Supporting teachers → Dr Jake Madden

How to plan an effective lesson!

Effective teachers know their students, have strong content knowledge and possess a wide repertoire of teaching strategies. They are well planned and very intentional about the practices they implement in the classroom. Effective teachers do not leave learning to chance!

School leaders (and indeed the school community) can identify the effective teacher through the preparation of their lessons. This is the teachers’ “bread and butter”. Researchers show that effective teachers include a number of distinct processes and stages in their lesson planning.

At Al Yasat we have taken the research and built a targeted lesson outline that ensures not only quality teaching and learning but also consistency across the school. We call it the “8 Elements of an Effective Lesson”. It helps teachers direct their planning to the needs of students, while implementing our school’s written curriculum; it offers school leaders direction in our class observations and walkthroughs; it provides a platform for our coaching and mentoring practices and most importantly; it is embedded in the best practice research and the many studies of what works in enhancing student learning.

Let me introduce the elements to you.

Beginning of Lesson

Element One: The Essential Question

We believe in the use of an inquiry approach to our teaching and learning and the need for students to have an understanding and the purpose of the lesson. We know that good questions direct students to dig deeper into content and processes, and delve deeper into the subject matter. More importantly they propel students to learn to ask their own questions. And within a subject they help focus content on the crucial and important parts of that subject. This is more than just letting the students know what they are learning to do in the lesson. It is about connecting prior knowledge to future applications.

Essential questions are non-judgmental, open-ended, meaningful, purposeful and they relate to the students. It is through the essential question that we as teachers, connect to our students.

Element Two: An Initiating Strategy

The purpose of an initiating strategy is to help students frame their thinking and focus on the concept at hand. The most important part of a lesson occurs during the first five minutes. If the activity engages students right away, you know there will be enough “sparks” to fly for the rest of the lesson and your job will be relatively easy. If the activity however is not challenging, repetitious, (”We’ve done this before!” Sound familiar?) there will be “lulls” that more often than not, result in discipline problems. The key of course, is to keep the “sparks flying,” but it all really depends on how you can spark up your classroom right away.

Simply google “best lesson plan hooks” and you will have plenty of ideas to “hook” your students into the lesson.

The Main Body of the Lesson

Research tells us that 80% of what a child learns is from their peers. Therefore we need to be more student centred with bulk time in co-operative/collaborative activities.

Element Three: Limiting Teacher Talk

We all love to talk in the classroom! So, we should; after-all, we are teachers! But ‘teacher-talk’ can (not solely) be a root-cause of poor behaviour and debilitate student’s acquisition of knowledge and skill during a lesson. Reducing teacher talk and allowing more time in lessons for students to be active participants in their learning, we believe is an important aspect of developing outstanding teaching and learning.

Element Four: Use of Graphic Organisers

Graphic organizers are important and effective pedagogical tools for organizing content and ideas and facilitating learners’ comprehension of newly acquired information. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences posits that students are better able to learn and internalize information when more than one learning modality is employed in an instructional strategy. Since graphic organizers present material through the visual and spatial modalities (and reinforce what is taught in the classroom), the use of graphic organizers helps students internalize what they are learning.

For today’s classroom, nothing is more essential to successful teaching and learning than strategy-based instruction. It is through the use of specific teaching strategies and learning tools that students can be more successful learners. Graphic organizers are teaching and learning tools; when they’re integrated into classroom experiences, students are better able to understand new material. Creating a strong visual picture, graphic organizers support students by enabling them to literally see connections and relationships between facts, information, and terms.

Graphic organizers have dual functions. They are effective as both a teaching and learning tool. As an instructional strategy it helps teachers:

Introduce a topic
Activate prior knowledge and linkit with new information
Organize content to be presented and a visually summarize the lesson once taught
Assess student comprehension, identify and address any questions or clarifications needed

Element Five: Differentiated Groups

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.

We know that teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom:

Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.

Element Six: Targeted Instructional Strategies & Active Teacher Movement

Connected to the differentiated groups is the need to decide on the essential teaching strategy for that engages small groups of students. Educational researchers have known for decades that a student learns best when teaching is targeted to what he/she is ready to learn. If the material is too easy, students can become bored and disengage. If it is too hard, students will flounder and may choose to misbehave or give up rather than face continued failure. In either case, little is learnt. But if teaching is targeted at what students are ready to learn, powerful progress can be made.

Choosing appropriate teaching strategy is the key to this element. It is not about “busy work” while you work with a group of students. It is your direct intervention, checking for understanding, monitoring and providing feedback as you move from group to group.

The active teacher is roaming, identifying the disengaged student, and bringing them back on task.

Element Seven: Higher Order Questioning

In today’s world it is necessary, but not sufficient, for students to achieve minimal competence in areas such as reading, writing and numeracy. Beyond the achievement of minimal competence, students also need to develop what are often called ‘higher order’ thinking skills including critical literacy, critical numeracy and cross-curricular competencies. A useful conceptualisation of higher order thinking skills distinguishes two contexts in which these skills are employed: contexts where the thought processes are needed to solve problems and make decisions in everyday life; and contexts where mental processes are needed to benefit from instruction, including comparing, evaluating, justifying and making inferences. The ability to employ higher order thinking skills in both these contexts is seen as essential in a rapidly changing world and the first context in particular is being adopted as a starting point for international assessment programs.

Afterall, isn’t this is the outcome of implementing the vision of the school.

Remember: Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory (recognizing, recalling)
Understand: Determining the meaning of instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communication (interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining)
Apply: Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation (executing, implementing)
Analyze: Breaking materials into its constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another an to an overall structure or purpose (differentiating, organizing, attributing)
Evaluate: Making judgments based on criteria and standards (checking, critiquing)
Create: Putting elements together to form a novel, coherent whole or make an original product (generating, planning, producing)

Information learned and processed through higher-order thinking processes is remembered longer and more clearly than information that is processed through lower-order, rote memorization. This may be the most important benefit of high-order thinking. Knowledge obtained through higher-order thinking processes is more easily transferable, so that students with a deep conceptual understanding of an idea will be much more likely to be able to apply that knowledge to solve new problems.

End of Lesson

Element Eight: Summarise and Reflection

The closure of the lesson is the time when you wrap up a lesson plan and help students organize the information in a meaningful context in their minds. This helps students better understand what they have learned and provides a way in which they can apply it to the world around them. A strong closure involves summarising and reflecting on the lesson. It can help students better retain information beyond the immediate learning environment. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate; it doesn’t have to be an extensive review.

In order to maximise the lesson there are a number of tactics which can support you to make the time more organised and productive.

- End early. Don’t try to cover too much material in one hit. Don’t mistake pace for manic activity. Leave at least eight minutes to finish off the lesson properly.
- Use a structured plenary/reflection to end the session. This should be a group or individual reflection on what has been learned.
- Ask the pupils to identify two or three key points they have learned from the lesson. These can be shared in small groups either written or as drawings and cartoons. A review of these points could become a regular feature of a homework routine.
- Summarise the learning.
- Set the scene for the following lesson.
- Have clear routines for an organised departure. Don’t fall into the trap of not clearing away apparatus in good time.
- Vary the way in which the pupils are dismissed, for example, row-by-row, small groups, alphabetically, one by one after answering a question. This will help keep the lesson focused right until the end.

The impact of effective lessons can not be underestimated, even for the more experienced teachers. Our lesson expectations offer teachers guidance and support for the teaching and learning, but more importantly, helps lead to improved outcomes for our students.

Preparing For A New Year? Technology or Innovation or Do What We Did Last Year

How will you start the new year? Will you provide the same learning experience as last year or do you have some new initiatives to experiment with?

Seymour Papert in 1993 was quoted as saying “Nothing is more absurd than an experiment to place computers in classrooms where nothing else has changed”.

Technology has certainly evolved in the proceeding years with the influence of smart phones, interactive software and the connectivity and accessibility of the internet enabling teachers to be more creativity and innovative in the delivery of learning. At their fingertips, teachers are providing blended learning experiences, offering opportunities to both consolidate as well as extending students’ (and their own) learning. Providing a more personalized and targeted learning experience is now being seen as an important strategy for the effective teacher.

There has been many changes to the resources at our fingertips to value add to the learning experience which brings me back to Seymour’s quote. Simply providing new resources, technology will not in itself make sustained improvement in student learning. As George Couros’ recent tweet ponders, is simply placing the latest technology in the classroom innovative practice?

There needs to be a change in pedagogy, the way the teacher delivers the learning. Instructing the same way, doing the same thing, albeit with different resources, will not have the required impact. Simply replacing traditional classroom furniture with contemporary furniture may look different but if the teacher is still standing and delivering content, not much will change for the student. However, the adoption of an inquiry pedagogy with a collaborative expectation, peer to peer engagement and an engaging assessment approach will.

There will be plenty of teachers trying not to reinvent the wheel by utilizing last years units of work. While this is a useful beginning point, how they meet the needs of their new students will be the focus of the effective teacher.

How will you prepare for the new year? What are you going to do differently this year to improve your teaching and make sustained learning gains for your students?

The Greatest Gift Teachers Can Give Students

Students of the 21st century are constantly defined as being techno savvy and engaged in the digital world. Perhaps as Vicktor Frankl, a renowned psychiatrist explains in a 1972 presentation, our greatest gift as a teacher is to not only recognise the student’s search for meaning but help them become who they want to be.

This focus on learning is further explored in Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation at the 2010 TED conference. In the presentation Sir Ken discusses the need to transform learning to meet the needs of the digital learners. (His wristwatch reference is a clear example of what schools need to address when planning elearning experiences).

The greatest gift a teacher can give students is the provision of a personalised learning environment. Knowing that all children learn differently, at different times and in different circumstances. it is important that our schools create the conditions that engages all students in their learning.

…..and this is not an easy task!

Why Data is Important for Teachers

Over the years schools have evolved in the use of data. As our understanding of data grows we are more able to meet the needs of our students. Data, in the form of assessments, anecdotal records on student learning activities and even information on out of school events, can be used effectively to improve student learning.

Schools have come a long way in how they use data. As our understanding grows, so does our ability to meet student needs. Whether it’s through assessments, anecdotal records, or wellbeing indicators, data can be a powerful driver of learning—if it reaches the right hands.

The key is giving teachers timely access to useful data. Effective teachers use it to understand their students, track progress, and guide next steps. But data alone doesn’t improve learning. Knowing how to interpret it does.

Understanding What the Data Tells Us

One major barrier is teacher confidence with data. School leaders play a critical role here. They need to help teachers unpack the meaning behind the numbers and identify the impact on learning. When teachers see what data can do, it becomes more than a number—it becomes a tool for teaching.

Students also benefit. They need to know where they are in their learning and where they’re heading. Strong teachers show them what success looks like and help them get there.

What Kind of Data Do Teachers Need?

Teachers need more than academic records. They need a full picture—how students learn, how they behave, and where they’re going next. A clear understanding of the curriculum, benchmarks, and performance standards enables teachers to plan effective lessons and learning experiences.

Importantly, this knowledge must be shared across year levels. What counts as an ‘A’ in one class should match another. That’s where moderation and collaboration matter.

Using Data for Planning and Reflection

Data helps teachers make informed decisions about:

What students need next
Which teaching strategies are working
Where to adjust their approach
How to differentiate instruction

Teachers use data to identify individual learning needs, plan support, revise key concepts, collect evidence for reporting, and reflect on their own practice. It sharpens focus and adds clarity to what’s happening in the classroom.

When used well, data doesn’t reduce teaching to numbers. It empowers teachers to meet students where they are and guide them further.

The Role of Teachers as Researchers in Student Success

As a principal focused on improving student learning I was heartened by the recent presentations at the Dubai International Education Conference recently held at Al Ghurair University, Dubai. With the key message that the teacher is the centre of improving student attainment, the various keynote and concurrent presentations offered insight into the effective impact of the role of the “Teacher as researcher.”

The teacher as researcher can be distinguished from their colleagues as they attempt to better understand their TEACHing practice and how it impacts upon their students. In researching the relationship between teaching and learning the teacher researcher actively contributes to the conversation of what makes a difference to student learning. This is an evidenced based process and involves reflective inquiry, working in collaboration with other teachers, their students, parents and the community.

Interpreting real time data, analysing the data and them making informed decisions based upon this information is pivotal to improving the school outcomes. The challenge is ensuring that all schools improve. However, as shared by Professor David Lynch (Southern Cross University):

“It is interesting to note that the latest figures released by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (Dubai’s education authority) show that the number of private schools in Dubai will reach 250 by the year 2020 or 16 per year. There are currently 169 private schools in Dubai as of last year, but this number will increase by almost 50% in the next six years to accommodate the projected 50% increase in student population from the current 243,000 level to 366,000 by 2020 or by 24,000 per year. One of the big challenges for the UAE is to prepare or engage enough teachers to meet this demand profile.”

With the rapid increase in the number of schools in Dubai to meet the increasing demand and the KHDA prescribed inspection process identifying what makes an “outstanding school” on what constitutes an outstanding school will continue to create much debate. To help foster the dialogue perhaps our latest publication “Creating the Outstanding School” will help.

Effective Professional Development for Teachers

Schools today are charged with addressing ever-increasing demands: reducing the achievement gap, adopting evidence-based practices, meeting improvement in attainment levels, managing the requirements of special-needs students, and (most importantly) being up to date with changes in pedagogical approaches. Teachers must keep in front of the important developments that are occurring in education. This is where professional development is needed.

Professional development for teachers is essential in today’s rapidly evolving education landscape. Schools must address growing demands—reducing achievement gaps, implementing evidence-based teaching, supporting special needs students, and adapting to new teaching strategies. To keep up, teachers need continuous professional learning opportunities.

One of the most effective ways to foster ongoing learning is through professional reading circles. These structured discussions help teachers stay updated with new research, strategies, and best practices, ultimately improving student outcomes.

Why Reading Circles Enhance Professional Development

Professional reading shouldn’t be a solo activity—it should be a collaborative experience. Professional development for teachers thrives when educators:
✔ Engage in regular professional reading
✔ Discuss key insights with colleagues
✔ Apply new strategies in their classrooms

Here’s how schools can implement reading circles effectively.

1. Select Readings Aligned with Teacher Needs

Leaders should choose readings that focus on:
✔ School-wide goals (e.g., student engagement, assessment strategies)
✔ Teacher interests (e.g., classroom management, subject-specific techniques)

Giving teachers some choice in their readings allows them to engage more deeply and apply insights more effectively.

2. Keep Discussion Groups Small

Smaller reading groups ensure:
📌 Everyone has time to share insights
📌 Discussions remain focused
📌 Teachers feel comfortable participating

A more personalised approach fosters deeper conversations and stronger connections among colleagues.

3. Schedule Meetings Consistently

While monthly or termly discussions work well in busy school environments, flexibility is key. If departments are large, breakout groups can allow more teachers to engage meaningfully.

4. Encourage Teachers to Share Insights

Teachers should report on what they’ve learned through:
✔ Short presentations at staff meetings
✔ Written reflections shared via team platforms
✔ Collaborative discussions during planning sessions

By sharing insights, professional development for teachers becomes a school-wide learning experience.

5. Create a Comfortable Learning Environment

A relaxed setting fosters open discussion and idea-sharing. Providing snacks (“nibblies”) at meetings can make professional learning more enjoyable and encourage participation.

When teachers feel comfortable, they are more likely to engage, ask questions, and contribute to discussions.

6. Develop Action Plans for Classroom Application

Professional development is only effective when it translates into real classroom impact. Leaders should help teachers:
📌 Apply reading insights to their teaching
📌 Define success in student learning
📌 Set measurable goals for implementing new strategies

By creating clear action plans, teachers ensure that professional learning leads to meaningful classroom improvements.

Making Professional Development for Teachers Meaningful

As a new academic year begins, professional development for teachers must remain purpose-driven and actionable. Reading circles offer a simple yet powerful way to:
✔ Keep educators engaged in best practices
✔ Foster collaboration among colleagues
✔ Improve teaching strategies for student success

By making professional reading a shared journey, schools can create a culture of continuous growth and excellence.

How does your school promote professional development for teachers?

The Power of School Leadership Reflection

As such, the end of the academic year is an exciting time for a school community. While everyone is looking forward to the summer break, the effective principal will use the time to focus on school improvement planning for the following year. At some point the principal will take stock of the year and spend some serious time reflecting on the events of the school year. Reflection is a critical practice of the effective leader.

School leadership reflection is a critical process for any principal looking to enhance student learning and school performance. As I complete my first academic year at Dar Al Marefa, I find myself reflecting on the journey, particularly the challenges, the achievements, and the lessons learned.

The end of the academic year is a pivotal time for principals. While staff and students prepare for the summer break, effective school leaders use this time to evaluate their leadership, school progress, and future goals.

Why School Leadership Reflection Matters

Strong leaders don’t just react, they reflect. Taking stock of the school year helps principals:

Assess their leadership impact
Identify what worked and what needs improvement
Plan for meaningful school improvement

Key Questions for Leadership Reflection

When engaging in school leadership reflection, I consider:

Did I clearly communicate my vision for teaching and learning?
Did I support teachers in improving their instructional practices?
Did I increase student engagement and achievement?
Did I empower staff through delegation and development?
Did I celebrate and acknowledge staff successes?

Feedback: A Crucial Part of Reflection

Leaders who fail to seek feedback risk missing valuable insights. According to Gallup’s Global Workforce Study, only 13% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work, while many report feeling disconnected.

By asking staff, students, and parents for input, principals can gain a clear understanding of their leadership impact and create a stronger school culture.

Looking Forward: Turning Reflection into Action

When asked, “Have you made a difference this year?”, a principal’s answer should be grounded in real action and school improvement. By reflecting on past successes and challenges, school leaders can step into the new year with clarity, purpose, and a renewed commitment to growth.

How are you using school leadership reflection to improve your school?

Classrooms Are Complex Environments

In a single day the classroom teacher may participate in more than 1 000 interpersonal exchanges with students. Not only do teachers have numerous interactions with students, they must also interpret complex classroom behaviour on the spot. For the international school teacher, where their classroom’s are often a diverse mixture of cultural backgrounds, interpreting meaning becomes more challenging.

The average classroom teacher manages over 1,000 interpersonal exchanges with students in a single day. These are not just surface-level interactions—they involve reading body language, interpreting behaviour, and adapting instruction on the spot. In international schools, where students come from diverse cultural backgrounds, this task becomes even more complex.

Teacher workload is often underestimated. While not every interaction must be remembered, teachers rely on key details to support student learning—like identifying a child struggling with a reading blend or understanding place value in maths. These insights guide future teaching decisions, even though much of the planning happens outside of school hours and away from public view.

What Makes Teaching So Complex?

1. Many Events, One Moment

Teachers juggle multiple tasks at once: monitoring work, managing records, giving feedback, and supporting behaviour. One event can have many outcomes affecting students’ learning, mood, or confidence.

2. Everything Happens at Once

During a single discussion, a teacher listens to responses, guides thinking, checks comprehension from non-verbal cues, and keeps the pace moving. Multitasking is not optional, it’s essential.

3. The Pace Is Relentless

Studies suggest teachers evaluate student behaviour nearly 16,000 times a year or 87 times a day on average. Every minute matters.

4. The Unexpected Is Normal

No matter how well-planned the day, unexpected events from behaviour issues to surprise interruptions demand flexible responses. These moments are seen by other students, making fairness and consistency vital.

5. History Matters

Past experiences shape classroom dynamics. A “difficult” class may be carrying labels from years prior. That context influences every teacher decision.

Decision-Making in Real Time

Every classroom action is based on layers of context including past experience, current student needs, curriculum goals, and school policies. Teachers strive to make informed decisions, but this requires support and understanding from the broader community.

When parents share relevant information, it helps teachers better plan and personalise learning. Partnerships between home and school reduce the invisible load teachers carry.

Public Support Matters

Too often, the depth of teacher workload goes unseen. Planning happens after hours. Emotional labour continues long after the bell rings. But the impact is felt in every child’s progress and wellbeing.

Supporting teachers publicly through recognition, respect, and trust matters. Their self-esteem is an important part of the education process. When we value teachers, we value the future of our children.

Let’s remember: behind every successful student is a teacher quietly making hundreds of decisions each day, all with their students’ best interests at heart.