Differences Between Lesson Plan and Lesson Note
There are differences between lesson plan and lesson note, nonetheless, the goal of teaching would always remain to understand, and, if you are ever going to arrive at this, having a lesson note and a lesson plan is certainly non-negotiable.
If you probably are wondering now what the differences between lesson plan and lesson note are, then you should stay through. Well, you could also consider this as a follow-up article to 5 Tips for Creating the Ideal Lesson Plan in Nigeria
Before we take a deep dive into the differences, it wouldn’t hurt if we go back to the basics of what a lesson plan is and what a lesson note also is. So, how about we get right into the critical understanding of what a lesson note and a lesson plan are all about?
What is a Lesson Note?
Let us begin with the word, note, because, that surely should inform us of what a lesson note truly is. A note is a short piece of writing that is put down to aid remembrance of a particular subject matter.
So, if we are to put the word lesson and then add it to a note, we have altogether a clear and concise description of the topics to be covered in a lesson that can be of immense help to teachers in remembering what they want students to know.
What is a Lesson Plan?
Unlike a note, a plan is not brief or sketchy. It gives every important detail about a matter to the tee. It is an illustration of the steps involved in carrying out any action. It must be said that even though the details would be included, not every detail is consequential.
Thus, by taking lessons and planning together, we have a complete set of relevant details that show the steps that a teacher must take to ensure students have an understanding of the subject matter in view at the end of every lesson.
Just by the definition mentioned, we should already have a rough idea of what the differences between lesson plan and lesson notes should be. One which shines very clearly is the fact that lesson notes give a description of a single-step outline in the lesson plan.
Differences between lesson plan and lesson note
Meaning
Well, as we saw earlier, in the very meanings of the words, one out of the many differences between lesson plan and lesson note, is clear.
A lesson plan is a collection of the necessary steps to achieve the goal of understanding in the minds of the student after a class.
On the other hand, a lesson note seeks to explain at least one out of the many steps involved in reaching this goal.
An example would suffice at this point. Imagine writing a lesson plan for a topic like probability in mathematics for students in junior secondary school.
A lesson plan for this topic in mathematics would include, a definition of the terms chance and probability, afterwards, the teacher can go on to put a relatable life example with fruits.
However, a lesson note for this type of topic would be something like the probability of any occurrence must fall between 0 and 1.
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Technicality
This also is one of the differences between lesson plan and lesson note. Not every person can understand a lesson plan.
In fact, only those who have an above-average understanding of the topic can interpret what a lesson plan is about.
This is so because a lesson plan covers the technical details that come from mastery of the topic. A lesson plan is always the proof of a very knowledgeable teacher.
A lesson note, on the other hand, can be understood by every Tom, Dick, and Harry as long as you can comprehend the language it was communicated in.
Layout of Writing
The structure to which a lesson plan is formal in nature is one of the stark differences between lesson plan and lesson note. It is written purely for administrative purposes, therefore, as a teacher, you must stick with some principles. With a lesson plan, you just can’t afford to be innovative.
The rules of lesson plan must be followed to the latter. However, it must be said that the layout indeed does differ from school to school. At the end of the day, the point is, lesson plans are formal documents that have patterns that are strictly obeyed.
But, with lesson notes, you can afford to write in the way you choose as long as it easily explains to you the whole goal of the lecture.
Customary Practice
Every teacher is obligated by the school authorities to submit a lesson plan periodically either each term or possibly even weekly. This is one of the differences between lesson plan and lesson note you just can’t ignore.
A lesson note, on the contrary, does not need to be submitted since they are only explanatory notes on the steps in a lesson plan that give a deeper perspective on how a teacher should take on a particular lesson in the lesson plan.
Why is There Then a Conflict Between a Lesson Note and Lesson Plan?
You would be wondering what really is the difficulty in identifying the differences between lesson plan and lesson note?
Well, the major reason many find it hard to understand the differences between lesson plan and lesson note is that many teachers and schools in most schools write both the lesson note and lesson plan in the same book.
Therefore, since they are all in the same notebook, it is assumed that both serve the same purpose which in the previous paragraphs has been found to be untrue.
Conclusion
The differences between lesson plan and lesson note have to be outlined just so that as a teacher, you aren’t found mixing up both of them because it is rife to see so many teachers who don’t even know what a lesson note is or even if they do know, they don’t have any idea of what a lesson plan is.
