Have you ever spent a lot of time writing out the *perfect* lesson plan, gathering materials, and setting things up just so….only have to it be a complete flop the next day? Or, maybe you found a picture book that you feel perfectly complements your current theme and the kids just have no interest in it? I’m not sure you can answer ‘no’ to either of those questions and actually be a real teacher 🤣
It happens to the best of us. Usually more than once.
When things don’t go as planned, what next? I’m here to tell you that you should never be afraid to just jump ship! Never tie yourself too tightly to anything you plan–if the ship sinks, you don’t want to go down with it. Flexibility is your life preserver–use it!
A well-designed play-based classroom is largely child-led. Teachers are there to facilitate and support. That does not mean that you should go into your day without a plan. You should be conducting various forms of ongoing assessment and using that information to drive your lesson plans so that you can target the skills your students need to work on. Your plans should serve as invitations for the children, but sometimes they don’t RSVP the way we expect them to.
Here are some key things to remember when a lesson plan goes awry:
Wrong Time, Wrong Kids
Your lesson plan might not be a disaster in and of itself, it just might not be the right time or for the right kids. Perhaps there was a competing interest in the classroom that drew more attention that day. Or maybe it was too easy or too advanced for the group of kids you are teaching. I have very different kids in my morning class vs. my afternoon class, and I learned quickly that what holds the attention of one group might not hold the attention of the other. I have to adjust my plans almost daily to accommodate the two groups of kids.
Too Rigid
*Your plan* may have been too rigid. Children like having choices and when a lesson plan or activity requires kids to participate in a certain way, they might be resistant.
-OR-
*You* might be too rigid. If the children steer their learning in a different direction, do you feel resistant to that? Do you insist on sticking to the plan, constantly trying to redirect attention back to where you think it should be?
Poor Execution
Sometimes it makes perfect sense in our head, but when it comes time to execute, it all comes out in a jumble. Execution can often be saved with a little bit of quick thinking. Have your students been sitting too long? Figure out a way to incorporate some movement. Are you doing too much talking? Ask an open-ended question and get the kids talking.
Not Interesting Enough
The nice thing about preschool is that we have lots of opportunities to teach to the interests of our kids–use that to your advantage. If you plan around themes and the topic has been exhausted before the end of the month, move on. If you start a month with a new theme and the kids don’t care about it (they’ll let you know!), move on.
So what now? At the end of the day, our goal is for learning to happen. If it’s not by way of the lesson plan you came to class with, that’s OK! Let the children lead–whatever skills you were targeting in your plan can be practiced in so many ways, and you might even be surprised at how well the kids interests line up with the original goal of your plan. Learn from your mistakes and be grateful for the successes you did have!