It goes without saying that in teaching, we need to be flexible. We never know what might happen in our class or throughout the school day.
On the one hand we need to be flexible with our classes or planned enrionments and activities. We never know how our students may respond.
On another level the necessity exists with regards to unexpected events or circumstances that can arrise externally effecting what you and your students . These do happen at school, just as they do in life. It is all to easy to be thrown by them. Whether simply through time lost or a frustrated reaction, effects do have potential to be negative.
As teachers, we need to remain calm even under difficult circumstances, firstly to allow us to create a productive and proactive response which is for the best of our students, and also to model such a response for them.
However more than this, such circumstances can be turned into opportunities for learning on many levels. These can be embraced.
My students are aged 4-5.
Just yesterday, I was beginning a discussion with students by showing a short video. As we sat down, I realized that our projector screen had turned off. This put us back a minute or so in the planned slow. However, even if it meant stretching this time a little longer, I took the opportunity to ask students to help me. I said, “We need to watch the video, but we have a problem, what is it?” I was able to elicit that the screen was off, and we were able to practice the sentence, “The screen is off.”, with the potential of new words and sentences having been practiced – my students are English as second. We had had English practice as well as practice of the skills of observation and thinking.
Continuing, students told me what I needed to do to solve the problem. Reflection as they were able to think back to how the screen had been turned before. We were exposed to and drilled further sentences – “Press the on button.” and “You need to turn it on.”
Whenever a similar issue with resources or materials occurs, a similar approach could be used.
Looking at another situation, a few weeks ago, the air conditioning in our classroom needed to be fixed just as the students were about to start their afternoon nap time. The temperature was still very hot at this time without air conditioning.
While it was being fixed however, we were preparing to go for a short walk and I was able to ask students, “What is the problem?” – more practice of English understanding, thinking and expression, with more words and sentences able to be practiced as above.
I elicted what we could do and the suggestion of finding somewhere colder was put forth. We found a cool place with air conditioning to sit. I then asked what we could do to solve the problem with the air conditioning. Ideas were put forward, including, “sleep in another place”, and “find someone to help”. Problem solving and discussion practice, in which we could practice listening as we listened to each other’s ideas. (In the situation, the air conditioning was fixed for us, but there had still been the opportunity to think more broadly about what we can do).
Finally, on a later date, our class had to go into isolation for a day unexpectedly due to fevers. However, this immediately allowed the opportunity to first re-practice the skill of how to wash your hands properly.
A natural opportunity had also arisen to have an open discussion on “How can you not get sick?” A range of ideas were shared including, “Wash your hands properly.”, “Wear a mask”, “Eat good food”, “If you are sick, go to hospital and eat at hospital.”, “Don’t go to somewhere too cold.”, “Don’t go in the swimming pool if it is too cold.” and “Drink water.” Reflection on life experience and knowledge as well as the opportunity to practice listening to and learning from each other, in the second language. I was able to see also that students as a group had a developing knowledge of how to take care of themselves.
So what to remember? Embrace the unexpected or even “problems” that might arise. A range of learning can happen by reflecting on the circumstances together with students and working together with or following students on action that might need to be taken.