ABSTRACT
When you observe teaching in the classroom, which often looks easy and seamless, you are
only seeing one part of an effective teacher’s practice. Most of what effective teachers do
is unseen, and that is the planning and preparation which goes into successful classroom
practice. Planning is often thought of by student teachers as a time-consuming requirement,
a bit of a nuisance but has to be done to satisfy tutors and mentors. This is far from the
truth; lesson planning is a complex, intellectual and creative activity.
