A term plan feels heavy. Many teachers open the book and start at page one. Then the term ends in the middle, and nobody feels finished. A better plan starts at the end.
Decide what they can do
Write three things students can do at the end of the term.
By December: order food, ask for help, talk about last weekend.
Count your weeks
Look at the real calendar. Remove holidays, tests and school events. The number is smaller than you think.
Twelve teaching weeks, not fifteen.
Give each week one aim
One aim per week. Not five.
Week 3: "Can I have...?"
Build in review
Every fourth week is a review week. No new material. Only use what you learned.
Leave space
Do not fill every minute. Leave one empty lesson each month for the unexpected.
An empty lesson is not a wasted lesson.
Share the plan
Show students the plan. They work better when they can see the road.
Words to remember
- term — a period of the school year
- aim — the one thing you want to do
- review — to look at something again
- plan — the steps to reach a goal
Questions & answers
Q: What if I fall behind?
Cut an activity, not the review. Review is what makes learning stay.
Q: Should I follow the book exactly?
The book is a tool. Use the parts that serve your aim.
Q: How many aims per lesson?
One. Two at most for strong classes.
Q: How do I plan for mixed levels?
Same aim, different support. Strong students help, weaker students use a model sentence.
Q: What if the school changes the dates?
Keep the aims and move the weeks. The plan bends; it does not break.