Robert Burns captured the essence of lesson planning in his line, “Best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men” often go awry. It is perhaps a little discouraging to think that we spend all of our time planning out these carefully detailed lessons, only to have an unscheduled fire drill at the start of the period, or to lose the computer lab or library space we were hoping to use, or to simply misjudge a 45 minute activity as something we could have done in 10.
Technology, for all its power and glory, usually is the culprit. Some of my most grandiose plans have been built on some wonderful device or program or website, and in my moment of greatest vulnerability they have let me down. I remember planning one fun activity with a website where students were asked to video record a short thirty second response to a poem I had posted. The video recordings would surround the poem on the screen, and students could then view the responses of their peers by simply clicking on one of those recordings. I had checked to make sure that the computers in that lab HAD cameras ahead of time. But what I had not anticipated was that the school had disabled the cameras on the computers for reasons of security! Oops!
But, I’ve also had non-technology related struggles. One time, the power went out for two hours, and we had to sit in the hall under the emergency lights! Or the time that I had planned to start a novel. . . but had completely forgotten to retrieve them from storage ahead of time. And then there is of course the many times I had hoped to have a class discussion for 20-30 minutes but could not get anyone to talk and was left with an extra 15 minutes.
One helpful modification has been the use of managed independent work time. Setting aside that 20-25 minutes for each class to read, write, and think each day means that students do not see it as abnormal. So if something goes awry with my original activity, I can simply redirect them into work time on our current inquiry project, choice novel, or book. It is also good to have an article on hand to simply use as Plan C. With three different preps, I usually have a “hot topic” article that applies to some relevant local or national issue. And it certainly does not take much to link the reading of that article back to one of our standards for the class.
Here are some other tips for “Plan B” options.
Step Back and Consider the Bigger Picture. In the moment, it is easy to get caught in the details of a lesson, to become flustered because a particular web feature or element of the activity is not working out. Take a step back and consider the bigger lesson here. Was that website or feature the essence of the lesson? Most likely not. And if it was, go off script. As Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) explains, if option A is no longer an option, then you just have to kick the shit out of option b. And that is okay. Some of my best, most inspired lessons plans were actually born of desperation!
Own the Mistake. Taking big chances with a class and trying something new is exciting. Sometimes, I am transparent with my vulnerability. I’ll tell them that I’ve never done this particular activity before and that I’m not really sure how (or if) it’s going to work. I have found that students actually enjoy that as a challenge. I have also found that when I have grossly misjudged an activity or lesson and it goes poorly, I simply own it. I tell students that it really was not what I had planned and that I am sorry for the mistake. Most of the time, students are amused by the situation. I think it humanizes me a little in their eyes.
Show Mercy. Usually the worst critic in the room is myself. My time in class is valuable. I know that it is important, and that I need to make the most of it. So when I lose part of a day, I can get upset. In these moments, show yourself some mercy. Messing up early in the day is not the worst thing. You adjust for the next period and move ahead without looking back. Brooding over the mistake or the mess only compounds the mistake or the mess. And sometimes the best pedagogical choice you can make is to forgive yourself and move ahead.
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