Being Over-Prepared
I make it a point to have a fallback activity/lesson plan in my back pocket.
What happens:
if the projector bulb goes out?
if the computers don't compute?
the planned student presentation isn't prepared?
etc., etc. etc.
I'd rather have too many plans than not enough.
You bring up a good point, rigidity. Most classrooms are not set up as lecture halls. Today's teaching style requires interaction in order to maintain the interest of the student.
I depend on student participation to confirm that the subject is not only understood but that the student can apply the new knowledge. The unpredictability of a student's comment requires flexibility on my part.
Forcing deadlines does not allow all the students the opportunity to keep up.
Hi Matthew,
Right you are about death by PowerPoint. It has happened to all us sometime during our student careers. By being over prepared you can quickly make adjustments to reflect the needs of the students that day. This is a great feeling to have knowing you can go any direction you need to and you have the content to back it up.
Gary
Hi Tiffany,
As a beginning teacher I was there, meaning too much class and not enough material. Don't ever want to be there again. This is why your points are so good. Preparation reduces dependence on antacids I can tell you for sure.
Gary
All good/necessary ideas.
I have to admit that reading your thread title I thought this would be about not being to rigid. I find that students are bored when the delivery seems "too canned". It's one of the reasons I make a strong attempt to avoid over-powerpointing my classes. Remembering back to being a student myself, I had professors who simply threw presentations on the overhead and read them. I usually tuned them out 2 minutes into the lecture.
I absolutely believe that you can never be too prepared. No one would disagree that having "options" is wonderful thing when it comes to teaching. I always have a some extra exercises and such if things go faster or if the students take the discussion in a different direction. I would rather have more option than hit a brick wall and not have enough material to fill the class period.
Yes, absolutely several back up options are the key to staying calm. I've found it helpful to go into class with a plan A but assuming that something will come up and plan B WILL be used. For example, I'll plan on showing a video clip to enhance the topics we'll discuss that day, but I'll also have some handouts with a relevant activity ready. That way if there's a problem getting the clip to play I just give the students the handout to do. There's never any waste because if the clip plays, the handout activity is easily converted into a short answer or essay question for the next exam. It's sort of like I'm preparing the exams as the course moves along.
I agree with all of the posts...in my last class I required one student per week to bring in a relevant news article to discuss. I always had one prepared in case they forgot. The articles were great means of generating classroom discussion.
Hi Janette,
Good point. I know I like to have several backup options available to me to give me peace of mind when I approach the classroom. By knowing I have a backup I can make changes on the fly if I need to and I don't get a case of the nerves because something isn't working and I don't know what to do to fix it.
Gary
I would not call that over-prepared, I would call that perfect planning! Even if something "bad" does not happen, it is always good to have several avenues open. Some classes are able to grasp the material very quickly and are able to then move into other learning activities. If an instructor is not prepared with these additional activities there is wasted class time.
Hi Steve,
Your plan is the only way to teach. Without a back up plan you will spend too much money on antacids. Because you are going to have an upset stomach plus a headache as you try to work through the problem that has disrupted your planned class.
Gary
