Unplanned Lessons: Follow Your Plan? Psh, Follow the Students!
Instead of Lesson Plan, what about Lesson Unplanned? Times are changing and with that, so should our mindset (not could, should ). It is so easy to teach the way we were taught, or to have things go well once and never seek out another method ever again. More and more teachers are embracing students’ input in the classroom. There is an uncomfortable power shift happening from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom. We tend to fear the unknown (taste of a new food, where that spider went … ?, different cultures, etc.). Once we experience something new a time or two, that fear dies down and we feel more comfortable trying new things. It’s that first hurdle that’s the toughest. How many times have you heard in your classroom something like, “I don’t like this,” or “Can we learn this instead (or someday)?” At this point, do you ignore it, or run with it? Students are trying to subtly tell you that what you’re doing isn’t working for them. If you’ve