Lesson planning is a skill I can’t wait to get good at. After years of snowboard instructing and a stint as a TTUC it’s the one thing I’m more or less a complete beginner at. Slowed down by bad crutches and a sprained ankle I got to hobble my way into the Library with a couple big takeaways. The first big reminder is that I love libraries. An entire institution devoted solely to best serving as much of their community as possible and giving people a real chance with everything from free printing to bicycle repair kits, to places to charge your phone. While schools and libraries are different in many ways, they overlap in the deep seated focus of serving a community through opportunities to learn and find information. I believe this is a big part of why they work so well when they collaborate. Libraries are a great resource for beginner lesson planners like myself and educators in general.
Being a momentarily crutch based beginner lesson plan gave me the chance to experience PG Public Library Resources, and the art of lesson planning, in a unique way that I’m grateful for. Without the ability to comfortably browse shelves I took a chance to think about the Library as a space. It’s a space with windows, levels, variation, unique architecture, books, computers, and plants. It has plenty of chances to be part of lessons simply because of its space. The kind of lesson that uses a new space to incorporate curriculum of something like mathematics is cool and exciting to think about, but also something I need to be willing to work towards. Being honest about where I’m at is part of moving beyond. Luckily the online browsing of resources and the online resources available through the PGPL are wonderful and a great place to start centring lessons as I hone my lesson planning skills.
