A session plan helps a trainer turn a program into a sequence of activities for a particular group. It gives staff a place to plan what they will introduce, how learners will practise it and how the trainer will check understanding. Start by choosing a session your team teaches regularly and comparing the plan with the time, room and equipment available.
What does a Session Plan cover?
CAQA Resources lists Session Plans for classroom delivery. Check the listing for your course or unit code and review a sample for the level of detail your trainers need. Look for where staff can record preparation, the order of activities, any materials learners will use and what they will carry forward into the next class.
A session on supporting children's play might start with a discussion of an example setting, continue with a small group activity and finish by asking learners to explain how they would adapt that activity for different children. A trainer can use the plan to prepare example materials and decide how much time learners need to discuss their choices.
What should a trainer be able to find quickly?
Hand the sample to a trainer who has not taught the class before. Ask what they would set up before learners arrive and which activity they would start with. Have them identify the point at which learners use the supporting materials and what they would do if a group needs more practice than the timetable allows.
Look for a place to capture what the trainer observes. If the group understands the explanation but struggles with an activity, record the issue and plan how to revisit it. For a course taught by several trainers, agree on which information should travel to the next class so each trainer understands where learners left off.
How do I check that the plan fits our delivery?
Compare the sample with the program schedule. Include setup, group changes and packing away in the time you allow. If the same program is taught online, check which discussions or demonstrations depend on everyone sharing a physical space. Decide what materials learners need in advance and how the trainer will see the work during the session.
Review the plan beside the learner material and classroom activities that staff will use. Confirm that the examples appear in the same order and that trainers can find any handout named in the plan. If the course uses separate assessment tools, identify where the trainer will direct learners to them and check the assessment arrangements separately.
Customise the plan for your trainers
Edit the timetable, teaching location and activity instructions for your cohort. Replace equipment references and identify who prepares materials before the class. Where a trainer substitutes an activity, check that the new activity still serves the intended learning and record any changes to the associated learner materials.
Have another trainer deliver a short part of the plan using only the documents they would normally receive. Ask where they needed clarification and which tasks took longer than expected. Record the revised version in the place trainers use to prepare their classes, and check whether it gives a relief trainer enough information to continue the program. You can request a sample Session Plan and compare its running order with the class you intend to teach.
Browse Session Plans for your course or unit code.
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