Teaching a course/lesson does require knowledge, authority, and the ability to anticipate and answer questions. Your students will want to learn new things and gain the skills needed to continue learning in whatever subject you teach. You may teach in a small class, a large class, or over the internet. Whatever your situation may be, make sure you are prepared: set learning objectives, develop a syllabus, and create a lesson plan.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Developing the Syllabus
Step 1. Define your goals for teaching this class
With clear goals, you will also know what you need to teach. Also, it will be easier for your students to know what they need to learn. These goals can be used to measure whether your class has reached the standard you want. When setting goals, consider the following:
- Who are your students?
- What are their curriculum needs or your department's?
- What do you want your students to have after completing the course/lesson?
Step 2. Include this learning objective statement in your syllabus
Write the learning objectives for your class (in verb sentences) at the beginning of the syllabus. It doesn't take too much; write down a few that you have thought through. Of course you don't have to just teach what is written in the goal statement; use these learning objectives as your guide to advancing the class. The following are some examples of learning objectives that have been used in real classes:
- Demonstrate the ability to read, evaluate, and interpret general economic information.
- Apply research methods in psychology, including design, data analysis, and interpretation of research projects.
- Communicate effectively in oral presentations.
- Formulate a neat and evidence-based argument.
- Determine the main figures and ideas in peace movements around the world.
Step 3. Think about how you can test whether your students are learning
Once you have developed learning goals, you want your students to achieve these goals. The easiest way is to see the progress of students in completing assignments. However, there is also another method that you can use. In your syllabus, write a detailed description of the various assessment methods you will use. Several ways to assess class progress are through:
- Quizzes and exams
- Practice (fill in the blanks, calculate formulas, etc.)
- Presentation
- Writing assignments (essays, papers, etc.)
- Portfolio containing a collection of completed works
- Reflective exercises (ask students to describe what they have learned)
Step 4. Develop a grading guide (rubric) for the assigned tasks
You can use rubrics to assess students in working on an assignment. You can use rubrics by comparing the results of a student's work with certain levels that you have previously determined. Most rubrics use a numeric or letter grade scale, such as A/B/C, and so on. A rubric has four components:
- Task description. This is a clear set of instructions for what you want students to do, such as writing an analytical essay or working on a science experiment.
- A range of skills, abilities, or behaviors that you will notice and rate. For example, you might try to measure the clarity of an essay, or the use of the scientific method in an experiment. Usually, these parameters are placed on the left side of a grading rubric.
- Ability level. With this level, you measure the ability of a student in the various parameters you have defined above. You can use labels (such as Very Good/Good/Enough) or grades (A, B, C, etc.). Usually, you can post this assessment at the top of the score sheet horizontally.
- Big picture of every parameter in every ability level. Explain what you expect from each parameter in each ability level. For example: "This student's writing contains fewer than 5 grammatical errors" for the "A" level of ability in the "grammar use" field.
- You can look for rubric samples on the internet or ask for examples from other teachers/lecturers.
Step 5. Consider the course/lesson policy
In addition to providing the content of the coursework and assignments, you will also need to state what you expect and the requirements to be considered a graduate of your course/course. For example:
- Do students need to buy books or other study materials? Is this book mandatory? How do you ensure that the price of learning materials is affordable for students? Do students need to buy all the learning materials at one time or can it be paid in installments throughout the semester?
- What is your value policy? Your institution, department or supervisor may require certain grades. If not, you need to determine how different class components contribute to a student's final grade.
- Did you receive an assignment that was submitted late or incomplete? Do you allow students to resubmit work they didn't do well?
- How important is attendance in your class? If required, how do you track and evaluate attendance? If not mandatory, how do you ensure that students are able to achieve learning objectives?
- Are electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc., allowed in the classroom? Not possible at all? Or only at certain times?
- How do you accommodate students with special needs? Many institutions set up special directorates/offices to address this issue. If you are unsure whether your institution has a directorate/office for students with special needs, check with your supervisor. This directorate or office may even ask you to include an accommodation statement on your syllabus. Check with the department first.
Step 6. Draft a meeting schedule
Find out how many weeks and how many classes are in your subject/course, then make a calendar. Decide what topics, readings, concepts, or activities will be covered at each meeting. In addition, also schedule exams, when assignments need to be submitted, as well as other important dates. You can change this schedule as needed, but always think about how your schedule can help students achieve their learning goals.
- For example, you might plan to cover more complex topics and assignments at the end of the semester.
- You can also plan early semester activities that can help you assess how far your students have learned about the subjects that will be covered in the subject/lecture and identify areas that need special attention.
- Provide assignments and activities in the pacemaker that students can handle. For example, avoid giving a big assignment right before or after a big exam.
- Be careful with the dates of public holidays or other holidays when your institution is closed. It can be really annoying if you have designed a good syllabus, but it turns out to be off when you have a big exam.
Step 7. Write a version of your syllabus
The components in a syllabus and the order in which these components appear vary from institution to institution. However, usually a syllabus contains:
- Basic information (name of course/lesson, number of course/lesson, meeting hours, office hours, contact information)
- Class description
- Learning objectives
- Learning materials (books or other materials needed; if necessary, make a list of materials that can be used in class)
- Requirements (exams, writing assignments, presentations, class participation, etc.)
- Assessment/evaluation policy
- Classroom management policies (attendance, use of technology, etc.)
- Accommodation statement
- Statement of the code of ethics (eg write a statement to avoid plagiarism)
- Schedule class meetings, exams, assignments, and other important dates.
Part 2 of 3: Creating a Lesson Plan
Step 1. Define your learning goals for each class session
After creating general learning goals for your course/lesson that you wrote down in the syllabus, also set specific goals for each class session. If your syllabus and class schedule are well-written, this shouldn't be too difficult. Think about it:
- What's today's topic? (required readings, concepts, methods, etc.)
- What do you want students to learn today?
- What do you want students to know/understand at the end of class?
Step 2. Think about scheduling class time
Your lesson plan should contain a number of activities that fit into the time allotted for your class. Don't do too much, and don't do too little either.
- There are teachers who like to create a timeline for each class. For example: "10 minutes for A, then 20 minutes for B, etc."
- Give priority to certain learning activities or goals. Put the most important at the beginning of class. If there are things that are optional or you can put aside if you have to, put them at the end of class.
Step 3. Create a system of introduction, discussion, and conclusion
You can help students understand the information given in a class if you outline the information first, then summarize it at the end.
- At the start of class, give a brief introduction to what you will cover (activities, key points, concepts, etc.)
- After discussing the content of the lesson in the middle of class, close the class by summarizing what has been discussed. This makes it easier for students to retain information. You can also ask students to think about what they have learned in the form of discussion or writing.
Step 4. If necessary or needed, write down the lesson plans that you have made
You don't have to write this lesson plan if you don't want to. It's written, it doesn't have to be too long. Whether written or memorized, make sure that your lesson plan is effective in achieving its goals, both for you and for the students.
Step 5. Anticipate changes to the lesson plan
Your lesson plan doesn't have to be fixed. For example, if you see that a certain activity is not effective, you can change it to something else. Also, if you feel that students need or request more time for a particular topic or activity, allow more time, as long as your learning objectives are met.
Part 3 of 3: Organizing Your Class
Step 1. Talk to other teachers about your class
You can learn a lot from other teachers through discussion. You can also ask for input on the syllabus from other teachers who teach classes on the same or similar topics. Throughout the semester, you can ask them for input.
Step 2. Get to know your students
You don't have to be good friends with the students. However, your teaching will be more effective if you identify their background, interests, and future plans. If you know your students well, you can create an inclusive classroom environment. Students will also feel more comfortable studying in a subject/lecture if they feel that the teacher wants to understand and care about them.
- You can ask students to fill out a special survey at the start of class. This survey contains: their background, reasons for taking the class, classes with similar topics taken, interests, etc. You can also meet with students individually during office hours.
- Model diversity and inclusiveness for students. Consider multiple points of view when discussing a topic. For example, if you teach the course "Contemporary Indonesian Literature", make sure your class contains many perspectives, including perspectives from eastern Indonesian writers, Balinese literature, Batak literature, and other perspectives. You can also achieve this by broadening the range of readings required.
- Don't think that students will contact you if they have a problem or question about a class. They may also be busy with other classes or their work. They may also not be sure how to approach you. Chase the ball; ask students frequently what are their concerns and needs.
- Set high standards for all your students. If you expect your students to be successful and will succeed, they are likely to be successful. Identify students who need additional help and give them that extra help. Don't assume that students from a particular background won't be successful just because of that background.
- Don't assume that all members of a group will have the same opinion. Respect each student as an individual.
- Establish reasonable policies for students who will be absent for religious or cultural reasons.
- Don't assume that students who don't participate much don't care about your class. There are students who are shy or don't know how to participate. Identify these students and help them develop ways to participate better.
Step 3. Stay connected with your students
Make sure students can contact you throughout the semester, including outside of class. One way is through electronic mail. You can also set office hours, at which time you will be in the office and students can visit to ask questions about class content or assignments.
If you teach online, you can set office hours (if you have a physical office that students can easily visit), or virtual office hours via video conferencing, email, forums, etc. Teachers who teach traditional classes can also use virtual office hours if necessary
Tips
- On the internet there are many examples of syllabus, especially on institutional websites.
- Many institutions have sections that help lecturers teach and learn. If your institution has a section like this, call for help setting up and organizing classes.
