Seeing that level of care reinforce an important truth: whether you have 20 minutes or 20 years of experience, the "paperwork" isn't the goal. The goal is the space it creates.

But here is the catch: even with beautiful materials, we often trip ourselves up before we even walk into the room.

That's something I always tell teachers: your lesson plan is not your lesson.

Rigid structure is actually killing your flow.

I remember sitting in a staff room years ago, staring at a beautifully colour-coded plan. It was a work of art. But 40 minutes into the actual class, I felt like I was dragging a heavy suitcase through sand. I was hitting every "stage," but I was so married to my "logical steps" that I completely missed the fact that the students had already mastered the point in minute 5. I kept teaching because the paper told me to.

If your teaching feels like a "Frankenstein’s Monster" of disconnected parts, the issue usually isn't your talent. It’s a lack of pedagogic continuity.

The "flow disruptors" we often ignore

In my work with teachers, I’ve noticed 3 common "flow-killers" that sneak into even the best-laid lesson plans:

1. Over-scaffolding: Teachers provide so much support that students never actually have to "swim." When the challenge disappears, the flow stops because there is no cognitive friction to keep them engaged.

2. The predictability trap: Teachers plan for prediction rather than interaction. When a student says something fascinating but "off-script," they hesitate. That hesitation is the sound of the natural momentum hitting a brick wall.

3. The "safety" slide: Using a Powerpoint as a shield...if you can’t move to the next slide because the "conversation isn't there yet," you’ve lost the room.

3 "flow fixes" for tomorrow’s lesson

To move away from the "list of tasks" feeling, try these 3 practical shifts:

• The "so what?" transition: Between tasks, stop. Ask the students: "We just did X. Why do you think we are doing Y now?" Let them build the bridge.

• The 2-minute buffer: Build "empty space" into your plan. Literally write "DO NOTHING"( I mean it!) for 2 minutes after a heavy task. Use that time to listen to the room. What are they actually asking each other? That is your next move.

• Reformulation over correction: Instead of stopping flow to fix a verb tense, "echo" the student’s idea back to them with the correct form naturally included. Keep the train moving.

Try this: the "notice, don't judge" reflection

Take 2 minutes after your next lesson and write down:

• 1 moment where the energy rose: What was the spark?

• 1 moment where it dipped: Was it a transition or a too-long explanation?

Flow starts with understanding the natural rhythm of your specific classroom.

Ready to move beyond the map?

If you want to move from "covering material" to "facilitating growth," I’d love to invite you to my group programme: Lessons That Flow.

Starting February 22nd, we'll spend 5 weeks turning "teaching theory" into a calm, responsive system. This isn't about learning more "games"; it's about sharpening your professional instincts so you can plan less and achieve more.