I’ve noticed that whenever I go “off-script” from my lesson plan, my students end up more engaged and more informed than when I cling to every word and activity I had meticulously planned. I’d love to find out what it is—what magic dust sparks this moment where, finally, all eyes are locked in and all ears are perked up. Partly, I think it’s the students’ intuition, something they seem to have in excess. I think they can tell when “something’s happening,” and they can read the excitement and passion—that basic desire to communicate truth—on their teacher’s face. Simultaneously, I think it’s the teacher’s instinct, which probably could be called their relational muscle. The teacher knows when that teaching-learning connection is broken and needs a jolt, stat. And yet, I’m not sure these explanations are enough. I still think, somehow, when you wander off the path, there’s a little magic mist that creeps under the door and through the window, that weaves between chair legs and backpacks, that covers the room as if it were the base of a mountain; like the mist of a mountain, too, I think it makes for a beautiful and encouraging view, especially for the tired and weary.
Whenever I go “off-script” from my lesson plan, my students end up more engaged and more informed.
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What do you think? Do your classes go better or worse when you veer away from your lesson plan? I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice.
Write with a Point 