Do you wish that you could spend less time planning and more time lounging on the beach, strolling the aisles of Target, or binging your fave Netflix show? If your answer is "HECK YEA, I DO!" then you are not alone! As a classroom teacher, I felt like no matter how many hours I spent planning, I could never get it all done. When I talk with other teachers, they share the same classic complaint- planning takes a long time! What if I told you there are ways that you can maximize your planning time and take your free time back, so you can enjoy all of the little pleasures in life (yes, I'm talking about Target runs, again!)
Hi, I'm Chloe (aka Florida's BESTie), a former classroom teacher and current education consultant and curriculum designer! My mission is pretty simple- I'm here to support Florida educators with valuable, time-saving tips and resources for planning, professional learning and instruction.
So, how exactly can you start maximizing your planning time? Here are a few tips to get you started:
Get Organized! The first step is making sure that you have all of your planning resources organized and available at your fingertips! This is key to quickly finding and accessing what you are looking for during a planning session. Some teachers organize planning materials digitally (think Google Drive folders), and others prefer a planning binder or notebook with dedicated sections for specific resources. Whichever you prefer, it is important to take the time initially to organize your planning resources so that you will save time later!
Create a System! Once your resources are organized and readily available, you need to develop a system for planning. Think of this as your planning procedures or steps. What will you do first? Most likely you will consider the learning standard that must be addressed in the upcoming lesson or unit. Next, you may take into consideration how students will be assessed, and you will likely reference the type of assessment that students will use to show progress or mastery of the standard. After that, you you'll begin to collect instructional resources that align to the standard and assessment that are being addressed. Once you have developed a system that works for you, jot the steps down so that you can utilize the same process each time you plan. Over time, you will streamline it and improve your process so that it moves even more quickly!
Set Goals! It's important that you have a specific goal in mind when you begin your planning session. Maybe your goal is to plan your shared reading lessons for the upcoming week. Having a specific goal will help you stay focused. Without one, it's easy to get overwhelmed with planning and the time you spend can drag on as you try to accomplish a multitude of things during one session. You also need to set a time goal. This is a specific amount of time that you will spend planning for your specific goal. Use a timer! At first, you will inevitably go over your allotted time, but eventually you will train yourself to get more done in less time (especially if you are organized and have created an efficient system).
Ready to Make it Happen?
These Standards Reference Guides are designed to help you get organized, streamline your system for planning, and save you time so that you can meet your planning goals! Click a resource below to see it in my TpT Store or Click the button to shop all resources!
New Resources Added Daily!
As Florida's BESTie I know that teaching isn’t always sunshine and palm trees, but I'll help you get your toes in the sand in no time!
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