Lesson planning has benefits for both teachers and students. Effective lesson plans include descriptions of students, aims and objectives, procedures, potential problems, extra materials, and the material to be used. It is important to engage students at the beginning of a lesson to focus their attention and motivate learning. Teachers should vary their openings, avoid routine tasks, and ensure the opening connects to the main lesson. Lesson planning also considers student and teacher talk time, learner-centered versus curriculum-centered approaches, and formats like goals, materials, stages, and evaluation. Differentiating instruction addresses multiple intelligences, emotional intelligence, and preferred learning modalities.