Lesson Plan Template, Observation Checklist and Self-Evaluation
Three forms you may print, copy and adapt without asking anyone. They were written for this site, so there is nobody to ask.
These are yours to use
All three forms below were written by RCF English. There is no third-party copyright on them. Print them, photocopy them for your department, retype them with your school's name at the top — none of that needs our permission.
To save a copy: open this page and use your browser's print option, then choose Save as PDF. On a phone, use the share button and Print. We have deliberately not put a PDF file here, because a printable page works on every device and costs nothing to load.
1. Blank lesson plan template
Fill in the left column before the lesson and the right column after it. The right column is the part most teachers skip and the part that actually improves the next lesson.
English lesson plan
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Class, date, period | Grade and class, the date, the period number and the actual length in minutes. |
| Competency / competency level | The numbered competency from the syllabus for that grade. One, occasionally two. Not five. |
| Learning outcome | By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to ... followed by one observable action. See the guidance on the Lesson Planning page. |
| Language focus | The exact structure or vocabulary set. Write the model sentence you intend them to produce. |
| Teaching aids | Everything you must carry into the room. If it is not on this line you will forget it. |
| Prior knowledge assumed | What they must already know. If you are unsure, this is what the first five minutes must check. |
| Warm-up / entry task (approx. 5 min) | The task on the board before they arrive. |
| Presentation (approx. 8–10 min) | How the new language is introduced, and the example you will put on the board. |
| Guided practice (approx. 10 min) | The controlled task. Note the grouping: whole class, rows, pairs. |
| Independent practice (approx. 8–10 min) | What each pupil produces alone. |
| Support for weaker pupils | The scaffold: word bank, first sentence given, partner, extra time. Written in advance, not improvised. |
| Extension for faster pupils | A task that is different, not merely longer. |
| Assessment / exit activity (approx. 4 min) | How you will know, before they leave, who understood. |
| Homework | What is set, and how it will be checked. |
| AFTER THE LESSON — what worked | One sentence. |
| AFTER THE LESSON — what to change | One sentence. Carry it into the next plan for this class. |
| AFTER THE LESSON — pupils needing follow-up | Names. Act on them within the week. |
2. Lesson observation checklist
For a section head, a peer observer or an ISA. It is deliberately short: a form with sixty boxes gets ticked without thought.
Mark each line Yes, Partly or Not seen. Not seen is not a criticism — one lesson cannot show everything.
Observation checklist
| What to look for | Yes / Partly / Not seen | Evidence or note |
|---|---|---|
| The lesson had one clear outcome, and pupils could say what they were learning | ||
| The class was working within the first three minutes | ||
| New language was modelled before pupils were asked to produce it | ||
| Instructions were given before movement, and were understood first time | ||
| Most pupils spoke English aloud at some point, not only the confident few | ||
| Turns were distributed across the room, not concentrated in the front rows | ||
| Weaker pupils had visible support and were not simply given less work | ||
| Faster pupils had something worthwhile, not just more of the same | ||
| Errors were handled in a way that kept pupils talking | ||
| The teacher checked understanding of the taught point before the lesson ended | ||
| Pace: activity changed roughly every ten to twelve minutes | ||
| The lesson ended deliberately, not at the bell |
3. Teacher self-evaluation form
Fill this in for yourself, honestly, once a fortnight. Nobody needs to see it. The value is entirely in the third question.
Self-evaluation
| Question | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Which lesson this fortnight went best, and what specifically made it work? | |
| Which lesson went worst, and was it the plan, the pace, the materials or the class? | |
| Name three pupils who spoke English aloud this fortnight. Now name three who did not. | |
| What proportion of the talking was done by you rather than by them? | |
| Did every pupil produce something written that you actually looked at? | |
| What single change will you make in the next fortnight? | |
| What do you need — a resource, training, or a colleague's advice — to make that change? |
Next
Lesson Planning
Structure, outcomes, timing, teaching aids and worked plans.
Classroom Management
Rules, routines, large classes, behaviour and transitions.
Assessment
Checking what pupils have actually learned.