Learn how making a P.I.E. can help you prepare and deliver successful lessons!
The most important factor necessary for delivering successful classes is preparation. Experienced educators all know: The more you prepare beforehand, the better the class will be.
So what can you do to best prepare for your class and make sure it will be impactful and engaging? Here is a preparation method that will help you identify your learning goals and sort through your content to maximize effectiveness and relatability to your students.
Preparation tips: Make a P.I.E.
- Prepare for your lesson by compiling ideas and sources related to your topic. As you compile the ideas and sources, take note of the main points and key concepts in your collected materials. Don’t worry yet about how you will link or convey them during the class.Write down for yourself all of these main points - this will help you understand and identify what the the primary learning goals of your lesson need to be. The more you familiarize yourself with your identified main points and key concepts in advance, the more clearly you will be able to link them and convey them to accomplish your learning goals for the lesson.
- Introspect. After reading through and collecting materials, begin a personal assessment:How do I personally relate to the main ideas, or how can I integrate them into something I am passionate and knowledgeable about?Use Google to research your main lesson points for images/videos on those topics. Ask yourself: How can I convey that I truly enjoy this topic? How can I convey that I OWN this topic?
- Extrospect. Think about what will be going on for your students while you will be delivering the lesson:
- What will be going on my students’ environment today?
- How will the room be set up? Is the space conducive for learning?
- What will my students’ mood be like? Will they be coming into my lesson right after another activity or lecture?
- Who is my audience? What type of learners are my students and how do they learn best? Are they beginners or advanced? Is there a mix of aptitudes in the class? Will the way I have structured my class engage them?
After extrospecting, modify your lesson roadmap to best engage your students accordingly.
Now that you have familiarized yourself with all the materials, and worked to make it more meaningful for yourself and your students, you are more prepared to deliver an effective, relatable, and meaningful lesson. Now (finally) you can write down your learning goals!
Stay tuned for next time when we’ll discuss how to add “slices” and “toppings” to spice up your P.I.E.!
Curious? Let’s connect about this stuff!
Yoni Colman
colmany@ncsy.org