Input Output ESL Lesson Plan
When I first started teaching, I really struggled with planning lessons—that is, until I discovered the ESA lesson plan. It’s still my number one go-to lesson plan. But after a few years of teaching, I was given more complex classes, and my typical ESA structure wasn’t working as well. So I moved onto the Input/Output lesson plan, and this has become another invaluable tool in my arsenal.
What is the input/output lesson plan?
First, what is input/output? In education, input vs. output refers to what students do with information. Input is what we generally think of when we think about teaching. It’s the teacher sharing information, introducing new topics, and going deeper into a topic. It’s as if the teacher is giving information, and the students are downloading it.
Output is what students do with the new knowledge and information they’ve received. For example, a teacher may teach a new grammar concept (input), and students will complete grammar exercises in a textbook (output).
Doing an input/output lesson compared to an ESA lesson allows the teacher more time to discuss and teach, which is perfect for more complicated topics and lessons.
So how to do you set up an input/output lesson plan?
Simple. Just divide your lesson in half. Make the first half of your lesson input and let the students do output for the second half.
For example, if I’m teaching a speech class, I’ll teach students about intonation and pausing in the first half of the lesson. We’ll discuss how intonation actually works with a native speaker and learn how to pause naturally. They might repeat after me to practice intonation or we might analyze punctuation in a sentence to know where to pause. In the second half of the lesson, they’ll practice performing a speech, paying careful attention to pausing and intonation.
If I’m teaching a negotiation class, I’ll teach students some techniques about bargaining. Then, in the second half, I’ll give them a simulation, and they’ll practice negotiating using the techniques they learned.
If I’m teaching a writing class, I’ll teach students how to outline a persuasive essay. In the second half, they’ll practice the structure by writing an essay themselves.
Of course, you can always adjust this as necessary. Maybe your lesson plan isn’t split exactly down the middle as 50/50. Maybe you need to do 60% input, 40% output. Or maybe you can do 30% input and save 70% of the time for output. When you have a more complex lesson, the input/output system is a great place to start!
If you’re curious about the ESA lesson plan, then you can read all about it here: https://www.atlasteaching.com/lesson-planning/perfectesllesson