2. Variety, sequencing, pacing, and timing As you are drafting out step-by-step procedures, or afterward, you need to look at how the lesson, as a whole, holds together. Four considerations come into play here:
(a) Is there sufficient variety in techniques to keep the lesson lively and interesting?
(b) Are your different techniques or activities sequenced logically?
(c) Is the lesson appropriately timed, considering the number of minutes in the class hour? This is one of the most difficult aspects of lesson planning to control.
3. Gauging difficulty Figuring out in advance how easy or difficult certain techniques will be is something that usually must be learned by experience. It takes a good deal of cognitive empathy to put yourself in your students' shoes and anticipate their problem areas. Some difficulty is caused by tasks themselves; therefore, make your directions crystal clear by writing them out in advance.
4. Individual differences For the most part a lesson plan will aim at a majority of students in the class who comprise the "average" ability range. But your lesson plan should also take into account what you already know about the variation of ability in your classroom, especially individuals who are well below or well above the classroom norm. Several steps can be taken to account for individual differences:
(a) Design techniques that have easy and difficult aspects or items.
(b) Solicit responses to easier items from students who are below the norm and to harder items from those above the norm.
(c) Try to design techniques that will involve all students actively.
(d) Use judicious selection to assign members of small groups so that each group has either
(i) a deliberately heterogeneous range of ability or (ii) a homogeneous range (to encourage equal participation).
(e) Use small group and pair work time to circulate and give extra attention to those below or above the norm
