Imagine trying to teach someone to ride a bike if you had never ridden one yourself.

You could research riding a bike and watch every video Youtube has to offer, but your instruction likely wouldn’t be very effective.

It’s hard to give relevant tips and explain the sensation of doing something if you’ve never actually experienced it.

This same philosophy applies to teaching Project Based Learning.

All the thoughtful planning in the world still won’t allow you to sympathize with students as they tackle the roller coaster of emotions that is Project Based Learning.

That is unless you’ve taken on your own personal project as a way to see what it’s all about.

Instead of using your students as guinea pigs for Project Based Learning, test out the pedagogical approach on yourself.

Project Based Learning For Teachers

There are a number of ways you could engage in project-based learning yourself.

If you’re currently planning a project-based unit for your class, you could tackle one piece of the assessment on your own.

Known as a “project slice” the idea here is to hone in on one aspect of the project and try it out. A slice is much more manageable for teachers who don’t necessarily have a lot of extra time on their hands.

Attempting to do one part of a project will not only help you build background knowledge but will also shine a light on any areas for improvement in your assessment.

Or, you could task yourself with doing a similar style assessment that you want students to do (make a website, say) but about content that you’re actually curious about for improving your own instruction (Blended Learning, differentiation strategies, serving ELLs, etc).

Either way, going through the process will not only make your assignment better but will also help you empathize with what students feel throughout this process.

What’s more, sharing your experience with your students will help show them that you are also eager to learn and stick with things that are challenging.

Still not sure when you might find the time to tackle a project slice? If there is a push to embed PBL across your school, ask an administrator if testing out the process could be embedded into a school-wide professional development day.

Making the Most Out of Your Teacher Project

In order to get the most out of your own stab at Project Based Learning, consider and reflect on the following questions throughout your process.

1. At what parts during the process did I struggle?

2. When did I need to ask for help?

3. What resources did I lean on?

4. How closely did I stick to my original plan?

5. What did I learn from the experience?

6. Was there a clear way for me to know if my work met expectations?

Being cognizant of what this process feels like for your students is likely to make both your planning and execution of PBL much more successful.

And who knows? You might even enjoy learning through projects!