The Best Laid Plans
#LetsPrep
Clean Slate
There’s nothing like the optimism of a teacher before a new school year begins, amiright? It’s that new-box-of-crayons, first-notebook-page kind of optimism. Anything is possible! Now that we’re past the 4th of July and the stores have their school supplies assaulting you as you enter their doors, let’s prep for a great 2024-2025!
“War is Hell.”
When you are in the trenches of your school year you are focused on those daily to-do list tasks. Most of your time is spent handing situations on the fly as they pop up–calling families, one-on-one meetings with students or teachers, fixing broken things (instruments or feelings)…sometimes there are so many items demanding your attention each day you don’t even have time to LOOK at your planner, let alone DO any of the planning. Sometimes this can lead teachers to think the plans aren’t important.
Oh, but they are.
Can you imagine Sherman marching into battle holding his planner? Oh no.
Can you imagine him leading those troops WITHOUT a plan? Oh no.
If I go to the grocery store without a list, not only do I spend WAY more money than I planned, I also forget to get half of the stuff I needed. I don’t always have to carry the list around the store with me (if I write it on paper, I can fly without it–but if I used an app on my phone I might need it open…but let’s save that for our conversation about the importance of actual written work for our students’ cognitive development.)
These plans that you make before the battle of the school year, or the trip to the grocery store, have momentous importance to the success of your school year.
I find there are many layers to a well planned school year:
Planning for the year
Planning for the week
Planning for the lesson
I have a downloadable resource to help you keep track of ALL these plans in one spot!
Let’s take a sneak peak at the features…
Planning for the Year
When are grades due? When are your performances? When do you have field trips? Days off? Conferences? Looking at the big picture helps me cover all the curriculum topics I need to. In the All-In-One Planner I have sheets to help you map out your year, quarter by quarter.
Planning for the Week
Once you have your schedule for the upcoming school year you can customize the weekly planner template in the All-In-One Planner! I love that you can hyperlink the lessons you create right to the weekly planner page (Google Sheets for the win!)
Planning for the Lesson
These lesson planning templates might be my favorite feature. You’ll find grade level specific lesson plan templates, with the NCAS standards ready to be checked off! You can also link resources and assessments to the lesson plan.
Personalize and Customize
This All-In-One Planner is available as a Google Sheets download. It comes pre-loaded with planners for each quarter, a customizable weekly schedule and lesson plan templates for grades K-5 with the national standards ready to check off!
My goal with this tool is to help make planning ahead easier for you. If customizing this tool is another chore to keep you from using it, please allow me! I am willing and available to customize the tool for you–so you can start using it ASAP!
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Ready to turn the page in the new notebook and open that box of 2024-2025 crayons? You can download and customize this Google Sheets All-In-One Planner at Music ConstructED! Find it in my storefront below.
Blog Post Contributor: Britt Crowe