complicated? Is the activity not engaging enough for them to participate in? I should decide whether to change my lesson plan to better suit the needs and learning preferences of the students depending on their learning style once I find the pertinent issues by analyzing myself. I should keep in mind that when I modify my lesson, I need to make the writing work simpler by breaking it down into smaller sections and giving them interesting topics (Performing in Education, n.d.). I should also include visual aids in it to reduce the level of difficulty (Parlin, 2009). To make the students feel comfortable finishing the job, I need to either increase student interaction or offer more scaffolding and help. For instance, if I notice that any of my students are having trouble with the writing assignment, I should give them a graphic organizer or writing template to use as a guide. By using real-world examples or adapting the activity to their interests, I can occasionally also make the subject interesting for them and make it more relevant and meaningful to them (Parlin, 2009). I can also give them a choice by letting them select the subject, the style, or the duration of the writing (Ullman, 2011) and by asking them to start writing in a subject they are already passionate about so that I can draw on their knowledge (Spencer, 2018). 

How would I modify the lesson for next year’s students?

Reviewing the student input, considering what worked and what didn't, and making changes as necessary to my lesson plan will help me improve the lesson for the students of next year. When determining areas of the class that require modification and refining, student feedback can be helpful (Ullman, 2011). I need to modify the lesson's content by adding or removing elements as necessary to make it more interesting and relevant for my pupils based on comments and my assessment of the lesson. To make the process more achievable, I also need to make the instructions simpler by dividing them up into smaller parts. To acquire fresh perspectives and suggestions for improving my lesson for the following year, I can also seek suggestions from colleagues. By doing this, I can substantially enhance the learning results for my students the next year and adapt my class to better fit their requirements. 

In conclusion, I should be flexible as I modify the lesson for the children the next year and adapt it to the current situation. No lesson plan is ever truly "perfect," thus I should always be adaptable and receptive to criticism (Parlin, 2009). To better serve my students' needs and interests, I should also keep making improvements to my class ideas. I ought to make an effort to make my lessons more interesting and provide my student's worthwhile writing assignments.

 

References

 

 

Parlin, R.L. (2009). Classroom teacher’s survival guide: Practical strategies, management techniques, and reproducible for new and experienced teachers. Retrieved from eBook Central (accessed through LIRN).

 

Performing in Education. (n.d.). 5 Ways to Help Reluctant Writers. https://performingineducation.com/help-reluctant-writers/

 

Spencer, J. (2018). 10 Teacher-Tested Strategies to Engage Reluctant Writers. https://spencerauthor.com/reluctant-writers/

 

Thorson, A. (2019, Oct 7). How to Write Effective & Engaging Lesson Plans. Teaching Jobs and Career Support Resources. Learning Pods. https://blog.getselected.com/2019/10/07/how-to-write-effective-and-engaging-lesson-plans/

 

Ullman, E. (2011). How to plan effective lessons. ASCD Education Update, 53 (10). http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/oct11/vol53/num10/How-To-Plan-Effective-Lessons.aspx

 

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