Mike Leaver

Standard Lesson Plan Format - My lessons have four specific parts:

1. Warm-up
2. Present
3. Focus on specifics
4. Usage in a wider context

Warm-Up - Use a warm-up to get the brain thinking in the right direction. The warm-up will include the target grammar / function for the lesson. Here are a few examples:

* Ask "small talk" questions about the weekend for a lesson on the simple past.
* Discuss a hypothetical situation for a lesson focusing on conditionals.
* Challenge students to describe pictures or videos when working towards building descriptive vocabulary.

Presentation - The presentation focus on the learning objectives of the lesson. This is the teacher-guided section of the lesson. We might:

* Explain grammar on the whiteboard / paper.
* Show a short video to introduce a topic of discussion.
* Present new vocabulary, making sure to provide lots of contexts.
* Present written work for a discussion of structure.

Controlled Practice - Controlled practice allows for close observation to gauge whether the learning objectives are understood. Controlled practice activities include :?

* Gap-fill exercises on tense conjugation.
* Complete-the-sentence exercises to encourage specifically-written formulas.
* Reading and listening comprehension activities.
* Language function practice on specific activities such as apologizing, negotiating, and thanking.

Free Practice - Free practice allows students to "take control" of their own language learning. These activities should encourage students to explore language with activities such as:

* Class debates
* Creating role-plays and acting them out for others
* Games focusing on communication skills
* Essay writing

During the free practice section, I take note of common mistakes and use feedback to help students to stop repeating the same mistakes.

My name is Michael and i'm a native and qualified English teacher with more than 5 years experience and hold a degree in English Language.