When I develop backup plans, I'm thinking of different activities that will appeal to different students, keeping in mind that everyone learns differently. I like to have a hands-on activity that will enhance whatever the lesson is or maybe a group activity so that the students get the benefit of hearing from their classmates on a personal level. I also have a good reinforcing game that appeals to most students and helps to bring them together. Some of these things I have come up with on my own and others I have devised after talking with colleagues and others.
Hi Cindy:
Great! You've addressed an age old problem that appears you've achieved some success with. Wonderful.
Sometimes, I think you can learn quite a bit about your students with some of these "change-up" activities. For instance, you might find that the guy who never talks in the regular class session actually has somerting to say, given an environment conducive to open discussion. Good Job!
Regards, Barry
When students seem a bit bored, maybe falling asleep in their seats, and I feel the need of a plan B, I find that sometimes with one or two probing questions I can get a pretty good class discussion going on the topic at hand. The students sharing with each other is a great way to enhance the lesson, and making them a part of the learning process seems to wake them up.
Hi Richard:
Yes - all of the named snafu's can complicate and frustrate the day's agenda. A good back-up plan will be related to the failed lesson plan and can be implemented in a nearly seamless fashion.
Regards, Barry
Developing back up plans for each day of instruction can be essential to a productive learning environment. I have a set amount of time each day that the students are in class. Using that finite time frame I establish alternative lessons that accommodate for varying possibilities such as; computer or projector failure, power outage, and training aid failure just to name a few.
Hi Patrick:
You've got a method that seems to work for you. I've found that PPT handouts work best when they're presented along with the PPT slides.
Regards, Barry
Hi Patrick:
Yes, good back-up plans work.
Regards, Barry
That sounds a very good method..
back up plan is based on the time we have for the class. In case of lack of time for Power point presentation I give the print out of the course for the student to review and we study it at the next class.
Hi Michael:
Sometimes, your back up plan requires something other than deleting course material. It may involve rescheduling, sustituting choice of media, or refocusing the lesson to fit the situation. That said, you are fortunate that there is extra information that can presented or not depending on the situation.
Regards, Barry
Oftem my class schedule is interupted by emergancys of holidays. I have the luxury of being able to delete some corse material not as important as other subjects. Thus my back up plan is always at the ready.
The students change every three weeks. I usually vary my delivery using various medias in order to accomodate each group. The backup plan is built in.
Hi Amanda:
I like the IDARE method - simplistic but effective!
Planning nearly always provides positive results. Planning for "Plan-B" is part of that process. Seems minor until that day comes when you have to rely on it. Then it's a life saver!
Regards, Barry
While I was attending college and learning to become a teacher, I had a professor who taught us a specific approach when we created our lesson plans. The approach was called the IDARE approach. Introduction, Development, Application, Review, Evaluation. In the Introduction phase, we were to list possible problems that we might encounter and how to fix the problems if they might happen before or during the lesson.
The key is to plan ahead. You just never know what could happen. I have had projectors not work and had to use the chalkboard (YUCK!). Videos didn't work, but luckily I had my lessons planned for the week and could switch days so that the video was able to be viewed the next day.
Hi Steven:
Great idea! Good communication relies on thinking about your target audience. So your back-up plans address alternatives to presenting lesson material.
Regards, Barry
I look at the information/concepts that I'm trying to get the students to grasp and think of another way it can be presented. That way if my "plan A" method is derailed for some reason I will of already thought of a "plan B". A "plan C" may also be a possibility. If the information I had planned to present is not critical for the next lesson I can skip to that next lesson and come back later.
Hi Shafi:
Good plans, all.
Regards, Barry
PPT presentations, Blackboard, Chalkboard, Group Discussions, Modular assignments. Group Discussions.
Worksheets are great! I have my students identify the various parts of the kitchen equipment focusing on proper use and care. They also identify the diverse spices used in the kitchen.
I have to use Plan B many times because of diverse reasons and I try to switch into this mode as effortlessly as possible so that I do not alarm the students. If I do not have the productas for the demo for that day and I have for another day, I may switch them out or I switch to lecture mode focusing on what would have been demonstrated.
