Long-range planning success starts now
Knowing and understanding the importance of long-range planning is the first step
You're about to learn the magic of releasing control and gaining back hours of your day as a classroom teacher. In other words, long-range planning is the start of all the great things for you and your classroom. Maybe you’re here because you’re not even sure what long-range planning means or looks like. Perhaps you just need a new strategy and don’t want to feel like you felt last year. Regardless, I’m happy you found me here! After all, I LOVE long-range planning. Like love it, love it. I’ve always been a planner but also don’t really like following a plan. Does that make sense? Is that you too Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a new school planner and notebook. Certainly LOVE the idea of new pens and fresh pencils and I LOVE a fresh pack of sticky notes but I also love just teaching by the seat of my pants and going with the flow. In short, I can honestly understand and admire both types of teachers.
Second step is to actually use your long-range planning in your classroom
So I took all that energy, plus more than 8 years in the classroom, and I developed a plan that worked for me. As a result, it works so well for me that I was able to fully implement it during online learning and also implement and teach it to a teacher bestie each year.
Until it was, dare I say, *perfect*.
It’s so good that I feel confident I can help you do it too. A little bit of work up front for hours, days and weeks worth of free time during the school year.
I promise, it’s going to change everything for you.
Not to mention, you’ll see your confidence in your teaching soar, feel the freedom in your weekends and evenings to spend with loved ones and begin doing things that bring you joy. Best of all, you can share your learning and skills with your teacher bestie. Because we all need that bestie to cheer us on and breathe magic into our ideas.
hey, is this you?
I've been thinking about all the things. With an overflowing filing cabinet, a Google drive that is mostly a downloads folder, a planner that’s dated a few days ago and marking in your school bag that’s come and gone home so many times you’ve lost count?
*Raises hand*
Me, too girl, me too.
Until one day I just stopped. Once I stopped printing freebies, stopped keeping all the copies that were shoved in my mailbox at school and stopped shoving my master copies at the back of the folder my days felt different.
For example, I began creating dedicated time to organize my downloads so that I wasn’t always scrambling to find that lesson I thought I bought during lunch last week. In addition, my planner rested happily in front of my keyboard and I only glanced at it a few times a day instead of relying on it for every idea and lesson.
Similarly, that marking, it stayed at school. It got checked during planning times and projects got assessed with my teacher bestie to keep me accountable and on an appropriate timetable so I never felt ‘behind’ in my own fake deadlines.
Long-range planning can solve it all
However, are you looking to get yourself organized after a few years in the same grade? Amazing! I’m so proud of you! Perhaps you're at the same school and teaching the same grade but teaching with someone new? Congrats! Why don’t you both figure this out together?
Maybe you just landed a few weeks (or months) long LTO? Isn’t that just the best! Way to go, this is going to make it so much easier on you.
Have you been assigned a new grade and switched schools and feel all out of sorts? I feel you, I really do. That can be so startling. You’re in the right space here. In sum, showing up for you and your students is the best thing you can do for yourself this year.
Alrighty then are you ready for the good stuff?
In addition, planning out the year is a massive load off your plate before students even step foot in your classroom. On the other hand, maybe you already have kiddos in your classroom. No worries. Your plans can totally change and so can you. After all, that’s the beauty of long-range planning. In short, the magic happens when you write it down, just write down those ideas. Most importantly, follow along as I make my long-range plans.
Long-Range Planning: Two Parts
Part One: the curriculum
First, we need to LOOK at the curriculum. Moreover, see the chunks of time in the school year and, of course, line things up with Report Cards.
I know, I know, don’t get me started, but they matter when we are talking long-range planning.
Part two: the know how
Secondly, we need to know about ourselves; how do we like to plan? On the other hand what's your school plan; where can you find a school calendar? Above all, consider your personal commitments; when do you have appointments?
Let's get started on your long-range planning
The Curriculum: Paper or Digital Plans
Okay! You need a piece of paper, a google doc or whatever you love to write on. You're going to fold it and label it; Progress Reports, Term 1 and Term 2. Next, add the curriculum strands you want to cover in each chunk of time.
Your School, Your Students
Furthermore, you're going to do some thinking and sorting:
School District's calendar (PD/Holidays)
School Cycle
Classroom (map)
You'll need those to fill in your Pacing Guide. However, there’s only so much planning you can do until you meet and get to know your students. They are very important for your long-range planning too! You'll need to support all kinds of needs in your classroom so you are ALL having fun learning. This is why printing out the Pacing Guide in poster size is the best! In short, you and your students will love to see what you’re up to and what’s coming up next.
All the sticky notes.
Most importantly, it's time to get comfortable and grab your trusty stack of sticky notes. Maybe a snack? You'll need some giant chart paper, or even the floor or table works great too! Be sure to grab some sharpies or smelly markers (my fave!).
Meanwhile, open up those curriculum docs, note down what jumped out at you and start writing down your ideas on your sticky notes. For instance, you can write multiple ideas on one sticky note or one big idea for that subject. I tend to do both.
After you've written down an idea, stick it to your chart paper. You want to put your ideas in *some* kind of order or leave it to the side if you haven't decided when, during the year it should be taught. To sum is up, the whole curriculum will fit on your sticky notes and you'll stick them to your chart of the whole year. Then you'll transfer your ideas into your Pacing Guide.
