No Series: Go With the Flow: Plan and Adjust

Go With the Flow: Plan and Adjust

Lesson Objective: Adjust plans to meet the needs of the class
All Grades / All Subjects / Planning
2 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. Why are planning and flexibility both important?
  2. What does Ms. Wessling mean when she calls this process "mucky"?
  3. How can you identify the right times to "go with the flow" in your classroom?

31 Comments

  • Private message to Brooke Turulski

Why are planning and flexibility both important?

Planning is important becuase it let's individuals prepare for what they are doing. A person will be more prepared for what they are doing if it is prepared ahead. Flexibility is important becasue somthing may come up while in a lesson or the day that needs to be addressed but may not be in the lesson. 

How can you identify the right times to "go with the flow" in your classroom?

I idenitfy when to "go with the flow," by what the children's reactions are to the activity/lesson. If they seem confused or uninterested, I will change up the activity to fit what I think would benefit the students in that moment.

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  • Private message to Shelley Smith

It is essential to be prepared, but it is also very necessary to be willing to go off-road.  Sometimes the best laid plans have to become a Plan 'B'.  It is far more important to take advantage of any situation and meet the students where you are able.

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  • Private message to Samantha George
  1. Planning is important because it prepares you for how you want to deliver the content and facilitate the activities.  However, flexibility is important because disruptions are natural.  Teachers must be present with their students to ensure that their needs are being met, this may mean straying from the original plan and that is ok.
  2. Ms. Wessling says this process is "mucky" because there is no clear process.  In order to be flexible we must be present in the moment with our students and this will look different each day and in each classroom.  
  3. It is appropriate to 'go with the flow' in your classroom when something occurs that is unexpected and/or beyond our control.  We must take it for what it is and go with it.  This show students that we are human.
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  • Private message to Julie Davis

  1.  Lesson planning is important so that teacher has all material that is needed to teach and has thought about different strategies to deliver instuction to meet the needs of all students.  Flexibiltiy is important as the teacher is observing the students  modifications can be made.

2. I believe she is saying the process is "mucky" because every class, different students change the pace of the lesson and sometimes the process changes and it's ok as long as the students are learning.

3.  You can identify the  right time to "go with the flow" when active learning is taking place.

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  • Private message to Madison Battle
  1. Why are planning and flexibility both important?

Planning for instruction is important so you can be prepared and intentional with your lessons. Flexibility is important because things dont always go according to those plans that you make and you need to be able to adapt.

2.What does Ms. Wessling mean when she calls this process "mucky"?

Ms. Wessling uses the term "mucky" to describe time managment  because although she has an outlined plan of what she wants her instruction to look like, she also knows things come up and she wants to be present and engaged with her students. 

3. How can you identify the right times to "go with the flow" in your classroom?

It is appropriate to "go with the flow" in your classroom if something happens that you cannnot control or if a learning opportunity arises that the students benefit from. As Ms. Wessling  says, "If you payed attention to your students and they are learning, then dont panic. Be present".
 

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Transcripts

  • [00:00]
    Interviewer: [Music sounds]. All righty, folks, we are running short on time. I tell ya what we're gonna do.

    Time

    [00:00]
    Interviewer: [Music sounds]. All righty, folks, we are running short on time. I tell ya what we're gonna do.

    Time management is always tricky [laughter]. [Ringing sound].

    Give me about one minute, okay? [Ticking sound].

    I always run out of time. I could always use ten more minutes or another whole class period.

    Wait, hang on, hang on. I know. I know. I know. You're being good to me. [Ringing sound].

    So I always put a schedule up on the board on Mondays. This is what we're gonna do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. [Whooshing sound]. I will tell you it hardly ever—I hardly ever actually do what the schedule says because I'm trying to pay attention to them. It's not easy. It's mucky.

    So you've put a lot out on the table, right? You've put a lot up here, a lot of different ideas. I kinda want to try to pull it together a little bit.

    You're kinda wading in the muck, and ya think ya know where you're going, and then they kind of throw you a curve ball. You've got to change, and it's okay. [Music sounds].

    We are gonna continue to talk about these text structures tomorrow at the beginning of class [cross talk 01:04]. [Music sounds].

    I'll just have to figure it out tonight and figure out how we're gonna do it differently tomorrow or how this changes the schedule.

    [Music sounds]. Wonderful. You did a nice job.

    So the advice is when the time is ticking down and you have three minutes left of class, and you realize all you got done was one of the three things that you had hoped to, if you paid attention to your students, and they're learning, then don't panic.

    [Music sounds]. Nice job, guys.

    [01:30] [Music sounds]. Be present.

    [End of Audio].

School Details

Johnston Senior High School
6500 Northwest 100th Street
Johnston IA 50131
Population: 1668

Data Provided By:

greatschools

Teachers

teachers
Sarah Brown Wessling
English Language Arts / 10 11 12 / Teacher