Introduction: Planning Lessons

Education (Latin: educare, to bring up, but also educere, to lead out of ignorance) is an umbrella term for development, teaching and upbringing within a school environment (formal education) or outside it (informal education). Education concerns teaching methods, learning processes, and the transmission of a society’s accumulated knowledge, norms and values.”
Wikipedia (with a minor bold-text adjustment).

Introduction video

For more information check out our other introductory videos here.

Current approach:

How do I currently provide a challenging curriculum?

Future approach:

How will I provide a challenging curriculum in the future?

Introduction

‘Planning Lessons’ is one of the five perspectives of Friendly and Fair Teaching (FFT).

Figure 32: Planning lessons (overview)

Figure: Alternating between whole-class teaching and working independently

With the ‘Planning Lessons’ perspective, you alternate between two teaching approaches. You:

provide both structure and freedom;
create challenging lessons that make pupils enjoy working for you (whole-class teaching – ‘Teacher-Centred Education‘)”;
gradually give pupils more responsibility (independent work – ‘Student-Centred Education‘).

In this varied learning environment, there is no reason for pupils to disrupt the lesson.

By alternating between these two approaches, you prevent pupils from:

being completely dependent on you: you always teach the whole class (‘Teacher-Centred Education‘ only);
being completely dependent on themselves: you always ask pupils to work independently (‘Student-Centred Education‘ only).

Within a framework of structure and freedom, pupils develop into unique individuals who take responsibility in their own way and engage positively with your educational programme.

Education Medal

Education can therefore be compared to a medal with two sides: structure and freedom. According to FFT, a teacher who makes full use of both sides of education deserves an Education Medal.

1. Tour guide and Roadside assistance officer – two roles for a teacher

FFT links two roles to whole-class teaching and working independently:

‘Teacher-Centred Education‘ – whole-class teaching – Tour Guide
‘Student-Centred Education‘ – working independently – Roadside Assistance officer

How was this connection established?

1.1 An interview as the foundation

The roles of Tour Guide and Roadside Assistance were developed by FFT after reading an interview.

In this interview, Willemijn de Jong asked Dick Bruinzeel (then a board member of Jan Arentsz in Alkmaar):
How do you lead change when the final outcome is not yet fixed?

He responded:

At the start of this process, the metaphor emerged: from an organised trip to a trekking journey. This is a way of changing in which it is essential to create a shared understanding of what you are doing in the here and now. We do not have a route map, but we do have ambitions and a shared vision of what ‘good’ looks like. Together, we formulate starting points and guiding principles from which we can work: everything that fits within these is good. In this way, you also avoid treating symptoms.”

What does he mean by treating symptoms?

A school leadership team may address problems as they arise—for example, disappointing exam results. They may create plans to fix these specific issues. However, if these problems are merely symptoms of a deeper issue—such as a lack of trust or unresolved tensions within the teaching team—then the situation may worsen rather than improve.

Similarly, classroom disruptions may indicate deeper issues related to pupils’ psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, competence). If a teacher focuses only on suppressing disruptions without addressing these underlying needs, this too is symptom treatment.

Figure: Trekking Journey

Tour Guide: when teaching the whole class, you provide structure

When organising the (figurative) journey for your pupils, you take the lead in the role of Tour Guide.

Through Teacher-Centred Education—whole-class teaching—you take the initiative. In Teacher-Centred Education, the educational aims of Qualification and Socialisation take centre stage.

Figure: Tour Guide – Genie out of the bottle (overview)

An expressive attitude is appropriate when giving explanations.

Figure: Teacher in charge

The beret above the left column indicates that information follows about whole-class teaching.

Roadside Assistance Officer: when pupils work independently, you provide freedom

At the same time, you enable pupils to undertake a personal journey of discovery.

During Student-Centred Education—independent work—you partly hand over the initiative to your pupils. For pupils who encounter difficulties during their personal journey, you take on the role of Roadside Assistance Officer.

The educational aim of Subjectification (Personal Development) takes centre stage (see Educational Aims).

Figure 103: Roadside Assistance Officer – Genie in the Bottle (overview)

This image indicates that, during independent work, you coach your pupils as unobtrusively as possible.

Overview of all the roles you can take on as a teacher

Figure: Pupil in charge.

The cap above information in the right column indicates that information follows about working independently.

2. Freedom – Autonomy – Reponsibility

Ultimately, every pupil must stand on their own feet. You prepare pupils for that future by transferring knowledge in an inspiring way and by gradually giving them more responsibility.

The freedom to make decisions and act upon them contributes to a pupil’s development into adulthood. Creating something yourself, designing something, or shaping a project creates pride.

Therefore, within a structure determined by you, give pupils the freedom to:

make choices;
work at their own pace;
organise their own tasks;
assess their own work.

For core content, a pupil can test themselves using an app. Once a level has been achieved, the pupil demonstrates that level to you. Such assessment moments take very little of your time. Consider the advantages of assessing during lessons. Also consider alternative forms of assessment in which effort is valued more highly than results.

When introducing this way of working, make it clear that you are providing freedom and that you expect pupils to use that freedom responsibly.

If you discover a pupil’s talent, look within the school for opportunities to help them develop it further. A talent developed at school may first influence a pupil’s choice of study and may later determine their career path, social role and the responsibilities they take on within society.

Increasing intrinsic motivation helps pupils make educational choices. An intrinsically motivated student is more likely to complete their studies successfully.

Figure 106: Teacher searching for talent (overview)

You inspire your pupils (whole-class teaching) and ask them to alternate focused assignments with free assignments (working independently). In this way, your learning environment aligns with the way the brain works. You enable pupils to connect the information you provide with new information. This makes it possible for them to remember what they experience.

4. Examples

Quotes

To learn something, we must dare to accept that what we think we know, including our most deeply rooted convictions, may be wrong—or at least naïve: shadows on the walls of Plato’s cave.” Rovelli (2016), Carlo

Advice from FFT

With Modelling and Visual Thinging Strategie teachers report that pupils who previously did not participate begin engaging in discussions:

Modelling

Modelling is widely used in STEM subjects.

To apply this technique effectively, begin by formulating a research question. Then plan a number of lessons in which you explain the theory pupils need in order to answer that question.

Modelling begins with one or more lessons involving explanation (Teacher-Centred Education).
It then continues with one or more lessons in which each group has access to a whiteboard. Working together, each group seeks an answer to the research question you have formulated. To answer the question, pupils consult the notes from the lessons you have taught on the topic. While supporting the groups, you adopt the role of coach. During presentations, each group explains its findings using its whiteboard (Student-Centred Education).

Create new groups for each new research question so that pupils continue to meet different classmates and develop an increasing number of connections. See ‘Building Relationships‘.
This way of working aligns perfectly with the video above on how the brain works.

Visual Thinking Strategy

With this form of ‘Teacher-Centred Education‘, you invite pupils to look at an image. This may be a painting or an intriguing photograph.

You ask:

“What do you see?”

You then repeat, without judgement, what the pupil has said and ask:

“What else do you see?”

Pupils feel free to express themselves through this approach.

5. Summary

You alternate between ‘Teacher-Centred Education’ and ‘Student-Centred Education’.

In ‘Teacher-Centred Education’, you transfer knowledge, generate enthusiasm and inspire pupils in the subject. You also use the subject to bring pupils into contact with one another.
Your role is Tour Guide (INSPIRING – Spirit Out of the Bottle).
In Student-Centred Education, you provide a challenging learning environment. Pupils then work on assignments such as:
– a task linked to core content;
– a topic you have prepared;
– a topic they have devised themselves.
Your role is Roadside Assistance Officer / Coach (COACHING AND OBSERVING – Spirit in the Bottle).

With a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, combined with their own input, pupils become increasingly capable of directing their own learning process. This alternation motivates pupils and contributes to their personal development.

6. credits

Gert Biesta

Gert Biesta contributed ideas to the Lesson Content perspective of FFT. In an email to Johan ’t Hart in 2015, he wrote:

“It requires educational wisdom from the teacher, who always makes choices and decisions, introduces something new, and helps the young person free themselves from the logic of their own whims. An educational wisdom that allows for risk.”

Thanks to a remark by Gert Biesta, this website now maintains a balance between Teacher-Centred Education and Student-Centred Education.

Andries Visser

In a quotation from a book by Andries Visser, Kierkegaard indicates the type of reader for whom his books are intended: “It concerns, writes Kierkegaard, a reader who is convinced that every person must ultimately rely on themselves, and that this is the essential matter.” FFT develops this idea for teachers. If teachers are convinced that pupils will ultimately have to rely on themselves, this conviction will shape the way they teach.

Sliem el Ela

Sliem el Ela is a former pupil of Johan ’t Hart and works as a study coach. He explained how the brain functions. Johan and Sliem developed these insights further in the accompanying video.

Go to ‘Teacher-Centred Education’