I have always considered myself a flexible person—spontaneous and able to adjust to whatever comes my way. This quality has served me well over the years, leading to unplanned family vacations, instinctive instructional moves, and unforeseen valuable results. As time goes by, however, I'm learning that I am actually a creature of habit who loves routine. I appreciate knowing expectations and plans well in advance, because I get a sense of security in the knowing.

So how did I ever confuse these two personal characteristics? How can I think of myself as spontaneous and flexible when I also truly desire routine? I have come to believe that a person can value both. It is my love of routine that enables me to be flexible and spontaneous. The Daily 5 routine structures my day, allowing me to accomplish necessary tasks without having to worry about what comes next—because with my daily routine, I already know.

This daily structure enables my flexibility because within my schedule, I can change, move, and vary my tasks. If a great, time-sensitive idea emerges in the morning, I can act quickly, knowing that the rest of my day will adjust accordingly. For example, let's say that I've planned to use inferring, homonyms, and the prefix mis- for my literacy whole-group focus lessons on Monday. While teaching the lesson on inferring, however, I find that my students need a lesson revisiting prior knowledge. I am able to easily move my lessons around and add what is needed. The structure of my day allows for flexibility. I am confident in my teaching, because I know I can deliver what is needed, when it is needed.

As teachers, it is our responsibility to be responsive to our students' needs, which requires us to be flexible in what we teach, how we teach it, and when we teach it. Having the Daily 5 structure in place lets us do just that. We can meet students where they are and adjust our plans accordingly—being flexible within the structure.

Chances are, you already have your lessons drafted for next week. If you use Daily 5, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you'll meet the unexpected—a new student, an unscheduled assembly, a sick child, or the much-needed reteaching of a strategy—with a plan that is both flexible and structured.

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