As an I-ASC lesson grader, one of the questions I get the most from PITs (Practitioner in Training) is ‘Do you have any suggestions for a lesson topic?’ I am almost certain that this question goes through many seasoned practitioners’ and CRP minds as well … Well, fear not. Hopefully, this blog will make it easier for me to come up with ideas in the future.
As someone who spends a lot of time on social media, I often see something and think, ‘Oh, that would make an interesting lesson.’’ But when it comes to actually writing a lesson, I hit a blank and can’t think of any ideas!
My number one tip to avoid hitting this blank is to have a list of possible ideas always on hand. This can be done either in a notebook you always have on hand, or even on the ‘Notes’ app on your phone. My phone is always on hand, so my list is on my Notes app. Now, whenever I see or hear something I think is interesting (thank you TikTok) , I immediately go add it to my list. (Currently, I have almost 80 possible lesson ideas in my notes app). It might also help to add the link to where you saw the information from or why it caught your eye. This is useful, especially if you have, like me, so many ideas and can’t always remember why you thought this would be interesting.
Tip number 2 to decide what to write about is to write about something that you find interesting or something you would like to learn more about. Too often, I start writing a lesson on a topic that someone else suggested. This lesson would then just drag and drag, as I had no motivation in writing it. To be frank, I just did not find it interesting. On the other hand, if I start writing a lesson on a topic I find interesting, I
can easily write the lesson in a day or two. I am also a lot more keen on doing a lesson I find interesting with a speller, than I lesson I don’t.
Another tip is to go down the rabbit hole. When researching a topic, click on the hyperlinks that provide more information. When you see something interesting, go look for more details about it! I would often start out writing about topic X, then start going down the rabbit holes, learning more interesting information about something else, then end up writing about topic Y. You might end up with 2 or more interesting lessons instead of just one by doing this. (Pro tip: When writing the lesson, don’t have too many rabbit holes in the lesson itself, i.e. too many different
sub-topics or stances. Rather use the rabbit holes for various lesson topics).
Now, imagine starting a lesson and finding only one paragraph to explain topic X, for example. Or what if you start your research, and see that Topic Y sounded super interesting, but in reality, the explanation is actually very simple and boring?
My last tip, which relates to all the above tips, is to not force the lesson. If you decide on a topic and start writing the lesson but end up seeing that there is either not enough information to write a whole lesson about or the information is actually not that interesting, it is okay to abort the mission. Don’t try to write a whole lesson just to get a lesson. You are not going to enjoy it, and your speller will probably also not enjoy it. Take a break, then go back to your lesson ideas, and choose another topic.
About the Author
Marquerette Müller is a certified S2C practitioner from South Africa. In her free time, she spends a lot of time on TikTok, where she gathers numerous lesson ideas. She also loves cuddling with her two fur-babies and curling up with a good book, though ironically, the books don’t always provide inspiration for her lesson topics!
One Response
Thank you for your tips on lesson development. Since you live in South Africa, I’m hoping you might know what Lending Circles are called there or have an interest in the topic. In Mexico, these are called “tandas” and emerge among related people who don’t trust banks. There’s a non-profit group Mission Asset Fund in San Franciso, CA, that’s developed an online app to support Lending circles among their network. Interesting idea and has my speller son asking for a lesson about it!
I’d appreciate any insight you might have!
-Tomas Saucedo a.k.a Mike’s Dad