As I think about how to plan, when you don’t know what to plan for, I consider the things that are important, no matter the circumstances. These are the things I know must happen in order for any kind of learning to take place. What are the things you know to be absolutely necessary, and how will those things be accomplished?
We are getting used to this idea that we don’t know anything. Everything has been turned upside down, and we just don’t know what to expect. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, let alone next week, next month, or next year.
Why We Plan
Planning feels good. It gives you a sense of control. There is so much great advice out there about failing to plan or planning to fail. But what about planning when we don’t have any idea of what to expect?
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
Yogi Berra
Planning is a significant part of the school year. Teachers must have some sort plan in place before the year even begins. Lesson plans not only provide a structure for learning, but also ensure that teachers and students are working toward purposeful, meaningful outcomes.
What is most important?
Relationships are the absolute bedrock in any setting where people are asked to take risks, discuss meaningful topics, make connections, open their minds, etc. Without a doubt, there must be a foundation of trust, and a sense of healthy community in any learning environment before we can expect any meaning to be made. Wholesome relationships make space for each participant to be seen, heard, and valued. They are not perfect, nor do they require only positive interactions.
Defining what is most important is the easy part.
The big question teachers ask themselves all year is: “How will I create an environment in my classrooms that ensures students know they are valued for who they are, and that they are expected to grow and learn?”
How will it be done?
The how of ‘getting things done’ must be embedded in the ‘what needs to be done’. We have determined that relationships and community are the most important whats. These two things are the foundation in which we build our structures for lessons, and living, in our classrooms. By thinking in this way, we also emphasize the importance of process over product.
Despite what your “classroom” will look like in the coming year, your lesson structures should be predictable. What we want is for students to focus on the content, not the structure. We must be so consistent in our structures in such a way that they become almost invisible.
Predictable Structures
From the very first day, students must be introduced to your lesson structures. We all know that our first couple of weeks of school are reserved for building relationships and communities. Why wouldn’t you do this with the very same structure you would to teach any content?
If every lesson is to be built upon strong relationships and community, then your lesson structure should begin this way. The philosophy behind your lesson structure sends a message to your students about what you expect from them, and what you believe about them.
If you never give your students time to work independently, you are telling them you don’t trust them with the material. If the majority of your students cannot work independently without getting distracted, there is something to be considered about how you have set them up to be able to do so.
The Workshop Model
The workshop model has been my favorite structure for lesson planning for all of the reasons I’ve already mentioned above and more. The very nature of this structure centers around students doing the work of learning, as active participants, not passive listeners only. The model itself is in the shape of a circle, reminding the facilitator to come back around to the objective, to reflect on how the time was spent. A large amount of instructional time is allotted to the students, while teachers engage, support, and listen to the student thinking, then building off of that.
I have created a free printable that includes a sample workshop lesson planning tool as a guide, and a blank template that you can download here.
Practical Ideas for Introducing the Workshop Model to your students
No matter what the school year brings, the size of your classroom, or if you are teaching online, the following ideas can be great ways to introduce a predictable structure to your students. Whatever structure you choose, remeber to keep it consistent. We want our students focused on building relationships, participating in healthy communities, and engaged in the content. We don’t want them confused about what they are supposed to be doing, or how to access the content.
- Games– Have your students bring their favorite family games to share. Use the lesson planning structure to allow students to teach how to play, give them some “work” time to play. Listen to how students interact with the game and eachother. Take notes to be shared during a closing/reflection meeting. Don’t forget to kick off the unit by modeling your own favorite game. Show your students how to use the lesson structure by modeling.
- Read Aloud– Have your students bring their favorite text from home or the library. Don’t limit them to books. Some people love magazines, comic books, cookbooks, etc. Everyone will learn a lot about each other based on what is brought to class. Model for your students again by showing them how to use the lesson structure. Bring your own favorites and explain why you love them. Allow different students to share each day and follow up with a reflection/ closing discussion about communities. When everyone shares what they love and why they love it, it begins to build community.
- STEAM Challenges– Use the lesson planning structure to play. There are hundreds of STEAM/STEM challenges online. This is one of the best ways to get students to understand and get used to your lesson structure. Start with the objective, the goal. Engage them with ideas/possibilities and give them a set amount of time to innovate and work together. Listen for how students work together, and how they don’t. Use this as a discussion generator for the debrief.
Debrief
Although the future is uncertain, especially when it comes to knowing what to expect for ourselves and our classrooms, we can still plan.
Students will still need a predictable structure, access to resources, and a healthy community of learners around them. Some of the things we were doing in our classrooms in the past are worth keeping. We just have to figure out how to do them in a different way. Lets remember what is most important, and keep our structures for delivering those things predictable and consistent.
