Better Lesson Plans, Better Lessons

Ben Curran coaches school leaders for The Achievement Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to leveling the playing field in education. He previously worked as a teacher and instructional coach. Ben is also co-author of Engaged, Connected, Empowered: Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century (Routledge, 2014).

• eResourcesAbout the AuthorAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Planning with the Standards in MindChapter 1: The CCSS and Lesson PlanningChapter 2: The Role of AssessmentsPart II: Before the LessonChapter 3: Writing ObjectivesChapter 4: Writing AssessmentsPart III: During the LessonChapter 5: Direct InstructionChapter 6: Guided PracticeChapter 7: Independent PracticePart IV: After the LessonChapter 8: Assessing Student UnderstandingConclusionReferencesAppendix A: Lesson Plan TemplateAppendix B: A Note to School Leaders

"This is an excellent book for first year teachers as well as administrators who want their staff to return to a focus on effective planning. Planning is a continual process of presenting and reflecting on the lesson, and while it is easy to find examples and templates of lesson plans, it is much more difficult to find resources that walk teachers through the steps of how to get to a finished product. This book is very useful for anyone trying to revive the lesson planning process and successfully implement more rigorous standards."--Susan Gorman, Director of Student Improvement, Osawatomie Schools, Kansas "This is an excellent resource for brand new teachers including for use in a mentoring program. I also strongly recommend this book to teacher education programs as I feel it ties lots of topics together."--Kara Chism, Assistant Principal, Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Alabama