TESL 0100: Unit 6 Reflection - Lesson Planning for the Unexpected
TESL 0100 Unit 6
Reflection: Lesson Planning for the Unexpected
This week’s readings focused around
the mechanics of lesson planning and how to structure one that will effectively
address the students’ needs. On that note, I would like to talk about planning
for the unexpected. Although I do not have much experience in lesson planning,
one thing I have learned is that it involves a lot more calculated guestimates and
predictions than I had initially expected! While there is research and plenty
of resources to guide teachers in their lesson planning, there are still many
unknown variables that teachers must address; variables that do not always have
clear cut answers. Will my students find this activity difficult? Will this
keep them engaged? When should I correct my students? The list goes on and on. There
seems to always be some element of uncertainty.
With all that said, I think that is
a good thing. In fact, I think that it is essential that teachers must
anticipate the unexpected and prepare for it. What this means is that teachers
cannot simply apply a premade, one-size fits all lesson plan to their class but
must adapt it specifically to the needs of their students. While having a
one-size fits all mentality can make the process of lesson planning easier, it
fails to account for the here and now of the lesson. Not surprisingly, each
student has different needs, and these needs can and do change over time. What
might work in one class may not go over so well in another classroom. Therefore,
even the best of lesson plans must be modified and adapted while its being
carried out.
Fortunately, teachers can prepare
for this by using several techniques. First, teachers can plan additional/alternative
activities as back up when things do not go according to plan. Say for instance
the Wi-Fi stops working and renders your YouTube video useless, if you have a
back up activity to anticipate this hiccup, you can proceed without much trouble.
Another thing teachers can do to anticipate the unexpected is think of possible
areas within the lesson plan where students might struggle and come up with
solutions to address those issues. This then eliminates having to act off the
cuff (although teachers will inevitably have to do this to a certain degree anyway,
but this becomes one less thing to worry about!). By doing this, the teacher
can prepare a better answer for the students compared to simply thinking of one
on the spot. As a novice teacher, I know that being flexible to adapt to the
unexpected has really helped take some stress off my shoulders!
To
conclude this blogpost, I’d like to leave this question: “What can we learn
from our students?” As teachers adapt and plan for the needs of their students,
I imagine its only natural that they learn from their students. In fact, I’d
argue that teachers learn just as much from their students as students learn
from their teacher. The classroom is truly a two-way street!
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