“Own” every lesson
“Seek first to understand, then
to be understood.” – Stephen Covey
Early in my teaching career, I leaned heavily on colleagues
when I was lesson-planning. I don’t
think I could have designed adequate curriculum without their help. The synergy that is possible with
collaboration can continue throughout a teacher’s career, but in those early
years it is imperative if you want to thrive instead of simply survive. Years later when my family made a move and I
landed in a new district with a completely different assignment, I spend many
evenings piecing together lessons so that I could lead a group of students the
next morning and avoid looking like a fool in the process. Perhaps your experiences were similar or
perhaps you are experiencing these things right now. Whether you lean on other teachers, stick
closely to a textbook, research online, or find downloadable curriculum,
nothing works as well as owning your lessons.
By “owning”, I don’t necessarily mean that you created it from scratch
and have copyrights on it, but rather that you have scrutinized and adjusted
the lesson so that it is has become uniquely your own.
From textbooks, graphic organizers and worksheets, to
activities, projects and documentaries, teachers have used all sorts of
resources to develop curriculum.
Nowadays, collaboration is common in departments and grade levels, and downloading
lesson plans from “edupreneurs” (educational entrepreneurs) has become
normalized as well. By all means, beg,
borrow, download or purchase lessons.
But then own it. Don’t leave it
unexamined. Go through it with a fine
tooth comb. Break it down and build it
back up. Spice it up with your own
flavor. Make it better. Tweak, add, delete, and adjust. Make the lessons distinctly and
unapologetically yours. When you own your curriculum, you are bound
to teach with more confidence, more passion, and more energy. Your students will notice and flourish as
well.
