Abstract
Although lesson planning is widely used, still it is sometimes misused and poorly developed by teachers/coordinators when faced with student-centered classrooms. Hence, it is highly recommended that educators be familiar with some prerequisites that ensure the successful implementation of a good lesson plan including a) the material, b) rapport between teacher and students, c) extrinsic motivation and reward/punishment system, and d) effective classroom management techniques. The contribution of neuroscience to the teaching/learning process is also discussed briefly.
Various websites, researches, and hand-on materials are provided to the candidates.

Target audience: Teachers and coordinators at ALL grade levels.
 
Outline

I- Nature of Our Classrooms
-Teacher-centered vs. Student-centered (role of T & ss in each type of class)
-How do ss actively learn? What is learning? What do ss remember after all? What is the importance of students’ prior knowledge? What is Constructivism?
- ss can have gaps in prior knowledge but they are NOT lazy(normal abilities)   
- VAK  / VARK (Learning Styles) 
II- Prerequisites for a Successful Implementation of a Good Lesson Plan
A- Material  
- Interesting/ motivating
- Valuable/ relevant
B- Rapport between Teacher & His/Her Students
Teacher should:  
- Create a positive environment (ss learn with fun, have low anxiety level)
 - Have NO teacher’s pets
- Be friendly and firm
- Develop Rogerian characteristics of a counselor:
                        a- Listen intently to his/her students
                        b- Unconditionally accept all students
                        c- Empathizes with his/her students
                           
   C - Reward/Punishment System

1. Be consistent in applying class rules agreed upon on the first day of school
2. Use happy/sad face chart (or equivalent)
3. Use appropriately token economy/rewards (extrinsic motivation) &Time-Out
4. Don’t punish ss rather motivate them to complete the task (de-emphasize grades)
5. Never ridicule/insult students

D – Motivation  
Eight characteristics to motivate students listed in decreasing order of priorities:

1. Instructor's enthusiasm -Relevance of the material- Organization of course
2. Appropriate difficulty level of the material -Active involvement of ss -Variety in activities and teaching techniques -Rapport between T and ss

To motivate your ss, you, as teacher, should also:

1. Hold high but realistic expectations for your students  
2. Help students set achievable goals for themselves
3. Tell students what they need to do to succeed in your class/course
4. Avoid creating intense competition among students
5.  Work from students' strengths and interests
6. When possible, let students have some say in choosing what will be studied
7. Give students feedback as quickly as possible
8. Be specific when giving negative feedback
9. Avoid demeaning/insulting comments
10. Avoid using grades as threats to punish:

              a-Student’s misbehavior
              b-Incomplete tasks

E – Good Classroom Management Techniques
 As a Teacher, you should effectively manage:

1. Class time (Importance of increasing Time-on-Task)
2. Students behavior
3. Instruction. Tell your students clearly:  1- what to do 2- what material to use 3-  how much time they need  to accomplish the task

 III- Quick Links to Interesting Topics
 -http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm
- www.teAchnology.com
IV- Neuroscience and lesson planning
 From Brain Scan to Lesson Plan (http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar00/brainscan.html)