I remember being so excited about heading back to school. The weeks before were spent setting up my classroom, preparing for Open House, creating class lists, labeling EVERYTHING, and making sure all items on my to-do list were checked off. There was just one problem…
I had completely neglected one of the most important things. MY LESSON PLANS!!!
So many other things needed to be ready before that first lesson did. But waiting until the last minute, when my head was about to explode from overstimulation and extreme exhaustion, was not a good scenario.
Over the years I began to work smarter, not harder, and it turned planning into something I enjoyed instead of something I dreaded.
Here are my top 5 tips to help make lesson planning a breeze, especially when the craziness of back-to-school rolls around!
Tip #1: Get back to the basics
Remember in college when you created lesson plans for real? While they were great practice, they aren’t practical for teachers to use for every lesson. We can still create effective lessons without the lengthy format. We don’t need to fill out a page-long template to build a strong lesson plan.
Nevertheless, let’s not forget what makes up a great lesson plan and the importance of having a plan. I’m a true believer in what Benjamin Franklin once said, “If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail”.
All lesson plans need a clear beginning, middle, and end. The Lesson Plan Framework includes questions and prompts to ensure your lesson plans include all major components.
Full disclosure–I was never a fan of lesson plan templates and am so thankful my administrators never required them. Instead, I used bullet points and jotted my ideas down in an organized list.
Tip #2: Keep a Running List of Resources
It’s easy to get into a routine of doing the same thing for a warm-up activity or using the same type of activity for your small group math center.
While consistency has its benefits, it’s important to mix things up to keep your students excited and engaged during your lesson.
Therefore, I recommend keeping a running list of ideas, resources, and activities to choose from.
For example, what websites are good for video clips? Which activities work well for warm-ups/bell ringers? What do students enjoy doing on choice boards? You can then pull from this list when creating lesson plans.
Tip #3: Take Pictures of Your Activities
If you were to glance at my lesson plans, you would see a lot of pictures. I took pictures of my math center every day and inserted them into my digital lesson plan copy. If you think you’ll remember what “multiplication matching activity” means the next year, trust me–you won’t. By placing pictures in my lesson plans, I never had to wonder what I meant the year before.
Tip #4: Collaborative Planning is a Must
My best years of lesson planning were done first in a group setting. It was extremely helpful to talk through the week and make sure everyone was on the same page. We were able to learn each other’s strengths and took on roles that built upon those strengths.
For example, one of us would type up the plans and add hyperlinks to any web-based activities, while the other would look through the previous year’s slides to help us remember what we did. The rest would search on TPT and/or look at our list of resources. This system helped us become efficient and build lesson plans in no time at all!
Tip #5: Don't Start From Scratch
Now, if the thought of putting together a list of activities and resources has you grasping for air, don’t worry! I am sharing my list of 60+ lesson plan ideas to help you get started! There is also room to add your own ideas, because two minds are better than one, right?
Click the button to grab this freebie and get ready to plan your lessons in minutes!
Until next time,
Happy Teaching!
P.S. Need ideas for structuring a 90-minute math block? Read this BLOG POST!
