S is for Spontaneity

Spontaneity is really hard for me to handle. I wonder if my students have this problem also or if I’m just one of a kind.

I spent so much time training to be a teacher and then honing my skills which involve careful planning and deliberate thinking.

Then I met my husband who loves to do things spur-of-the-moment and hates to plan ahead.

It is amazing that we have stayed together so long since we are so opposite in this type of thinking but I like to think that we balance each other out.

His spontaneity keeps me from being a boring stick in the mud and the planning I do keeps the logistics in place so things can work out well.

I believe an effective classroom also needs a balance of both in order to reach my students.

It is too easy to get into a rigid routine which doesn’t allow for much imagination to happen but I need to step back and allow some space for the spontaneous to happen.

There may be students like me who need or want some kind of routine and then some students who hate having a routine. I need to show them how to balance both kinds of thinking in order to get the most out of learning.

One way to do this is to model this behavior and for me to do this, I actually have to plan it out in my head. Then I leave some time in my schedule to really talk to the students and allow for their input. Sometimes they come up with great ideas and we put it into action. The students love to see how I value their input and keeps them moving forward in their learning.

Are you a planner or a spontaneous teacher? How do you find balance of both in your classroom? Please share.