Of all the qualities teachers should have, one of the most important is, they must be flexible. That way they won’t get bent out of shape when things don’t go as planned. Most days, in a classroom of 32 students and 1 adult, things are not going to turn out according to plan. There are a myriad of ways that a schedule can go awry, but here are a few examples that require flexibility:
- A bee flies into the room
- A bird hits the window
- An unscheduled fire drill, earthquake drill, or lockdown
- Students from another class want to make a presentation about something
- Someone gets sick and doesn’t make it to the bathroom
- Someone gets into a fight or argument
- Parents call or stop by the classroom
- The principal or administrator comes to observe
The list can go on, but by now, you probably get the idea. For example, if a bee flies into the room, all teaching stops, the bee must be chased away, (with much screaming and laughter), then a conversation must be had telling stories of anyone in the classroom who has ever been stung by a bee. For a truly flexible teacher, it can be turned into a learning lesson about science, art, or even writing. After telling all the stories, have the students write their best bee story; (how do you think The Bee Movie got started?)
Looking at this as an opportunity to build relationships, rather than an annoying interruption, will make it not seem to be a problem. Teaching is messy. Things rarely go as planned. But the excellent teacher is flexible and goes with the flow. In the end, the messy teaching moments are the ones the students remember the most.
