Altering Lesson Plans

During the second time I made apple bread this autumn season, I altered the recipe. I was confident in the recipe and my ability to follow it successfully. I was also equipped with the knowledge that I could alter the recipe by decreasing the amount of sugar. With the sweetness of the apples and the other ingredients, I knew a little sugar would never be missed. So, I altered the amount and made the bread. NO ONE noticed. It still tasted great.

Lesson plans are a lot like recipes. They tell you what you need (ingredients) and how to put them all together (method). But just like the apple bread recipe, you can alter lesson plans to suit your family.

I confess, initially, I would never alter a lesson plan, ever. Even if it was not working, we still trudged through it. However, once I gave myself permission to change the lesson plans, I felt a little more free to try changing some of the elements to suit our needs.

After tweaking a few lesson plans, I still felt shy about making large changes.
Until I was reminded by others that:

"Lesson plans are a fabulous tool, but not a wise master."

For you see, I was using the lesson plans incorrectly. They were dictating our lessons, not serving as guides. Today, after years of tweaking, changing, and adding to lesson plans, it has become second nature. I am no longer afraid to not do every single step outlined in the lesson plan.

Lesson plans sometimes call for too much of one thing and not enough of another for your child or your family. Don't be afraid, like I was, to alter them here and there to make them better for your situation.