Teacher lesson notes
Found in: Forms & Organization
Joy O., Alabama
I am a quite new teacher, with three students who have just finished Foundation 1 and a few others still working in F1. I’m trying to include Comp & Improv, Arrangements, and Accompaniment. How do I remember what to do in each lesson or class? Do you make a list? I’m using the Private Lesson Record and Shared Lesson Record, but it doesn’t have space for all I want to write. Please share what has worked for you.
Gordon Harvey, Australia
For shared lessons, I always keep a copy of the notes the students take. Some teachers keep an exact copy of the students’ Notes book, but I just write the notes on a sheet of paper that I keep in the folder with the Lesson Record. On the same page I write some brief notes about what to cover the following week (straight after the lesson if possible so I don’t forget anything). In the early days I used to write detailed lesson plans, but these days either I know the program well enough or I’m getting lazy 🙂
For private lessons, I usually do the same, but I do tend to wing it a bit more with them.
Leeanne I., Australia
I write a lesson plan on a piece of paper for each class. I type detailed notes in Word after each class. I use black for the students’ notes (that I write on the whiteboard) and red for anything extra that I want to add. When I plan the next week’s lesson, I can open the student’s document and see last week’s notes. This was going okay for me when I first started.
My studio numbers have doubled this year and I am struggling with managing this. I also created a document I called ‘Rough Teaching Order Guide’. I have a column for each stream and list everything I want to teach. I refer to this when planning my lessons, mainly so I don’t forget anything.
Megan F., Nebraska
I’m also a beginning teacher, so I’m sure this will all get easier as time goes on. For now I use Notes (linked between my iPad, phone, and computer) and make a bulleted list of things I plan to cover in each class. I have a different note set up for each group. Then after the class is over I take a photo of the notes I make on the dry erase board and insert it under the bulleted list I’ve made. It may be overkill, but it helps me stay organized and know exactly what I’ve covered each week. I also love that I can access it from my phone, iPad, and computer – makes things so much easier.
I also use a Shared Lesson Record and a checklist. There may come a day when those are all I need to rely on, but for now I like feeling more prepared/organized.