Purposeful Backtracking Has A Purpose

"You can't get there from here."

 I heard a story where a woman from the country got lost in the city.  She stopped and asked  a man for directions.  The man keep starting and stopping his instructions, confusing himself in the process.  Finally, after much frustration he blurted out; "you can't get there from here!"


Sometimes we go down the wrong path with a lesson.  Maybe it's a PBL or Genius Hour lesson we have started with our class and don't know where we are or where we need to proceed to.  You really have two choices in a situation like that.  Either we can (easiest) 1) Give up and say "well at least we tried, maybe next year." Or 2) We can take a few steps back and try again from another angle until we get our bearings.  The later is the harder approach of course...but wouldn't we be modeling for our students the old saying; "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again (and it's OK to make mistakes)?" Isn't this how the real world works and be part of our bigger goal of teaching students to be life long learners? 

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