A few years back, I sat with my team and did what teachers do best: we planned. We mapped the year from August to June with units, lessons, and skills all lined up, color-coded, and full of good intentions. It felt amazing. We could see the road ahead.
Then school started.
When I arrived at those carefully designed lessons, the students sitting in front of me told a different story. Some were already cruising ahead. Others needed more time, more clarity, more support. The plan made perfect sense. So did the students. But somehow, they didn’t match.
That moment taught me something I’ve seen play out again and again. Teaching asks us to hold more than one truth at once.
It’s not that we have to choose between following the plan and responding to the students. Real teaching lives in the space where both are true.
Paradox theory calls this “both/and” thinking. In complex, human work like teaching, there is rarely a tidy “either/or.” Curriculum matters. Students matter more. You can especially feel this now with so much focus on the teaching of programs. Teachers are being asked to faithfully implement programs while also honoring the learners in front of them. That tension can feel heavy, but it’s not new. This is a skill teachers have been building all along.
When we name that truth of both/and, we start to see that pausing to teach the child in front of us isn’t a break from the curriculum or instructional plan; it’s the essence of effective teaching.
Here’s something to try this week:
- Start with intention. Be clear about what your lesson is meant to do.
- Watch closely. Notice who’s ready to stretch and who might need a new entry point.
- Make one responsive move. Pull a small group, slow down, or challenge a student who’s ready for more.
- Then say to yourself, “I honored the plan and the learner.”
That awareness builds trust in yourself and in your practice. It’s how confidence grows and clarity takes root.
So if you’re learning new routines, implementing a new curriculum, or simply trying to find balance, remember this: holding two truths is a skill. No script can replace the professional judgment you build by showing up, observing, and adjusting in real time.
If this resonates, you’re not alone. This kind of decision-making is exactly what we explore in our Routines Course. We help structures hold the room so that responsive teaching can thrive. Save this email, or reply and share the tension you’re carrying this week. We’ll hold it with you.
This article might be missing links that were included at the time of publication.
