Adjusting lesson plans in real time

Making quick mental calculations can at times be an awkward maneuver, but it’s far better to readjust in response to the natural pulse of a class than to forge ahead, blind to the individual needs in the room. Christina “V” Villarreal is carefully attuned to these immediate needs and exercises plasticity with her lesson plans to accommodate them. In this video, she uses the guiding questions outlined in her syllabus to prioritize class time and focus spontaneous discussion.

Profiled: Christina “V” Villarreal, Lecturer on Education, teaches "Ethnic Studies and Education" to 23 students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Classroom Considerations

Craft lesson plans but be flexible with them
Develop clear and visible guiding questions for each class and use these as road maps to keep even the most organic conversations grounded and relevant
Use your syllabus to maximize class time and temper the natural rhythm of the class

Relevant Research

One study demonstrates that designing challenging essential questions correlates with student self-reports of academic growth (Shim & Walczak, 2012)
McTighe & Wiggins argue that clear, focused guiding questions generate more focused, reflective discussions (2013)

Related Resources

Univeresity of Michigan's Center for Research of Learning and Teaching has good advice for how to lesson plan, including building in flexibility
In “Teaching by the Case Method: Timing,” Harvard Business School professors reflect on how they create flexible plans and adjust timing on the fly
In another Instructional Moves video, Brett Flehinger shares why he allows student contributions to shape the path a class takes and how he makes strategic adjustments on the fly