A lesson structure includes the planned sequence of teaching and learning activities that will occur during a classroom session. It will provide a clear map all the tasks and activities that the teacher and their students will undertake in order to successfully demonstrate achievement of the learning intentions.
In an English as an Additional Language (EAL) classroom, there is an extra layer of accountability for the teacher to increase equity and transparency in order for students to experience similar success rates as their non-EAL peers.
A good place to start is the Teaching and Learning Cycle (Derewianka & Jones, 2016). This is a continuous cycle that we can spread over a whole unit of work by focussing on one or two areas in individual lessons. We can use this cycle to teach any curriculum area for any year level. In an EAL classroom, “building the field” is an important area of focus.
This area helps us extract what our students already know, and fill in the language and vocabulary gaps that will add to their acquisition of new skill sets.
We can revisit this process throughout our unit. Moreover, we can use the cycle to plan our lessons following the “I DO” (Teacher instructions, modelling, and deconstruction of genre), “WE DO” (Joint construction using scaffolds), and “YOU DO” (Independent work) structure. In an EAL lesson, we need to add as many resources and activities as possible to each stage to ensure that students get multiple ways of practising and applying their skills.
This table adds more clarity and suggestions on how we can add EAL pedagogies within our existing lesson plans.
High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)
HITS consist of ten evidence based instructional practices that add value to teaching and learning in our classrooms. They are the result of worldwide research that have been collated and ranked by John Hattie and Robert Marzano. The fundamental element of HITS is to improve students’ achievement, engagement, and well-being through teacher collaboration to continuously improve their teaching practice.
State of Victoria (2017). High Impact Teaching Strategies: Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Department of Education and Training.
References
Department of Education and Training (31 March 2021) The Teaching and Learning Cycle: Integrating Literacy and Subject Knowledge, State Government of Victoria, Australia, Accessed 8 June 2022.
Derewianka B, Jones P (2016) Teaching Language in Context, 2nd edn, South Melbourne, Victoria, Oxford University Press.