Observation task 4: Planning and preparation

for learning
Focus: The importance of planning and preparation
Objective
The objective of this task is for student teachers to begin to
understand the relevance of planning and preparation as well as gain
insight into how teachers do this.

Before the observation

Discuss the task with the teacher and arrange a good time to observe
her teaching. (this could be for as little as 15 min)
During the observation, record and make notes on what the teacher
and the learners are doing.
Example

Teacher activity

Learner activity

The teacher asked the kids

to sit in groups and listen
to the activity instructions.
Moreover, she said it in a
simple way also the
materials were prepared.

The learners sit in groups,

and they start listening to
the instructions. Then, they
start doing the activity.

The teacher stands in the

middle, and she gives them
the materials and shows
them how to do the
activity.

The learners watched how

did the teacher do the
activity, and they start
following her steps. The
teacher sits with them to
help who cannot do it.

Time
spent
5 mins

5 mins

Note: This is only an example, the aim of this is to observe what is happening in the
learning environment you are in.

Find out how the teacher planned and prepared

for the section you observed.

After the observation general questions

related to planning and preparation for
learning.
Arrange a time to discuss the following points with the
teacher. It is important that you ask these questions as they
will help you with your reflection later.
How do you plan? Do you plan weekly, daily, as part of a team or individually? We
select a specific day to do a weekly program with the principle and the rest of the
teachers.
Do you do anything you have not planned to do? Yes, sometimes when we have
problems with the activity that we planned for, we do another activity which is
called Backup activities.
What is important to you when planning a lesson? Planning a lesson is important to
know what I should do. So, that will help me not to be confused and to have a
perfect preparing.
Do you plan to do the same thing with all the children in the classroom? (Why/Why not? No,
sometimes I should do another activity for the special needs kids because, of Differing
capacities.

Arrange to attend a planning session with the

teacher/team.
Reflection

Why is planning and preparation for learning important?

What do you have to think about before you begin to plan for
learning?
What stages did the teacher go through in order to be prepared
for teaching?