Opinion In defence of procrastination: How disorganisation taught me to be an efficient teacher
In a world of rigid curricula, spontaneity can be a teacher’s secret weapon
I believe that even those who are naturally well-organised should occasionally experiment with disorganisation I am, admittedly, a disorganised person who thrives on procrastination — a trait I worked hard to overcome during my Master’s. At the time, I genuinely believed I had left my procrastinating tendencies behind, confidently upgrading myself from a “serial procrastinator” to an “amateur procrastinator” on my Instagram bio. Looking back, I realise I was overly optimistic. Five years later, my default pattern still involves delaying tasks until the last moment. But this is one aspect that I believe should be privileged rather than vilified in the profession of teaching.
Usually, when schools picture an “ideal teacher”, it is someone who plans well and strictly adheres to schedules. The reward system is also built to support this idea. When I entered my first workplace straight out of my Master’s, I was brimming with ideas to share with my students. Yet, I found myself waiting until the last minute to consolidate them. It was June 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19, and teaching had shifted online. Despite my excitement, I only managed to prepare my class slides and notes a few minutes before starting the Zoom sessions. In those hurried moments, my creativity flowed – the pressure pushed me into a state of flow where I scoured research papers, synthesised my knowledge, and crafted engaging presentations that aligned well with the concepts I was teaching. I was entering class prepared, but this destination was reached through a rather haphazard process.
Another incident I would like to draw your attention to is from 2023, when I decided to reuse an old presentation, assuming that since it had worked so well previously, it would be equally effective four years later. To my dismay, however, the students in the class struggled to connect, the examples felt too distant, and only a handful could engage with the discussion.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson – that accessing organised material can save time, but it does not guarantee an engaging classroom. Efficiency is undoubtedly helpful, but teaching thrives on adaptability and the willingness to experiment. Every class demands a fresh approach, shaped by the unique dynamics of its participants. This realisation paved the way for me to embrace my disorganised nature – providing me with an excuse to focus on short-term planning rather than considering strategies that would benefit me in the long run.
In a CBSE workshop I had once attended, the trainer kept telling teachers that lesson plans need to be perfect and fool proof, and if things are spilling over due to discussions, then you have planned incorrectly and inefficiently. I strongly disagree with this notion and would go as far as to say, planning loosely is beneficial – since spillages and drawing serendipitous connections are the very core of what teaching and learning entail.
For instance, I usually do a privilege walk activity with Class XII students, but with the current batch of Class XI, I realised the need to do it while introducing them to the concept of stratification, rather than waiting another year when we discuss patterns of social inequality. This worked out well because students were able to experience the effects of social stratification and the disparities which are caused by it.
Sometimes, of course, no matter how organised you are, students refuse to study. And then it is time to embrace the flow. Around this time last year, I really needed to push the syllabus forward, but several classes had been missed due to the “Founders’ Day” preparations at school. On the day we finally got a class, we had to use a new venue because the original one was occupied. A significant amount of time went into just gathering the students. Despite these challenges, I was blessed with a double lesson. Although I had hoped to cover the lesson plan, the students, exhausted after two hours of practice, insisted on a lighter session. So, I decided to switch gears and played a game of Pictionary using sociological terms. The game turned into a lively competition that tested their understanding and recall of concepts. It created a situation where students steered the course of the discussion and staked ownership of the class.
Disorganisation also serves as a counterbalance to the monotony of structured curricula. In schools, where the curriculum rarely changes except in select international boards, stagnation can set in quickly. Using previously prepared class notes and assignments, classes risk becoming repetitive, pushing teachers into autopilot. Lack of time makes it easier to recycle than create. But lack of organisation forces us to engage dynamically with each class, thinking on our feet.
In contrast to school teaching, college teaching rewards external achievements such as publishing papers or organising conferences, thereby providing areas to improve subject knowledge. In schools, out-of-classroom achievements are typically limited to attending training workshops, where the teacher is not challenged to expand their knowledge of their subject. In such a context, disorganisation provides an internal mechanism to break routine and encourages creativity and learning, steering away from the rigidity of auto-pilot teaching.
I believe that even those who are naturally well-organised should occasionally experiment with disorganisation. Actively choosing moments to step away from strict organisation can serve as a reset, keeping teachers alert and adaptive. For each batch of students, the material could appear new, but for the teacher it is the same. It is monotony for oneself that we must break out of, to stay in touch with our creative potential.
The writer is a Sociology teacher in a Delhi school
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