5 Questions to Ask Yourself . . .
Do you feel like you spend all of your free time trying to create engaging lessons and finding new things to keep student attention? Is your lesson planning taking time away from your family and some of the other things you enjoy doing? Does it seem like no matter what you do it doesn’t seem good enough?
I know. I’m there too. You probably have back to back classes with no transition time built in, your students are constantly talking during class and they think they’re too cool for school. These are some of the many reasons I use storybook lessons. These types of activities are some of the best ways to keep your students engaged and to build a peaceful, harmonious (pun intended) classroom culture.
How do you know if storybook lesson planning is right for you? Today I’m going to share 5 ways you know you can become a storybook lesson planning expert.
If you’re reading this post you’re probably already on board the storybook lesson train and are excited for the journey. But how do you know if you just want some fantastic ready made lesson plans, or if you truly want to create your own? That’s what we’re going to dive into today. Let’s get started:
Complete this sentence. You know Storybook lessons are for you if . . .
- You know how pivot
- You’re o.k. with making mistakes
- You have a growth mindset
- You want to learn new strategies and techniques
- You’re willing to take a little time to learn new things (It’s truly just a little time)
If this doesn’t sound like you, then you probably won’t like planning storybook lessons. If I’m describing you to a T, then you need to really take a deep dive into everything I’m teaching because you’re going to find true value.
Now, if the 5 questions above sound like character traits you wish you had, I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN DO THIS. And I can teach you how. But first, let me tell you a story. . .
I became a teacher well before I was ready. I didn’t have a student teaching experience or even any teacher observations under my belt when I got my first teaching job. I started teaching in South Florida, and at that time, there was a teacher shortage. They were looking for anyone who had a bachelor’s degree. So I started teaching without the first clue on how to manage a class or how to write a lesson plan. I did, however, have a passion for learning and the drive and determination to succeed no matter what.
If this sounds like where you’re at even a little bit, I encourage you to fake it till you make it. No one’s watching right? We’re music teachers. Unless there’s major drama going on in your classroom, no one is coming in to check things out. And if they do come in, most of the time they have no idea what you’re teaching.
If you are curious about storybook lesson planning, take a deep dive into all the things I have to offer in my private Facebook group and my email community, and just keep swimming. You’ll get there eventually, and until you do, your students will still learn from your missteps.