Difference Between Lesson Plan and Lesson Note (With Table)

Educators require a proper set of objectives, methods, and an outline to undertake the necessary steps for a lesson and measure its feedback and outcomes from the pupils. Lesson Plan and Lesson Note are crucial abilities used by educators to track the learning process and manage the daily class targets.

Lesson Plan vs Lesson Note

The main difference between a Lesson Plan and a Lesson Note is that a Lesson Plan is a systematic order of the events and topics a teacher would cover while regulating a lesson. On the other hand, Lesson Note is an assertion responsible to catalog the learners’ abilities and the teaching flow. 

A Lesson Plan is a collection of the necessary, relevant information required by a teacher. It is a guide and acts as a teaching manual to conceptualize a road map based on the questions- What to teach, How to teach, How to measure the progress of students for smooth functioning. 

Lesson Note is a documentation of the flow of a class. It depicts how the teachers’ process and the use of the various teaching methods and tools affect the overall retention ability of the students. It is a remark on how was the lesson plan delivered and how to improve the class sessions.

Comparison Table Between Lesson Plan and Lesson Note 

Parameters of Comparison

Lesson Plan

Lesson Note 

Type of Lesson

It is a pre-planned daily guide for teachers.

It is an end document where the progress is drafted during or after the class.

Definition

It is an outline of the tasks and objectives of a class.

It is an in-depth analysis with actions and reminders. 

Involvement of School Authorities

A Lesson plan is an official document to be submitted to the authorities for assessment. 

There is no compulsion of submission associated with the notes.

Format

It is a defined format that follows strict guidelines and adheres to defined steps. 

Lesson Notes do not adhere to a pre-defined format. 

Ease 

A Lesson plan requires time and knowledge to create it systematically.

Lesson Notes do not require a specific format. Thus, they are easy to draft.

What is a Lesson Plan?

A Lesson Plan is a guide for a teacher. It defines the course of actions needed to establish the foundation and effective rapport with the learners. A Lesson plan aims to exclude the uncertainties of the teaching process. It allows the educators to be efficient in their operations. 

A Lesson Plan is a guideline to define the structure and ensure that the time is optimally utilized. It also focuses that new concepts being taught with meaningful discussions. 

A successful lesson plan involves the identification of the objectives of the study plan. Drafting your objectives from a lesson or a topic allows you to compose a collection of strategies and learning activities. The next step involves getting feedback or reflecting on the lesson plan to integrate the necessary alterations for enhanced outcomes. 

It is ideal to follow the SMART foundation to design the lesson plan. Your objectives must be specific, measurable, and attainable for the learners. It is ideal to be sure to keep the lesson relevant, without diverting from the topic and stay time-bound to engage the students with the lesson. 

You can use examples, applications of an issue in various situations, discussions, and extended seminars to accomplish the goals.

What is a Lesson Note?

A Lesson Note is a tool and a comprehensive resource to assist the memory of an educator to make sure to have the necessary details on the information shared in the class. It is a detailed observation and analysis of how the teaching affects the overall lesson performance of the students. 

The notes are an explanation of the lesson plan. They are an exhaustive set of actions and expectations that a class would bring to the learners. It aims to enhance the learning abilities of a class and ensure that the students can advance radically.

Numerous teachers often use the notes with simple and understanding language and note down the expectations they have from the students towards the end of the class.

Writing a lesson note is not a complicated task. It requires the teacher to conceptualize the purpose of a class and state their expectations, plan out the lesson for better delivery of information, understand the students’ capacities, use an understandable tone of communication tone for better understanding, and write honest remarks about the progress. 

It plays a crucial role in making sure that the lesson is heading in the right direction and the educators and learners can understand their strengths and weaknesses. 

Main Differences Between Lesson Plan and Lesson Note 

  1. The type of language used in a Lesson plan is formal. It is precise and to the point. Lesson Note may contain an informal tone and is primarily for a teacher’s understanding. 
  2. A Lesson Plan is more technical than a Lesson Note because a Lesson Plan involves intricate design mechanisms and educational theories.
  3. Lesson Plans are presented in a tabular format. On the other hand, Lesson Notes are written in essay form.
  4. The lesson Plan requires a set of standard elements present in all the plans. Lesson Note does not require any fixed components. 
  5. A Lesson Plan is a compulsory document sent periodically at the end of a week or a term. Lesson Note is primarily a remark for the personal reminders or additional information on some sections of a lesson.

Conclusion 

Lesson Plans and Lesson Notes are used by educators as interchangeable terms. It is often because both formats are systematically used by teachers to enhance and refine the structure of their classrooms and aim to identify the weak areas of their students. 

When used wisely, it is assured to make significant improvements in the learning and teaching process to ensure that the pupils can palpably attain the information.

The educators can express and fragment the lessons coherently without confusion or loss of direction with the help of lesson plans and notes. This allows the class periods to be transparent and clear. 

References

  1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/sce.20277
  2. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/461703