Part 3 · Topic 08 of 37
Lesson planning
Building individual lesson plans through skill brainstorming, learner assessment, tailored support, shared responsibility and confirming that learning has stuck.
Key facts
- Confirming learning means the learner can explain and apply the skill confidently, not just repeat it
Planning around the learner
Lesson planning is where the lesson structure cake from the previous topic becomes a plan for a real person. Learners begin at different stages depending on their prior experience, and your plan has to reflect that rather than follow a fixed script.
Skill brainstorming from A to Z
For each lesson subject, create a comprehensive list of every skill it contains. For a moving and stopping lesson, for example:
- Moving and stopping
- Understanding and using the car's controls (pedals, gear stick, steering wheel)
- How to move the car in a straight line
- How to stop the car safely
- Making proper observations
- Using signals correctly
Starting the lesson plan
Take a subject such as park on the right and begin with assessment. Key questions to answer:
- What are the learner's current abilities?
- What are the initial skill goals?
- What prior knowledge is relevant?
- Where are the knowledge gaps, and what unconscious biases are in play?
Providing support
Ask the learner how they like to be taught — the VARK preferences (Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic) are a useful prompt for that conversation. Then plan to use several support methods: demonstrations, videos, diagrams and hands-on practice. Do not narrow to one because a questionnaire pointed that way — there is no good evidence that matching a method to an assessed style improves learning, and plenty that varying your approach and checking what landed does.
Sharing responsibility
Transfer responsibility gradually. Identify the practice space, manage observations between you, and progressively reduce your support as the learner's competence grows.
Practice and progression
Pace the instruction to the learner's needs while incrementally reducing the support you provide.
Confirming learning
Verify learning through reflective questioning, discussion and demonstration. The goal is to ensure the learner can explain and apply the skill confidently.