David,
My experience is there are basically two purposes for back-up plans. One is when for whatever reason we can't do as planned and need to having something that can be substituted so students and instructor time is not wasted. The other purpose is as a way to better engage students. I think a variety of activities each day helps keep interest and makes for a more enjoyable learning experience.
Barry Westling
When as an instructor you hit the proverciasl brick wall with your students and the majority of them are not grasping the concepts. A different approach is neccesary or you jeopardize your authority as an instructor. once authority is lost you will have a difficult time restoring the trsut and faith your students have in you. Therefore a backup plan is needed. this plan may not need to be a detailed process but possibly a list of methods that can be tried to reach the students.
Jimin,
Good plan.Student questions or taking more (or less) time to present a topic sometimes presents timing challenges. Back-up or alternative activities assure we will never waste students time with "fillers", nor rush critical learning topics.
Barry Westling
I always back up my teaching methods with some extra class work that can be shorten or lengthen. This way, I can use those extra class work to manage the time but also make student more interested into the class when they start to get away.
Lynette,
The cool thing about involving students in group discussions is they usually have to think more about what they have to say. When their thoughts are centered around course material, we've suddenly discovered an effective way to engage students.
Barry Westling
This is one of my favorite techniques as well. Through group discussion, the students get to know each other better as they discuss the topic.They are not only solidifying their knowledge of that particular concept, but they are learning to enhance their interpersonal and communication skills as well - so important in the working world.
Karla,
Reviews are always a good back-up activity. I've found that material previously covered can always be reviewed over and over again, as rarely is a student able to retain all they need to know in one sitting.
Barry Westling
Douglas,
Right. Low tech. Also something related to the topic, something that can be pulled off the shelf and implemented quickly, and interesting and meaningful for the students.
Barry Westling
As I prepare my lessons I usually create back up material that is review of what was already covered. This helps when an issue arise and I need to make a quick change. I also try to create projects and other fun like assignments that pertain to the lesson as fillers.
Almost all instructors use some form of technology. Technology WILL not work at some point during a course. You need a low tech solution when this happens.
Carl,
Actually, what you are doing is applying student centered learning, which is an effective way to instruct students.
Barry Westling
We do not have the option to pretest our students and we have a wide variety of backgrounds coming to my classes. This forces me to teach a small portion followed by an activity to determine the students understanding with different levels of assistance for those with knowledge gaps.
Nicole,
Great. Preparing for the unexpected or needed change-up in delivery to keep students engaged is a terrific way to maintain focus, keep interest, and insure all of the allocated time is used effectively.
Barry Westling
An instructional back up plan is so important when teaching adult learners. In my classroom I tend to utilize my back up plan when I see my class drifting. When the topic being covered isn't holding the student's attention I need to go to plan B and sometimes even C.
Tamara,
Anyone who has ever lost a computer file due to failure to save it will recognize the benefit of having back-up plans for their lessons. Having several hours of instruction ruined because of computer glitches, burned-out LCD projector bulb, classroom occupied by others, misplaced curriculum binder, or a missing folder normally stored on the computer is really preventable by some proactive planning in advance. In these instances, these back-up plans are worth their weight in gold!
Barry Westling
Back up plans are a must. I've been caught once with not having a backup plan and its a disaster. So you definitely learn from your mistakes. I was using internet and Powerpoints presentations when the computer stopped working. Having an outline of your lesson plan or paperwork is needed for backup plan.
Joseph,
Great! When continusouly checking for understanding, we assure that we don't go too far into the lesson before verifying students are aligned with our tempo and delivery of information.
Barry Westling
Checking for understanding is something I do consistently in lecture. I am always prepared with a second or third example of the objective to discuss to bring everyone around to comprehension.
Jason,
Yes, we are never sure what each day will bring, and a good back up plan can be a literal life saver when whatever was planned cannot occur for whatever reason.
Barry Westling
Over the years I had to learn the hard way that I need a back up plan. I have taught the same course multiple times and our changing student population and skills often have very different completion times. So I now have extra assignments to use just in case.
