Most people who would like to become teachers don't consider the time and effort that goes into writing a lesson plan, which really benefits both the student and the teacher. Even after taking education courses in college, some still may need some pointers on constructing a good lesson plan. Here are some helpful steps.

Set goals geared towards the students
Think about your broader goals for the curriculum, your specific goals for the lesson, and everything you want your students to learn.

Construct objectives
These should be realistic objectives on how your students can obtain knowledge of the subject and further their skills.

Consider your students' readiness
Think of what the students have already learned. Sometimes students may need to perform activities prior to the current lesson to prepare them.

Obtain the necessary materials
Make sure the students have the materials for this lesson. If books are needed, remember to provide full bibliographic citations.

Describe the lesson
This gives you a chance to share your comments, personal experience, and thoughts. This should also provide a brief overview of the lesson discussing purpose, topical focus and activities.

Map out the lesson procedure
This section should provide a very detailed description of how you plan to teach the lesson and should include the following:

Introduction: How do you plan to introduce the ideas within the lesson and keep the students attention?
Main Activity: This should be the main focus of the lesson and how you plan to utilize the activity to ensure the students are learning all the ideas.
Closure: How do you plan to draw the ideas together and reinforce their learning?

Evaluate the lesson
Gather evidence that shows the students learned what you intended. This may include student work and your assessments of work based on a grading scale.

When constructing your objectives, consider how your students will be able to demonstrate what they've learned and how they've understood the objectives you've developed.

When considering the students readiness for any lesson, ask yourself "Will it be useful in this lesson?"

Don't try to fit too much into early lesson plans. Take time to know your students and their abilities. Work can then be increased and tailored to fit both the teacher's and the students' needs.