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How Backward Design Lesson Planning Helped Me Focus on Student Learning

Writer's picture: TalTal

Updated: Jan 20


Backward Design Lesson Planning
Become More Student Focused with the Backwards Design Lesson Plan Approach

 

Unlocking Deeper Learning: A Simple Guide to Backward Design Lesson Planning

 

Have you ever sat down to plan a lesson, ready to dive into teaching a topic, only to realize that you’re not exactly sure what you want your students to walk away with? I’ve been there many times. I’d sit down to plan a lesson, about a topic I’ve taught a thousand times, and I’d plan the activities and handouts, and find that one video I knew they’d love. But when it came time to put it all together, I realized I was just teaching stuff, not necessarily making sure my students were taking away something meaningful from the lesson.


I discovered the backward design lesson plan method, which helped me shift my focus from how I was going to teach to how my students would learn. It helped me think more intentionally about what my students needed to take away from each lesson and how the activities and teaching methods could serve those learning outcomes rather than just delivering a topic.


 

What is The Backward Design Lesson Plan Method?


Backward design lesson planning represents a powerful shift in how we approach lesson planning. Instead of beginning with a topic, we start by asking: What do I want my students to understand by the end of this lesson?


I’ve always considered learning outcomes, of course, but backward design changed my approach. The outcomes stopped being an afterthought or an automated action — they became the foundation, the core. It’s not about fitting the lesson to a standard or simply covering a topic. It’s about starting with intentionality: knowing precisely what I want my students to walk away with.


Once I had that clarity, the rest of the lesson naturally followed. I could design activities, assessments, and discussions that directly supported those outcomes. Each component of the lesson had a clear purpose, focused on helping students reach the lesson’s learning goals. No more random tasks just because they seemed fun or because I saw them on an Instagram reel—everything became purposeful and aligned.


It’s like building a house. Instead of starting with the walls (the topic), I begin with the blueprint (the learning goals). Once I know what I want my students to grasp, I can build everything around that clear vision.


 

How to Plan A Lesson With The Backwards Design Approach?


What does backward design lesson planning look like? Here are the three core steps to help you get started:


  1. Start with the Learning Outcomes: In traditional lesson planning, I would start with a topic—like "The Boston Tea Party"—and build the lesson around it. I’d gather facts, activities, and ideas, but they weren’t always aligned with a specific learning outcome. With backward design, you flip that approach. You begin by asking: What do I want my students to understand by the end of this lesson? For example, if I delivered a lesson about the Boston Tea Party, I’d set an objective that students would understand the concept of political representation.


  1. Plan Assessments: After setting objectives, the backward design approach emphasizes the importance of planning how to assess student understanding. This goes beyond simply giving pop quizzes at the end of a lesson; it involves finding diverse ways throughout the lesson to gauge what students understand and to what extent they meet the objectives you've established.  The aim is to evaluate understanding through various formative assessments, including worksheets, peer work, group discussions, and self-reflection.


  1. Intentional Activities: After setting clear outcomes and determining how to assess understanding, the backward design approach emphasizes choosing activities that intentionally support those goals. This method makes it easier for us, as teachers, to pick fun and engaging activities that align with what we want our students to learn. And just to be clear, it doesn’t mean our lessons can’t be enjoyable because we are overly outcomes-focused. I found that it often motivates me to come up with creative and exciting activities that students love!



 

Why Is Backward Design So Hard to Implement?


Okay, let’s be real—backward design sounds fantastic, but it’s not always a walk in the park. There are a couple of hurdles that make it tricky:


  1. It Takes Time (But It’s Worth It!) - Designing a lesson from the end backward takes more thought and planning upfront. But trust me, it’s worth it. You might spend a bit more time in the beginning, but in the long run, your lessons will be more focused and effective. And you’ll spend less time fixing confusing, disjointed lessons later.


  2. Defining Clear Objectives Can Be Tricky - Sometimes, it’s hard to pin down precisely what you want students to learn, especially when you’re teaching abstract concepts or complex topics. The key is to make your objectives specific, measurable, and meaningful. If you're struggling, try breaking down the objective into smaller chunks or ask yourself, "What do I want students to be able to do with this knowledge in the future?"


  3. Balancing Structure with Creativity - Backward design gives you structure, but some teachers worry it will stifle creativity. Not true! Once you’ve got the clear outcomes and assessments in place, you have the freedom to get creative with how you guide students toward those goals. You can still use group projects, student-led discussions, and inquiry-based activities—all while staying focused on the objective.



 

Final Thoughts: It’s About the Students, Not the Stuff

What I also love about backward design is that it’s student-centered. It’s not about how I’m delivering the content—it’s about what my students will take away from it. It’s about ensuring that every part of the lesson—from activities to assessments—aligns with the big ideas I want my students to grasp. It’s a way to be more intentional with my teaching, focusing on the student’s learning process rather than just the content delivery.


When you’re planning your next lesson, try starting with the main ideas you want your students to grasp. Then, you can work backward from that point. I promise this will make your teaching more focused and help your students really understand the material.


If you’re new to backward design, don’t worry—it gets easier the more you use it! Just pick one lesson to start with, set some clear learning goals, and then plan your activities and assessments around those goals. Before you know it, this approach will feel like second nature, and you’ll see just how purposeful and engaging your lessons can become! Happy teaching!



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