The importance of taking your own advice

I should learn to follow my own advice.

When I am training teachers or observing teachers I always stress the importance of having a back-up plan for your lesson. Doing a whizz-bang, super-duper computer based lesson? Have a back up in case the computer fails. Using audio-visual materials? Think about what you'll do if there is no power. Teaching in an unfamilar classroom and want to stick things to the board with magnets? What will you do if it's not magnetic? Even think about what to do if you have no board at all. Always have a back-up plan.
Pride goes before a fall.

At the weekend I spent a lot of time preparing a music lesson - finding and recording the songs I wanted to use. Planning in detail how I would use them and what I would do.

Trouble was I was feeling a bit under the weather and didn't feel well-enough to do the extra effort to make a back-up. Things would be OK, wouldn't they. I've had no difficulties at that school before.

Except that I got in, plugged in my tape player and discovered that the power has been off for three days.
Without the recordings I had no lesson.

Luckily there were a couple of pages in their Chinese book that the teachers said they wouldn't be using so I taught those instead.

Note to self: always follow your own advice.