Intentional Flexibility - A Reflection on an Idea

Intentional is my new favourite word.  If I was running the educational world, this would be the new "differentiation," or "problem based learning," or "accountability."  Intentional is such an important word, in so many ways.

Today, I want to focus on intentional flexibility, rather than something in particular that has happened in our learning environment.  Intentional flexibility is the combination of careful, curriculum and research based planning, alongside the ability to know where you're coming from and where you would like to go, so that you can bend when it is needed.

I see this all the time: a student tackles a problem in a completely different way than I ever would have, and therefore I missed the option when I was working through the problem myself.  In doing this, the student goes off on some other tangent.  You know what?  That is OKAY!  Just because it isn't what I would have done, doesn't make it wrong.  In fact, if the links that they are seeing are logical, then I believe it is my role to facilitate, understand and encourage the connections made.  So I was trying to get them to work on fractions, but they skipped over that and worked on something else, that still gives them a logical answer?  No problem.  Tomorrow, I'll bring it back, or maybe I won't.  Maybe what they did was so genius, I will just go that way with the rest of the group, and we'll come back to fractions when the time is right.

When the time is right?  Yes.  I know, we are strictly bound by the curriculum and the school calendar. Our report card marks and comments are completed by early June.  That leaves us with a few weeks to "fill in the blanks."  I remember sitting in a staff room one year and hearing a colleague say at the end of May, "Well, I finished the text book.  I guess we just won't do math now!"  They were proud of themselves!  Where is the intentional flexibility?  There is none in text books.

My nose is in my curriculum document all of the time.  Almost every day, I look at it.  I have learned to flip back and forth and find the links that make sense between "strands" or "units."  Units are our worst enemy, by the way.  In being intentionally flexible, I can jump back and forth between strands and hammer out a load of them, while giving students meaningful, real learning experiences.  I'm not saying I have it down to a perfect art - no one ever could - but what I am saying is that I allow for logical connections between strands in order to "layer" expectations and spend more time on problems.

Why GIVE students geometry nets, when they can make their own?
In this example, the kids (Gr. 2) made their own nets by collaborating (not cooperating, there
were arguments, but that is part of it) and then we printed them to test them.  It wasn't
what I had started with the intention of, but it certainly filled the expectations, better than my
initial plans.  Follow the students.

I am intentional in my questioning.  I know what I want to see from them.  However, I am also flexible.  Math problems need to be open, as Marian Small has so successfully promoted and researched.  (Have I mentioned that I am a HUGE Marian Small fan?!?)

I am intentional in my communication with students.  I rarely say whether or not a student is right or wrong.  I don't often point out errors, but I am flexible in this: if a student is having a misconception or is completely halted, I can communicate with my students carefully in order to guide them, without leading them.

I am intentional when I assess.  And I assess all the time.  Every pencil mark, every dialogue, every consolidation - it's all assessment.  I am flexible in how I look at what I'm given.  It is difficult to explain, as it is an intuitive science rather than an exact science, but my assessment aligns with curriculum standards, while at the same time allows me to determine what I need to explicitly teach, who I need to work with beyond the whole-group setting, and what my next steps are.

Who cares about seating arrangements?  When I got over this, my teaching flourished.  They sit where they choose, when they choose, as long as it is on-task and appropriate to the activity.  My intention is that they learn.  I am flexible in how they do it.  In a recent reflection survey, 18/21 students said they did not want assigned seats. Hmmm ....

I am moving away from my long range planning, and following my student's lead.  I am able to see their connections between expectations as they work.  If they are naturally starting to use decimals effectively, and are asking me questions on their own on how round numbers, then I know that the time has come to teach the group about it, using the students who are interested in it as my catalyst - they are going to come up and show how they solved the problem, and it will lead into the next thing.  Along the way, we started rounding decimals.  Check.

She is working hard by recreating the prompt.  She is using what she needs.
She is intentional in her use of manipulatives, and is flexible in working
with her partner, who has some other ideas.  It's not just for teachers.

While it may seem like I don't know what I'm doing, I would happily tell you my exact intentions - curriculum expectations and all - at any point in the classroom.  I would dare you to come in and follow me as I interact with my students, jot notes on their work, record videos of how they work, and sidle up to strugglers without making it obvious that I am helping them work through their larger misconceptions or struggle-beyond-safe spots.

I don't have a teacher desk.  It is intentional.  It allows me to be flexible in where I am and what I am doing at every point throughout the day.

They're so happy!
It's because they enjoy working collaboratively, on hard questions,
and make lots of mistakes, but learn the whole time. 

I may stop a lesson to teach a concept.  I may bring them together to consolidate at the end of the problem solving.  I may stop a more formal assessment altogether if I know in the moment that they're just not ready.  I know my students, I know my curriculum, and because of that, I can be intentional and flexible.

I do make plans each week.  I have a list of questions, and see a flow through them as they build on the prior learning experiences.  I make notes as to where I believe lessons will need to be introduced.  However, I follow my students instead of my plans.  I will tweak the questions, revise the lesson time, and extend the class time permitted depending on what they need.  It is intentional to start, but moves flexibly.

Think about this.
IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!
IT SHOULD BE ON THE COVER OF EVERY CURRICULUM DOCUMENT EVER!
Go to edutopia.org if you are a progressive educator who wants more ideas and to hear
from other people who think like you. 

This allows for a culture of independent and collaborative (NOT cooperative) workers and learners, rather than a culture of students who need to go to the teacher when they don't get it right away.  I can't tell you how I cringe when I see that sort of thing happening, or when I hear people complain that their kids just don't get it, still don't understand, or that the curriculum just doesn't make sense for the age range.  Seriously?

Intentional flexibility - it's the next big thing!