Planner Versus Pantser

Are you a planner or a pantser? Are you intrigued by this question posed by Margaret Simon for this week's DigiLit Sunday? I was but must admit that I never heard the term, pantser before. Upon researching the word, I realized that I did know what it meant, a person who flies by the seat of his/her pants. 

Relating this term to education, makes me question if we need to choose between being a planner versus a pantser? Can we be a little of both? When thinking about curriculum for an upcoming lesson or presentation, most educators plan. Some have intricate planbooks and others have a basic sketch or thought for a lesson's framework. Sometimes plans need to be changed due to kidwatching. The teacher who thoughtfully planned a lesson changes course due to the thoughtful read of student expressions. A teachable moment evolves with creativity stepping in. Well-crafted plans are tweaked or put aside to hone in on a concept. Paths take a turn and learning continues because of the teacher's watchful eye. The teacher dons the role of a plantser, planting the seeds for a better lesson than the original.

Teachable moments allow for the magic of learning to occur.

Are you a planner, pantser, or plantser? Read more at DigiLit Sunday.

DigiLit Sunday

On Teachers

When three loves intersect, tasty creations evolve. This week I am immersed in the following projects (among others):

• gathering ideas for two presentations to educators
• creating new poems from seeds of ideas 
• baking batches of cookies as welcoming gifts for family and friends

Three loves, teaching, writing, and baking, will provide the stimuli for me to create as the spring morning opens the sky with sunshine. When gray turns to golden yellow, creativity sparks.

Recently, Rich Czyz, moderator of Four O'Clock Faculty, tweeted out two questions for educators to ponder. Intrigued, I responded. Since it is National Poetry Month and I have been trying to write alongside friends, I used poetic forms to compose my answers. 

Question #1:

If you were responsible for building the perfect teacher, what skills, attributes, or characteristics would you include? 

Along with teaching and writing, I am passionate about baking. While growing up, I learned the art of baking from two master teachers, my grandmother and mother. With enthusiasm and focus for what they loved, these two mentors provided me with recipes to entice family and friends. What follows is a first attempt at penning a recipe for a delicious teacher.

one dose of passion with good cheer,

a cup of kindness to persevere,

sprinkled with uniqueness throughout the year
creates a delicious teacher premiere,
promoted by a skillful mentor marketeer. 

Question #2:
Think of the great teachers that you have come in contact with. What words would you use to describe these great teachers? 

Teachers

passionate guides

stirring, stimulating, encouraging

young learners' endless journeys

Facilitators

Created by Heather Stillfusen

Teaching Matters!

Now off to start my day. Baking and working on my presentations will follow. 

Below is an invitation to connected colleagues to chat on a topic that should entice many to participate. The post can be accessed here.

Today is Slice of Life Tuesday. Please visit Two Writing Teachers where the blogging community dishes out delicious small moments each week. 

 

A Slice of Life: Recalling Words to Inspire Teaching

While feeling the sting of Robin Williams' passing, I found a quote by him that struck me as both sad and inspirational.

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

The world is saddened by the death of Robin William, such a talented humorist and actor, especially in light of the fact that his multiple onscreen personalities provided endless moments of enjoyment for all. His words charged with humor brought laughter to the forefront. Little did we know that behind the movie persona, behind the words and ideas, was a complex character with deep issues. 

Teachers, stop and reflect: Perhaps, we need to step back this year and become better "kidwatchers" to understand the nature of each student. Will this reflective act help us find the words and ideas that can fuel individual learning? Will our simple words, our thoughtful actions change the world of the classroom for each learner?

While rummaging through old journals, I found a poem I wrote for the millennium that still holds true for me today. These words although tucked away for years, provided the fuel for my teaching as 2000 brought new changes to the educational scene. I would like to share this poem, thinking that my words and ideas from then may change the landscape of today's literacy classroom as I continue to focus on reflective practices in my life as an ELA consultant. 

This writing is part of A Slice of Life challenge from the Two Writing Teachers Community. You can read what other slicers are thinking about now if you take a stroll over to that site.