When I was a new teacher, I thought that changing your teaching methods mid year wasn’t allowed. Like there was some unspoken rule about what you could and could not do. Aren’t there so many unspoken rules of teaching that just don’t translate to real life? In this episode of the All Star Planning Podcast I talk about the things that I have changed in the middle of the school year simply because they weren’t working. And when I did my classroom changed for the better.
Changing My Planning Method
When I first began teaching I was drowning in lesson plans. I mean, everyone does, right? Well when I complained to my administrator about having so much work to do after the final school bell had rang he was not helpful. He told me “Kelsey, everyone feels this way. It’ll be this way for another seven years.” SEVEN YEARS?! It’s not a joke – so many teachers leave the profession because there is SO MUCH WORK to be done and it feels like it never ends.
Well, I was planning my lessons week by week and it wasn’t working. I had no idea what was coming at me at any given time. I’d spend all weekend planning for the upcoming week, just to rush to make my copies on Monday morning. Then I’d spend the week trying to get ahead, while doing everything else that is required of teachers. You know, parent calls, grading, report cards, data analysis, the list goes on.
After weeks of trying to REALLY figure out my planning going forward, I found myself changing my teaching methods mid year, because I changed my planning method. I came up with a method I now call the All Star Planning Method. You can get an introduction from a free masterclass linked here. I’m so much happier now that I have a planning method that ACTUALLY works for me. It lets me do the things I enjoy in my free time instead of being forced into planning after hours.
Changing Teaching Methods Mid Year
Some of the other things that I share in this podcast episode are changing behavior management and changing paper flow strategies. And then the big one. I literally changed my teaching methods mid year. I adjusted my teaching strategy to account for this great book that I had read called Whole Brain Teaching. There are a bunch of parts to this book that I don’t think are super suited to my high school students. But I think it would be great for elementary school students. Regardless, in this book, there is a mention of having the students teach each other what they JUST LEARNED in order to reinforce their learning. And it works.
So when you feel nervous about changing teaching methods mid year, just realize that it might just work!
Other episodes you may enjoy: Comparing Yourself Now to Last Year
