If it ain't broke, don't fix it

I think too often, those of us who have experienced Barry Bennett and his collection of instructional strategies, try to covert our entire teaching process over to fit one or another instructional technique. In doing this I think we defeat the purpose of much of what Bennett or other instructional intelligence gurus reveal to us. The purpose of introducing us to all of these strategies is not so that we will exclusively convert all of our lessons to include a strategy from "Beyond Monet," but to arm us with a wide variety of tools that can be used to reach more students more often. It is not always necessary to change what we are doing to achieve that goal. Though not always the most entertaining method of teaching, sometimes the Socratic method is the best choice, or having students take a note off of an overhead or the chalk board. Group work is not always the best choice to ensure students are engaged in a lesson.

As teachers I think we struggle with the balance between including variety in our lessons to spark the lust for learning, and incorporating routine into the classroom so that students are comfortable with the learning environment.

Yes, variety is the spice of life but we should also consider the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"