Teaching is such a rewarding profession when you see the difference you’re making in a child’s life but it’s also a challenging job because there is so much that goes into being a teacher. Do you feel like there are never enough hours in the day? I do. Do you feel like your on a hamster wheel trying to keep up with everything we need to do throughout the school year? Yeah, me too. These are some tips I’ve found helpful in being a productive planner so I don’t have to take tons of work home or spend all of my Sunday (or weekend) planning the week.
Tips to Be a More Productive Planner for a Smooth Week of Teaching
Plan During Preps
As much as I’d love to go into the staff room or see which of my teacher friends also have preps so I can chat with them, I try to always utilize my prep periods to get as much planning done as I can. This is often challenging because my preps are only 30 minutes which isn’t much time once I use the restroom and fill up my water bottle. That’s why I try to plan one subject at a time and make lists for things I can’t do in that sitting.
Start Planning on Wednesday for the Next Week
I also try to start planning for the next week by Wednesday (sometimes even Tuesday). This may sound crazy but this gives me enough time to get all my materials ready, papers copied and anything prepped that I’ll need.
Use Lists
Write out a list of everything you need to do (like make anchor charts or find a hands on activity) and a list of all the materials you need to get out. I even categorize my lists by subject! That way I can make sure everything is taken care of for each part of our day.
Get Any Needed Materials Ready
I’m super fortunate to have a full-time assistant teacher that can help me prep materials and make copies so I utilize her to the max. I get all my worksheets or copies I need ready so she can copy. Then, I organize them by what day I’ll need them. Behind my desk, I have a file box that holds each day’s copies. I also pull out any physical materials I’ll need like our big book, math manipulatives and any tools for a science experiment. All of these materials have specific spots in my classroom so when I need them, they’re waiting for me!
Check Files, Look at Last Year’s Planner, Search TpT
I love when I can look through my file and pull something that worked well the previous year. It makes it so easy to plan for the subject! For some lessons, I even try to write a sticky note telling myself what went well or what to change so when I pull it out the next year, I know how to adjust! I highly recommend using some kind of filing system for language arts, math and seasonal things.
It’s also helpful to check my planner from the previous year to see what time of year I planned certain units, projects or event special activities. I look to my previous planner for things like how long I’ll need for an activity for the 100th day of school or how many weeks my hatching chicks unit is.
When planning lessons, I always try to search TpT to find ways to give my lessons a little extra umph! Why reinvent the wheel, right? Using another teacher-author’s creation saves me time in making my own.
How do you make the most of your time so you can productively plan your teaching week? Share below!
