Fly fishing and lesson planning...

We've been asked to apply the principles of flow to lesson planning. Anytime I think of 'flow' in a classroom, I think of the learner wrapped in a timeless absorption of the material, where the sound of a pin drop could be heard, or the chatter is so loud that no conversation is clear but to the participants. There are some specific points that we've been asked to consider, so here they are. I really enjoyed writing this blog, as it took me back to a time when I was amazingly happy, and very alone.


Clear goals in a lesson plan allow for a sense of direction and purpose. Having a sense of purpose is what humans live for... it is what drives us to continue our pursuit of life. On a smaller philosophical scale, clear planning allows us to understand the road we are walking, and that it will lead us somewhere - just enjoy the scenery along the way.

Being given immediate feedback is important to knowing we're walking down the right road, and haven't taken any wrong turns or, if we have taken a wrong turn, it guides us back to the correct path. We would never dream of setting out to a new location without some way of mapping our progress, and knowing where we are and where we need to be. Immediate feedback does this for us in our lessons and learning. It allows us to focus more on the task, and keeps us on track.

Using a balance of challenges and skills allows our senses to focus on the actions that need to be completed, without external distractions or frustrations leading us from where we are going. As in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and her companions get distracted by the Field of Poppies, insufficient interest in our subject can take us away easily from our intended destination.

Focusing on the task, with a clear idea of the point for departure, a point of arrival, and which turns to take along the way... well, it's like having a GPS guide you in the car. You can concentrate on driving, wothout needing to consult the map or stop and ask for directions. You know exactly where to go, and there is no fear that the GPS will lead you astray. The GPS only communicates what you need to know, at the time you need to know it. A well laid-out plan instills trust.

If you're involved in a lesson that totally swallows you up... you disappear into a total focus of the task, with no distractions and no awareness of any other concious existence... that's when time has no meaning. Time is a human invention, and doesn't exist outside the realms of consciousness and science. So, if we can remove all conscious distractions and provide a clear and determined goal with the steps for achieving that goal, then time ceases to exist. Our mind uses all of its processing power to deal with the challenge in front of us, without the need for measuring the speed at which we are processing information.

When I was a young man, I used to distract myself from the life I disliked by going fishing. As I reflect on how I spent my time while I was fishing, I have come to realise that it was autotelic... fishing for the sake of fishing. I wasn't disappointed if I didn't catch a fish, nor was I ecstatic when I did, in fact I often would return the fish to the water. I was fishing in order to teach myself how to fish. Catching a fish was an indication that I was succeeding in my lessons; not catching a fish was an indication that I needed to change my strategy.

I remember watching a man downstream from me one day, while he was fly fishing. The graceful moevment of the line as he cast and retrieved, then cast and retrieved it again, until he was able to make the fly land in the perfect spot on the water. The skill and accuracy, and the grace with which they were combined, was what I wanted to learn. I taught myself how to do what he did, through observation and practice. I don't know how long it took me to do that, but I perfected casting a line onto the surface of the water until it would land exactly where I wanted it to, every time. I recall being so absorbed in the learning process that, once I did get a distraction and notice the time, I was often late for supper and received a scolding from my mother that I was so air-headed not to keep track of time. That is 'flow'... that is learning.

I'm bored!

In the current module of our course, we've been asked to address the following issue, which I’m sure has arisen in more than one English class, and will continue to be brought up. It goes something like this:

Learner: I’m very bored with the grammar lessons. I feel  that I can learn English without learning grammar separately.

Teacher: I understand that you might be feeling frustrated. I sometimes get frustrated as well, when I’m trying to learn something new. For example, when I was learning German as a second language, I used to get confused and embarrassed when people laughed at me if I got something wrong. In German, the article (the, that...) changes depending on the gender of the noun. That’s really confusing, and I almost gave up trying. Then one day, a friend of mine explained that as long as I knew the noun gender, it was easy to apply a few simple rules. It took me a few tries, but I got it eventually. I learned the rules well enough to be able to hold a conversation, and try making new sentences of my own. It even helped me when I took German as a course at university.
 
Why do you feel that you don’t need grammar?

Learner: I don’t talk to my family in English much, and when I’m at work, I have friends from back home who can talk to me in my own language.

Teacher: OK, so in some situations for you it’s easier to speak in your own language. But, what about when you want to talk to the Cable service company? Or, maybe you want to order food in a restaurant? Do you ever have English-speaking friends visit you and have conversations with them? Have you ever needed to explain something to a Doctor, Government Agency, or had a conversation over the phone with a market research company? There are lots of everyday reasons for needing to be accurate as well as fluent in English. If you can master just a few simple rules, and see the patterns of how these rules work to make sentences, you’ll feel so much more empowered and independent. You’ll be able to help your friends and family, and maybe socialise with your English speaking coworkers.
 
But let me know what you think I can do to help you enjoy the grammar lessons more. I’d be more than happy to listen to your suggestions.

As a change to the lessons, I would want to include the learner more in the activities, by perhaps making them an assistant in the classroom, where they feel motivated to learn the grammar and to encourage others as well.


There are so many reasons why a learner might feel that they are bored in your class. The above script touches on only one such possibility. However, in order to deal effectively with such a situation, it's imperative that you be a good listener. Discover from the learner the true (either spoken or unspoken) reason for their dissatisfaction with your classes, and address the immediate problem. We can't satisfy every learner all of the time, but we should at least give it our best shot :)