A lesson in planning for success

By Heather Davis, MS, NREMT-P
Gardena, Calif

EMS educators already hold the answer to the question I am asked all the time: how do I improve my students’ test scores? The answer, of course, lies in the lesson plan. But, not the lesson plan of yesteryear. The lesson plan of 2010 is a living, breathing document that shapes and colors the education delivered in the classroom to ensure both teacher and student are successful.

Back in the day, when you first started teaching or took your first EMS instructor course, lesson planning was a dreaded activity; boring, time consuming and seen as something you have “on file” but didn’t really use. These days, however, the lesson plan is used to attract the students’ attention, establish a need to know, ensure you spend your time on the “right” material in class, and that you use enough different types of delivery styles to meet the needs of every learner in class. The lesson plan of today ensures your success.

Lesson planning is time consuming, so I encourage educators to eat the elephant one bite at a time, meaning, start with just one lesson you’ve been meaning to improve, or one that you have given so often you can do by heart.

If you are giving a lesson by rote, then you probably haven’t looked recently to make sure it’s current, timely, has the most accurate medical information, or the most meaningful activities.

Perhaps you’ve only been lecturing this lesson and there are no activities. In that case, no wonder students don’t remember and can’t pass the exams. The craftsmanship of your lesson plan is directly related to the success of your students.

Or maybe the most common method of lesson planning is the Madeline Hunter method which often includes seven steps. The Hunter method was so popular in K-12 education that in the 1980s this method was actually required.

Experienced instructors had to attend in-services on the method in order to learn it and new teachers were graded according to how well they followed the Hunter method.

Today, however, the steps are more flexible and while each should be considered, the actual requirements are determined by you, the educator. Some of the steps and their power to help us craft incredible lessons are described below:

1. Preparatory material is similar to a needs assessment. It has you consider with what your students are coming to class, and therefore at what level you will be teaching. For example, if you are teaching an EMT course, you can expect (and must insist) that the students have read the assigned reading. However, if you are teaching a community CPR class, there may not have been a textbook, or the students may not have received it prior to class, so you will have to cover that material in class.

Speaking of reading, it is essential that you do not read the textbook to students. Your time in class must be spent on what the students cannot get from the book. They need you for guided practice, discussion, demonstration, application and problem solving. If you spend all your time in class going over slides on material they should have already read, then you’ll never have time for the stuff they really need you for. Not to mention, it is well established in the educational psychology literature that lecture is often the least effective and least memorable delivery method.

Some believe that half of what you tell them in class today they will have forgotten by tomorrow. Yet, we know that depth of processing created by discussion, collaboration, and problem solving activities improves retention. So, in fact, you don’t have time to lecture. You must spend your class time on the higher-level learning activities.

2. Anticipatory set: The anticipatory set is the attention grabber which establishes a need to know for the student. It answers the question “why should I care?” This could be a compelling dispatch tape, video, or mock call experienced right at the beginning of class that brings the students’ attention away from the rest of their day and immediately to the topic and task at hand, establishing why they should care or how they will use tonight’s lesson.

3. Description of the lesson: Think about the times you have given (or seen someone else give) this lesson. The description of the lesson gives the teacher a feel for the main purpose of the lesson, the style in which it will be delivered, and the length and level.

A description might read something like, “This is a two-hour student-centered continuing education lesson on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) appropriate for both ALS and BLS audiences. The lesson is centered around case studies which students will work on together, followed by guided discussion facilitated by the instructor. Seventy-five minutes are allocated for case development, 30 for skills instruction, and 15 for taking a ten-question post-test.

4. Indirect teaching methods: Indirect teaching methods include instructional techniques that are student-centered and do not rely on you lecturing or using PowerPoint. It is well established that student-centered methods achieve higher-level learning such as application, problem-solving and synthesis of information that will be remembered longer, and serves more use to students (and patients) in the unpredictable EMS environment. Indirect teaching methods include reading and writing assignments, discussion questions, and case studies.

5. Guided practice: Ensure you have left time for guided practice. Guided practice is an in-class activity that allows the students the chance to practice or apply the material under supervision so they may get feedback from you.

The most obvious example of guided practice is a skills lab. However, guided practice could also be a work-sheet completed in class. Since guided practice can be collaborative, it could also be a case worked on by the group, scenario practice, or a concept map.

6. Independent practice: Independent practice is either an in-class, independent activity, or a homework assignment where students apply the information taught today without the aid of an instructor or other students. Independent practice could include an online quiz, a podcast to listen and respond to, or an article to read and write about. Just be sure that the independent practice is meaningful, and not busy work!

7. Checks for understanding: Checks for understanding are reference points to determine if students are on the right path to mastering the material. Checks for understanding allow for mid-course adjustments by you if they are not understanding the material.

My favorite check for understanding is to use small white boards, and when I question the class, they write the answer on the white board. When all those white boards are facing me, I can immediately tell if all, most, or hardly any of the students can answer my question! Other teachers might use the “muddiest point” technique where students write down one thing they are unclear about right before the break.

You, as the instructor, read them over the break, and immediately attempt to clarify the “muddiest points” when you return from break. Whichever checks for understanding you use, be absolutely sure you don’t move on until you are positive the majority of students now understand the previous material.

When students get lost or left behind, they mentally disengage, ensuring they will learn nothing else the rest of this class period. It is more than a little counter-productive to leave students behind.

It was Benjamin Franklin who said “Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand”. Nothing could be more true with today’s learners who are used to being stimulated through TV, movies, music and video games.

It is essential that teachers tap into different delivery styles in order to engage students with different learning styles. When you look at that lesson plan, make sure you have delivery methods scheduled that speak to many different learners — from global to analytical, audio, visual or kinesthetic as well as independent and social learners. This means that you can’t lecture for two hours.

You will need lecture, discussion, video, writing, and student-centered activities during every class. Resist the urge to think “I don’t have time for activities.” On the contrary, you don’t have time to just lecture. Remember, involve them and they learn!

If you need help getting started, or need a modern education in lesson planning, attend the pre-conference workshop entitled “Lesson Plan Extreme Makeover” at the NAEMSE Symposium in Schaumburg, Illinois on September 8, 2010. For more info or to sign up, click here.