the back up plan...

My last teaching session reminded me of the importance of having a back up plan in a teaching session. Despite it working where I teach for numerous weeks in a row, technology that I needed failed me in the shape of speakers not playing out audio. As the audio I had intended to use did not have a transcript I could not read this out myself, instead I changed to a completely different dialogue but still keeping the listening exercise. I feel that in the circumstances I rectified the situation as best I could (even if it did mean the learners listening to more of my voice!). However, it brought home to me how much I and others rely on this kind of technology and especially in language teaching where it is so important to listening exercises in particular. I am also reminded of how many times I have faced or witnessed this. Sometimes I feel it would be better to revert to old style media such as a CD or cassette but even then I have have been faced with a player not being available, skipping/damaged discs or other such difficulties. So where do we draw the line with contingencies? I personally feel sometimes like I have gone to the extreme of thinking that 'everything will not work' rather than 'something will work' which is perhaps over the top. I am by no means denying that an alternative task shouldn't be nicely tucked away to whip out when an intended one is finished or doesn't work as intended- that's just good sense. I suppose experience teaches you to be prepared for the worst.