034: When Less is More: A Case for Giving Fewer Lessons

Trillium Montessori Talks

In teacher training, we are taught that there is no ideal or perfect number of lessons to present on a given day. And yet, in practice, many teachers often find themselves wondering how many lessons they should present or if they’re getting it right or need to be doing more or less.

In today’s episode, I’m talking about the many reasons why there is no set number, from teacher pacing, to student needs and interests, to factoring in time for specials or guests or social and emotional learning. When you present too many lessons, you’re not leaving time for observation and supporting students who need additional support. There will also be impromptu lessons that pop up out of the flow of the day, or the need to reteach lessons to help students better master certain skills.

Finding your sweet spot of how many lessons to teach will vary from day to day, class to class, and will be best implemented when you take time to observe the interests and needs of your students.

What’s in this episode:

[01:30] Some reasons there isn’t a prescribed number of lessons you should present on a given day

[04:20] Why more doesn’t always mean better, the benefits of offering fewer lessons, and the importance of making time for observation and giving attention to students who may need support with follow-up work

[08:07] Why impromptu, unscheduled lessons are essential (they happen more often than you realize, and yes, they do still count as lessons), and the importance of knowing when you may need to reteach a previous lesson

[10:33] The importance of including social and emotional lessons throughout the day, and how to pivot with the number of lessons depending on the needs of the day

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit https://www.trilliummontessori.org/when-less-is-more/

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

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