You can't "DO" PBL

I realize that I've only been officially trained in Project Based Learning for about three months, but I've learned a lot about how I feel about it in that short amount of time.  Don't get me wrong, the training was excellent and I learned many valuable things through the training and would probably be floundering somewhat without it.

With that being said, here are some realizations that anyone venturing into the world of PBL should know.

1. PBL is not new.  I was doing this before I knew what it was or had any sort of training.
I've recently heard many teachers say that this is not new. They were teaching using a PBL model 20 years ago, but didn't call it that.  I think on some level this is true, but I'm not sure completely accurate all the time. When I think about PBL being a project as a channel for learning to take place, I don't think this means learn something and do a project at the end.  Yet this dessert project is what I perceive many of those claiming to already get it to be talking about.

2. There is not one right way to teach using PBL.
I feel like I've always been one of those teachers who never does the same thing twice and this supports this whole idea that there are many ways to teach using a  PBL model.  It all depends on what company published what your are reading or who is training you.  BIE seems to me to have the most comprehensive information regarding the implementation of PBL right now, but I've also read some  valuable pieces from Edudemic, Edutopia, and blogs of teachers sharing their successes and struggles.

3. There are some protocols that aid in the management piece of PBL.
Like I mentioned in #2, there is a lot of good "stuff" out there regarding PBL.  Many of these resources and protocols are meant to help in the design and implementation phase, but they are invaluable for classroom management.  Thorough planning is imperative to successful completion - or at least to retain sanity of the teacher in the room.  Task Management Charts, Need to Knows, and Team Contracts are invaluable pieces.

4. Like everything else in teaching, don't reinvent the wheel.
There is no need to start from scratch if you feel the urge to try PBL.  There are tons of ideas on the internet. GOOGLE! I definitely advise those who want to give it a shot to find a unit that's already been created.  This doesn't mean you have to use every piece or teach it exactly as written.  I would advise against this, actually. Recently I found a unit titled "We've Got Issues" using the BIE database. It was not written with my state standards in mind, nor was it written for my grade level.  However, it was very planned out, extremely thorough, and fit the standards of nonfiction that I was aiming for.  My students are currently working their way through our own version of "We've Got issues."

5. You can't just "DO" PBL.  It has to be a shift in culture. 
I propose that you can't wake up one morning and say "I'm going to do PBL today." It is a shift in mindset.  It isn't something you can just walk in and do. It isn't a canned program.  You must really reflect on what you believe, what you value, and be willing to give up control.  At it's very core, it is allowing the students to control their learning, the what and the how.