Winging It is often the way things get done in today’s hectic society. Even though we all have the same twenty-four hours each day, some people are better organized and able to squeeze more into that period of time than others. In frustration, we often find ourselves having to “wing it!”
I cannot count the many times I’ve had to wing it because of limited time. I only know that it is a very scary situation. Sleep usually doesn’t come easily before or after such a solution to a problem. I do believe that students know very well when a teacher lacks the adequate preparation necessary for a good lesson. That being said, I tell teachers that students will take advantage of you if they suspect you aren’t prepared.
Have I failed when I winged it? No, I haven’t had that misfortune. That’s not bragging…it’s just a stated fact. My life has had so many experiences and wonderful interactions with people that I always have a plethora of examples which can help me adlib as needed. Do I feel comfortable when doing this? Absolutely not! It is a much better feeling to know you are prepared and have a clear path to follow. It also makes coming to a logical conclusion easier.
Sometimes I have had to wing it during a presentation because I didn’t know the audience as well as I would have liked. Trying to match your presentation to the unknown audience is a balancing act that can be terrifying.
One reason I have been able to do this spur of the moment presentation, I feel, is the training I received as a young teen. Baptist churches had training union on Sunday nights in which we were taught to present parts of a lesson. None of us enjoyed it much, but we did what was expected. Little did I realize how much that experience prepared me for future speaking and making presentations.
I am happy that our school requires students to take speech as a core subject. It is an amazing sight to watch these students gain self-confidence and poise once they’ve participated in speech tournaments. Even our kindergarten teacher gets students off to a good start by having them make a presentation during their student of the week time. Believe me, our students know how to talk and interact with people. They almost never meet a stranger when visitors come.
Another key to being able to wing it is belief in that about which you are speaking! Although I am by nature a shy person, I believe so much in education and its benefits that I have no difficulty being able to expound upon its virtues at any given moment. For this reason, believing in something, I teach my students to care and to get emotionally involved in what’s going on in this world. I often play the devil’s advocate in order to stir some sense of caring within them. Currently, I am challenging our fifth grade students to take a stand as they simulate running for the presidency. They are finding it is not easy to speak to others and relate with those who have opposing viewpoints.
The last thing I would share is that as a Christian, I have relied upon the Bible teachings and the teachings of Jesus in which we are promised that God would provide the right words we need in those times when our resources seem dried or missing. He has never failed me yet!
Kay