Lesson planning can be one of those things that keeps us feeling overwhelmed throughout the school year. One of the ways to stop that overwhelming feeling is to begin with a year long planning calendar from the beginning. Planning is part of what we do to keep a smooth running classroom. The planning process can begin with a year long planning calendar that gives you a road map for success. The first step to the process is to think about what your previous students had an interest in. Young children usually have similar interest. Another thing to think about is the time of year, seasons always brings up natural interest in children. Think about these things and make a list of everything that first pops into your mind about the previous year. Take that list and write down all of those interest ideas onto sticky notes. Do you have them? Now spread out your calendars and start sticking. Move them around until you find the right fit. Now that you have your themes and interest all plotted out on your calendar. The next step is to think about letters that can be introduced to children based on those interest. Like F for Friends and S for Super Friends I believe that when you introduce children to letters it is more interesting to them if it is associated with something that they are already interested in. Wait we are not done yet. I also like to have a general plan for my center areas. These areas only get changed up once a month to ensure that children have plenty of time to engage and stretch their skills for a deeper understanding, but they still need to be planned. I like to plan in advance for these centers because it usually takes me awhile to hunt and gather all the items needed to execute them for optimal learning. Now that it is all planned out have a little fun with your planning calendar, add stickers, washi tape and inspirational stickers. It will put a smile on your face as you flip through your plans when things are getting a little bit overwhelming.
5 Comments
Diane
6/24/2015 11:48:30 am
Just printed mine! I like the idea of adding all the extra touches to make it more fun.
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Tami
6/24/2015 12:58:43 pm
I'm a scrap book junkie at heart. This year when I open my plan book it will remind my that I had fun planning all of the ideas.
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Melissa
6/29/2015 04:42:33 am
Are the pages editable for early/upper elementary grades? I love the colorfulness of the pages, but teach elementary! Thank you!
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Tami
6/30/2015 10:45:52 am
What would you like to see for an upper elementary grade? I will add what you need just email me any ideas. [email protected]
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8/7/2015 01:36:57 am
Wow! I am a planning addict and I LOVE this! I'm going to share this blog post with all the COA directors! Thanks!!
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Welcome!I'm Tami Sanders creator of Learning and Teaching with Preschoolers, a blog to help teachers create magical moments for the young. Follow MeArchives
May 2024
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