Hiring Someone To Write Your Lesson Plan – Things To Consider
As a teacher, sometimes the workload can feel overwhelming. Between planning lessons, grading assignments, managing your classroom, and all your other duties, it can be hard to find time for everything. That’s where hiring someone to write your lesson plans can help. While it may seem like an easy way to lighten your load, there are important factors to consider before handing your planning responsibilities over to another person.
Subject Matter Expertise
The most important thing is finding someone with solid subject matter expertise in the topics they will be writing lessons for. A lesson plan written by someone without a strong understanding of the content area could lead to inaccuracies in the material presented or lessons that fail to effectively build upon prior knowledge. Make sure to hire only individuals who have college-level coursework or professional experience in the specific subject area. For core classes like math, science, social studies, and language arts, the writer should ideally have a degree in that field.
Understanding Pedagogy
In addition to content knowledge, the lesson plan writer needs pedagogical training to create effective, standards-aligned lessons. Consider hiring certified teachers or those with educational degrees. Ask for samples of past lesson plans the writer has created to evaluate their understanding of best practices for student engagement, differentiation, assessment, and connecting lessons to larger learning objectives. Look for indications that they use research-backed teaching strategies and understand child development theory.
Fitting Your Teaching Style
Lesson plans will only be successful if they mesh with your individual teaching approach and philosophy. Communicate your preferences up front regarding factors like the level of detail provided, your preferred learning activities and assessments, how you structure class time, and any non-negotiables. Have the writer do an observation of your class to get a sense of your style in action. That way, they can mimic your voice and way of presenting material. Be sure to thoroughly review all plans before teaching to adapt anything as needed for your comfort.
Time Commitment
Creating effective lesson plans from scratch requires a significant time investment, so be realistic in your expectations. A weekly or even monthly schedule may be too rushed. You’ll also need time to review plans, provide feedback, and allow for revisions before deadlines. Make the parameters clear – like how far in advance you require finished plans and what subjects/units need writing first. Consider paying a set monthly or semesterly rate rather than per lesson to encourage full unit creation.
Compensation
Since effective lesson planning requires expertise, determine fair compensation. Research typical rates in your geographic area for teaching, writing, tutoring or similar work. Hourly rates versus project rates may vary. Ideally, payments should be made in installments – with partial payment up front and the remainder upon completion/approval of plans. Make sure both parties are clear on invoices, due dates and acceptable methods of payment to avoid misunderstandings. Factor in compensation for potential feedback rounds or revisions.
Contracts and Ownership
To protect both yourself and the writer, have a written contract outlining expectations, compensation, deliverables, deadlines, feedback process, intellectual property rights and termination circumstances if needed. Clarify if lessons can be adapted/reused by you in future years or if plans must be rewritten annually by the writer. Also determine who owns the copyright or rights to completed plans in case of a dispute. This protects both you and the writer should issues arise down the road.
Trial Period
Hiring someone solely based on resume or portfolio can be risky without a trial run. Consider starting with only one unit or subject area on a probationary basis before committing to a full semester of lesson plans. This allows you to experience their work firsthand and provides feedback to improve. It also gives both parties a chance to determine if the arrangement is a good professional fit before a long term agreement. Look for flexibility, responsiveness to input and a willingness to refine plans based on your classroom experience.
The decision to outsource lesson planning requires careful vetting of candidates and crystal clear communication of expectations to ensure student learning isn’t compromised. With attention to subject expertise, understanding of pedagogy, style compatibility, adequate timelines and compensation, contracts and trials – hiring assistance can be an effective way to lighten a teacher’s workload without sacrificing quality. Just be sure the right safeguards are in place to protect teachers and students alike.
While hiring someone to write lesson plans can help alleviate some of a teacher’s workload, there are many important factors to consider to ensure an effective outcome. Focusing on the writer’s credentials and experience, clear communication of needs and expectations, fair compensation, legal protections, and trial periods can help make the arrangement successful for both teachers and students. With the right vetting and oversight, outsourcing lesson planning has the potential to support educators without compromising classroom instruction.
Andrew Stroud