What to do When Your Lesson Plan Hits the Fan

Teaching is full of surprises — and not always the good kind. Sometimes, the most well-prepared lesson can quickly unravel. That’s exactly what happened during a recent Year 7 Tech Mandatory lesson, when I set out to teach accurate measuring and marking for our lolly dispenser project. On paper, it looked like a simple, structured lesson. In practice? Cue chaos.

I had prepared digital construction drawings with clear measurements, a step-by-step instructional video students could pause and replay, and a thorough teacher-led walkthrough. I’d taught this lesson before and felt confident in the lesson plan. But the first sign of trouble came with the rulers. Students struggled with using them correctly, especially converting between centimetres and millimetres — a basic measurement skill I had assumed was already mastered. Despite multiple formats of instruction, confusion spread fast. Suddenly, I was surrounded: "Miss, can you help me?" squawking at me from every direction. I felt overwhelmed. It was one of those moments when everything felt like it was spiralling, and I didn't really think I could turn it around in the 30 minutes I had left. We simply powered on until recess, when I could sit, have my coffee and figure out what on earth had happened.

What Went Wrong? Reflecting on Classroom Management and Lesson Planning

Post coffee, I realised my assumptions were part of the problem. Many students lacked foundational measurement skills and struggled with handling different types of rulers. Some had only centimetre markings, others millimetres, which made my instructions less effective and introduced unnecessary complexity. In hindsight, this was a classic moment where differentiated teaching strategies could’ve made a big difference. The skills I thought were “prior knowledge” needed a refresher — and so did my expectations.

Classroom Management Strategy: Reset and Adjust

The next lesson, I took a different approach. I sourced rulers with standardised markings, explicitly taught measuring techniques, and incorporated think-aloud modelling. I’d say things like:"I'm keeping my fingers on the end of the ruler to feel where it’s aligned — this helps me start measuring right from the edge." This small tweak gave students insight into the decision-making behind accurate measurement. While not all students grasped the concept immediately, I began to see progress — and even moments of peer-to-peer teaching, which is always a win.

Encouragement for Early Career Teachers in Australia

I've seen a number of early career teachers and pre-service teachers on social media lately, expressing discouragement when lessons don’t go to plan. Whether you're just starting your teaching career in Australia or you’ve got more experience, these moments are part of the journey. Remember: perfection isn't the goal — progress is. As educators, we work with diverse classrooms where students bring varying levels of skill and confidence. Lessons won’t always be smooth, but adaptability, reflection, and resilience are what define great teachers.

So if your next lesson goes off the rails? Take a breath. Reflect. Reset. Your ability to bounce back is the most powerful teaching tool you have.