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tiy logo How to write your first Lesson...

Make it  
  personal 
Make it  
  special 
In       8
easy steps


1. What does the child need to know?
     
  Find out what the school curriculum requires the child to know by looking through their school book and reading the index carefully. This will tell you what topics the curriculum is aiming to cover. Pay close attention to topics that are repeated several times in the index.  
 
 


2. To what level?
     
  Studying the child's tests will tell you the level of understanding that the school wants to see from its students. Be sure to cover the basics before you attempt to teach the child anything 'extra' that is not required by the curriculum.  
 
 


3. Where to start?
     
  Write down the topics mentioned in the child's school book's index, highlighting those that are mentioned more than once. The topics that are repeated will obviously be fundamental to that school year.  
 
 


4. Illustrating with the right examples
     
  Illustrate the level of understanding needed by writing down an example of a typical question that they will be faced with. Typical questions will be found in the child's exam papers and in the homework assigned to them by their schoolteacher. These exercises will be closer to what the schoolteacher wants to see from her students. Once you have a feel for the type of knowledge required you can then look for different exercises in their schoolbooks.  
 
 


5. How are we doing so far?
     
  So far your lesson plan might be looking something like this:

Lesson 1:

topic: 'Recognising adjectives'

what the child needs to know: 'An adjective is a word used to describe a noun'

typical question: 'The young woman danced joyfully' 'Underline the adjective(s)'
 
 
 


6. Building it up
     
  Now that you've got an idea of what the child is expected to know, you can start being creative. Invent exercises that pinpoint their individual weaknesses and watch them turn into strengths. Make the lesson interesting by dreaming up games and activities that make the topic come to life.  
 
 


7. How to begin your first lesson
     
  Make friends. Introduce yourself and let the child present him or herself. Ask the child about their interests and hobbies. This will be useful to you when writing their lessons. Find out what they enjoy doing at school and what they don't like. This will tell you their scholastic strengths and weaknesses. If the student is nervous, it will help if you tell them what topics you plan to cover during the lesson. This will make them feel more involved and pro-active.  
 
 


8. Don't forget the spoonful of sugar
     
  The beauty of private tutoring is that you can tailor every lesson to the child's specific needs and to their specific interests. Try explaining a difficult subject in terms of something they find interesting. It will hold their attention. Reconcile what they know with what they don't know. If they are fascinated by Formula 1 racing, then explain a topic in terms of Formula 1 racing. You will make the lesson attractive and will then be able to sell it to the student.  
 
 

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