Always start with a plan!

December 2021
/
David Boone
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5 MIN

How to write a lesson plan for College Professors

While you have significant autonomy in how and what you teach in your college courses, creating lesson plans can be beneficial. Your plans ensure you are organized and intentional and that you have clear and measurable objectives. Your plans can also energize your students and help them stay on track. Here are a few tips for creating lesson plans for college professors.

#1 Identify Learning Outcomes

You have an idea of what you want to teach, now it’s time to create a strategy. Begin by determining what questions you want your students to be able to answer and/or what new skills they will gain each class, week, or module. Also, how their new knowledge and skills are of benefit.

These questions and skills will help you map out the topics you want to cover. This is also the time to innovate and refresh the lesson plans you’ve been teaching for years.

#2 Name Each Class

Now it’s time to name or rename individual lesson plans or course modules. The name entices students, highlights what they will learn, and gets them excited about what’s to come. The name can be short but make it unique.

Some lesson plans have limited naming options, such as the “The Fundamentals of Calculus”, but most course names can be a bit more creative. If needed, ask a fellow professor or creative student for assistance naming your lesson plans.

#3 Begin Creating

Now it’s time to begin creating your course content. This process is increasingly digital and should include a mix of written, visual, auditory, and hands-on learning. Many of the materials you used last semester or last year can be reused or refreshed.

For consistency and organization, balance utilizing the same tools to create and save your content—with exploring innovative new tools. For example, many professors utilize presentation software to create beautiful slides without needing graphic design skills.

To stay organized, we suggest storing your syllabus, lesson plan, and course content within BlendEd. This way everything is always in one place and can be accessed at any time without logging into multiple tools to find what you are searching for.

#4 Provide Prerequisites

Students want to be prepared for success, so ensure they know what is required to succeed. This includes:

#5 Share a Detailed Class Outline

Lesson plans aren’t only for college professors as students enjoy knowing what they will learn each class, week, or module. Students are busier than ever, with up to 70% working full or part-time. So, your lesson plans should include more than just a name, but a detailed class outline, including:

We hope these tips help you create and manage your lesson plans with ease, and we invite you to create a BlendEd course for free!