Plan A, Plan B, Plan C...

In my family we subscribe to the multi-plan approach to all projects, the Law of Multiple Plans. Plan A is what should happen, according to a well-meaning (read: diabolical), manufacturer-provided set of directions. These are some examples of the prep time included with Plan A in various instruction manuals I have utilized for home projects:

·         Dishwasher installation time – 30 to 45 minutes.

·         Floating floor installs in one hour for the room size you have indicated.

·         Rear shocks can be installed in mere minutes – no special tools necessary.

I am relatively certain that those who write instructions for the installation of many products have not actually installed them or even witnessed another person doing so. Or they were able to install said items in a controlled environment free of construction flaws and product inconsistencies, as well as the everyday foibles and follies of life. I envision an errorless parallel universe where all practice installations and manual writings occur.

Inevitably, Plan A fails when the dishwasher barely fits under the counter due to a previous flooring remodel, the floating floor needs a great many detailed cuts to fit "easily" around pipes and molding, and the rusted, look-like-they’ve-been-spending-time-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea, bolts on the aging minivan require the strength of an Olympic dead-lifting team to break loose and arms able to hyper extend without damage. These are all of the details the manufacturers leave out of their instructions and diagrams when ensuring us that a task or job is "easy."

What follows this Plan A failure is the implementation of Plan B, which is a plan born of need, since the old dishwasher is broken, the previous floor has been trashed, and the rear of the minivan rests on two jack stands. This plan works to achieve the particular end that Plan A failed to reach. There is even the possibility that Plan B will turn out to be better than the initial plan. But the possibility that the second plan won’t work either is just probable enough that your brain begins to unconsciously formulate a Plan C. And if you are a bit neurotic like me, you also have a brain seedling that looks suspiciously like a Plan D.

The Law of Multiple Plans (not to be confused with the Law of Multiple Pans that is applied to complex recipes) applies incredibly well to teaching also. Plan A for teachers is what should happen – the lesson plan you have created. Some days Plan A works. Then there are all of the other days of the school year, those where Plans B and C need implementation. The best-laid set of teacher plans needs additional plans – B, C, and perhaps beyond – even if those additional plans are only in your mind. Teachers have Plan A ready each and every day, and many days this plan serves students well. Plan B and Plan C are the ones born of necessity, when the wi-fi goes down or students are completely lost in learning the information upon which the rest of the lesson depends. This is where the art and skill of teaching lives, in these moments where the plan needs to be revised and you don’t have a prep period to figure it out.

There are an awful lot of people who believe teaching is easy, especially with today’s technology and all of the ready-made and widely accessible teaching materials. These same people, just like manufacturers, believe that we are provided with a set of detailed instructions for teaching and need only hand the necessary material to students and the learning will occur. Unfortunately, those instructions and resources we are given rarely take into account the fact that students are – shockingly – not all the same. In addition, each day of school is not the same, and what works for one student on one day does not necessarily work for another. Teachers know this and are the ones who create Plan A, and they are also the ones who can conjure up entire alphabets of other plans because they know their content and they know their students. They do not teach in a flawless parallel universe or have the luxury of conditions always remaining static. Teachers always work and think using the Law of Multiple Plans; this is because they are professionals who are trained to think on their feet and do what is best for students.

So the next time you decide to tackle a home project and have dutifully read the instructions, remember the Law of Multiple Plans. The manufacturer will not provide you with anything beyond Plan A. Those plans are up to you. Remember the work you do as teachers each and every day – the flexibility and skill you apply to your plans and your instruction. Perhaps that thinking will help your home project reach a successful end. If not, there are plenty of willing and able contractors for hire who don’t even need the manual.