Unit 6 - Activity 1: Planning is a thinking skill

We were asked to identify 10 foundational questions to ask prior to writing an ESL lesson plan:

There were many great ideas so the challenge of this lesson was to narrow the list of considerations down to just 10. Here's my list:

10 questions to ask before planning any ESL lesson:

1. What age group, time, and number of students will I have?

2. Have I thoroughly assessed my learners needs and goals?

3. What practical (useful) learning objectives can I focus on for the students?

4. What prior learning do the students have on this topic? 

5. How can I connect the prior learning with the new material to be covered to sequence naturally?

6. What variety of activities can I use to target the different types of learners and to keep the learning interesting for the students?

7. What time estimates will be required for each activity?

8. How will I sequence and organize activities to grow and challenge the students?

9. How will I provide feedback during each stage of learning?

10. What assessment tools will I use to confirm learning as a teacher but also to show students they too have learned?