Coming from a teacher who likes to plan to minute, this was a little stressful, but the class was just happy I was trying to make it fun. Does this mean I am going to walk in tomorrow and wing it, absolutely not! It does mean I realize a lesson can be flexible. Sometimes a lesson has to adjust based on the period or space. The lesson was also supposed to involve a gallery walk, but when the room is well above 80 degrees (no exaggeration), no one is getting out of their seat and moving around. I think the key here was I was honest and patient. I explained what I was trying to do and they accomplished it.
We spend so much of our time planning before a lesson. Scripting questions, planning MRS strategies, creating every worksheet, cutting out every manipulative, and on and on. What we don't plan for is how to be flexible. How to change a lesson in the moment that isn't working. Why stick with a failing plan? Sometimes we just need to embrace a little chaos and accept the good that can come from it.