You may think there are few curriculum decisions you as a new teacher have to make. With State standards, mandatory texts and subject area guidelines, what choices are left? Plenty! As the teacher, you are responsible for what is taught in your classroom. You determine how to organize the information, how much time to devote to concepts as well as how to present the material. To improve your lesson plans, use these tips to help you plan what you will teach your students. Repeat instructional strategies that are successful. If a game works to help students review for a test, use it in future lesson plans and look for new ways to use game strategies for instruction, review and assessment. Develop and then listen to your intuition. As you get to know your students better, you will be more "intuned" to their interests and their abilities. Use this knowledge to better plan how much time to devote to certain concepts, when your students need a creative break, and for help in encouraging and motivating them throughout each lesson. Infuse opportunities for critical thinking in all phases of your lesson, especially in assignments and assessments. For more information, click here to review higher-order thinking skills. Create connections for your students that help them see the relevance between what goes on in class and their personal lives. Keep your eyes and ears open to new ideas for improving your lesson plans. Ideas can come from colleagues, research and other resources. Don't forget that great ideas from content areas other than those you teach might be an inspiration to you. Be flexible. The best lesson plans on paper may still need to be modified due to interruptions and all kinds of unforeseen events. Your ability to make changes, be sensitive to your students' situations, and keep the class on the path to progress helps both you and your students to be successful.