Phil Beadle's 14 steps for a perfect lesson involve identifying a technical part of the subject that is often avoided, copying the Wikipedia entry on it into the lesson plan, taking notes on it over tea, adding images and activities to a PowerPoint presentation, and considering how to engage different types of students. The goal is to create a narrative structure and make the learning physical, paired, and individual.

1. Phil Beadle’s 14 Steps for a Perfect Lesson
1. Don’t have a full time job. If you are to teach a perfect lesson,
then the first thing you must ensure is that you are not a full time
teacher. Full time teachers haven’t got the time to teach perfect
lessons. It’s only gurus who can do this because gurus don’t have
pigeonholes to check.
2. Identify the technical part of the subject that everyone avoids
because they are scared of it. What is it about this particular
subject that you don’t know? If you don’t know it there’s little
chance that your students already know it.
3. Cut and paste the Wikipedia entry about it onto your lesson plan
4. Print it out, and take it with you as you go and have a cup of tea.
Enjoy the process of making the tea, and do make sure that you
leave the bag in for a little longer than normal, as then the tea will
really revive you. (You may also want to make yourself a bit of
bread and jam. Perhaps even toast it).
5. When drinking your tea sit with the printed Wikipedia entry and
a red pen. Read it, and take notes as to what you understand
about the knowledge. Don’t stress.
6. Go back to your computer and type up your notes – noting any
ideas you have for lesson activities.
7. Go onto Google and do an image search on “Name of subject +
cartoon.” If there’s anything funny stick it in a Powerpoint.
8. Stay on Google and search for a further image of “Name of
subject.” Harvest any images that resonate and stick ‘em in the
Powerpoint.
9. You now have the key parts of a narrative, but they are not in the
correct order. Reorder them.
10. Using the Powerpoint as the narrative of the lesson, insert three
activities that the kids do themselves.
11. Check if there is any way of making the learning physical. If there
is bung this in.
12. Make the first activity paired, the second in fours and the third
individual.
13. Fill in your lesson plan, asking yourself what you are going to do
that is special for 1. The underachieving kid, 2. The bright kid, 3.
Lukasz (who has just arrived from Poland).
14. Rehearse what could go wrong.