Life, yoga and other adventures

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Thursday 18 February 2016

The best laid plans of mice and men...

... are filed away somewhere.

Are you a planner or a spontaneous person? Do you like to know what's coming or enjoy the thrill of the unknown?

Anyone who is even a passing acquaintance will know that I'm a bit of a control freak: OK, I'm bossy. I can't help it - and if you think I'm bad now you should have seen me before yoga worked its magic. I do try to live in the moment, honestly I do, but sometimes I really need to have all the details to hand before I can decide what to do next.

When it comes to lesson planning, I'm still following the template that I developed when I did my training. I'm no longer writing a word-by-word script, but I always have not just the topic but also the basics of the sequence written down before my lessons. I'll admit that sometimes I run out of time and have to resort to something handwritten, but even then it's pretty solid. That's not to say I don't vary the session in response to the mood and requirements of my students, but I'm always in control of where we're going.

I have been following a Face Book conversation about the joys of teaching without the safety net of a lesson plan. There are apparently some people who turn up with a theme in mind and then wing it. Rather them than me!

4 comments:

  1. I've taught both ways and dependent on the subject, I prefer a plan. Still both work. I'd say I'm 35% spontaneous, 65% planner.

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    1. Have you ever written a lesson plan and then turned up without it? THAT focuses the mind! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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  2. Hi Julia, been pondering over how to answer this one.
    I have a motto, Failing to plan, is planning to fail. I've led a few writing workshops and I would never go in without a plan.
    Saying that though, i love it when I just decide to take off in the car and see where the day leads me.

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  3. Like that thing about the joys of teaching without the safety net of a lesson plan.
    A little sketch in the mind is all that is required.

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