Hunter - 1 Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D. www.Readocity.com THE HUNTER LESSON PLAN FORMAT AND OTHER TEACHING RECIPES Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D. Minnesota State University, Mankato www.Readocity.com The Madeline Hunter lesson plan format was popular in the late 1970's and 1980's and is still being used today (Hunter, 1982; Hunter, 2004). Hunter's original purpose here was to provide a platform that would enable educators to have conversations about effective teaching. However, it quickly moved away from being a conversational platform to becoming a teaching recipe. Schools and teacher preparation programs began to use the seven elements described in Hunter’s model of instruction to observe and evaluate teachers (see Appendix A). Just Follow the Recipe The Hunter Direct Instruction Model (HDIM) is similar to other direct instruction models (see Appendix B). These models reduce the act of teaching to following a set of steps. These direct instruction models share a common assumption: If the steps are followed explicitly, the teacher can be assured that all students will learn. From this perspective, the solution for any teaching or learning problem is simple: Follow the recipe. Limitations of a Teaching Recipe As a general guide or scaffold, the Hunter lesson plan format can be of use, especially to beginning teachers (if it is flexibly applied). However, once it becomes a recipe it tends to inhibit more than enhance good teaching. Some of the limitations: 1. The Hunter lesson plan involves a form of direct instruction. While this type of teaching is effective for learning low level facts and skills, it is not very effective for higher level learning. 2. It is often claimed that the Hunter lesson plan format is research-based. This is a bit misleading. While research can be found to support each of the individual elements described above, putting seven research-based elements together in a single lesson plan format does not mean the lesson plan format itself is supported by research. It just means that it contains seven research-based elements. And while there is research to support the idea that planning enhances teacher effectiveness and student learning (Freiberg & Driscoll, 1992; Stringfield & Teddlie, 1991; Walberg, 1991); little research can be found to support one type of lesson plan format over another. That is, there is little if any research comparing the Hunter model to more heuristic lesson planning formats. 3. The Hunter lesson plan implies that there is a standardized teaching process. Trying to standardize the teaching process does not enable individual teachers to utilize their unique strengths. Neither does it recognize the diversity of learners with a wide range of abilities, interests, and learning styles. Despite this, many teacher preparation programs continue to mandate that certain teaching recipes be used for designing learning experiences. These same recipes are then used to observe and evaluate teachers and teaching episodes. 4. The Hunter lesson plan and other teaching recipes assume that effective teaching is merely a matter of addressing all the elements. While individual elements of the recipe might be necessary in certain teaching situations, all the elements are not always necessary nor are they always sufficient for designing effective learning experiences. That is, effective learning experiences can be created without many of these elements, and ineffective learning experiences can occur despite the inclusion of all of these elements.