Ms. Sachpazian presents on Lesson Planning in the ‘ELT Methodology for All’ Seminar Series

Ms. Maria-Araxi Sachpazian, Managing Director of ‘Input on Education’ and Chair of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace N. Greece, graciously offered her seminar titled: “Lesson Planning for Creative Teaching: The what and the how” hosted by the English Studies Department on 21 March, 2017. Teaching, despite what many may think, is simultaneously a learning process! Yes, indeed, teachers are also “students” preparing for their classes, attending seminars and reading up on the latest research publications relevant to their discipline. And, contrary to some opinions, ELT teachers – though appearing to teach the same thing over and over – seek out self-development seminars to assist, guide and inspire them and their teaching methodology.

In an informative, as well as interactive forum, with a pinch of her unique, energetic personality Ms Sachpazian posed and provided insightful guidance to questions such as: How are lessons "crafted"? How much preparation has to go into them? How can teachers plan lessons efficiently, effectively without spending hours or becoming exhausted? Overall, the seminar aimed at pointing out that planning is an integral part of the kind of pedagogical deliberation which should be creative and cater for individual needs. Ms Sachpazian provided an in-depth account of how to design balanced lessons, how to offer and why providing stimuli to learners with different needs and different learning styles is significant and how to reflect on our teaching practices so as to continue to improve our lessons.

In a seminar coupled with activities for audience members, Ms Sachpazian examined the areas of pedagogical deliberation, the idea and context of learning, what a lesson plan is and what it can—or should contain, the value of aims and goals to steer us along the way, the art of planning, and reflective teaching, a process of invaluable assistance to self-development. Lesson planning is an art, a craft that requires consistent cultivation; while there are many traps and challenges, to not question, ponder, discuss and be informed is to be stagnant! Thus, we teachers are always in the process of learning to be better, so that we may teach better!