It is early August and although I technically have three full weeks of vacation left, I have started planning for the new year. It makes me feel better to get some things started early because I know I will be slammed when I actually do return. There is so much to do and if I can get a little off my plate now – I will be ahead of the game.
I bought my planner a few months ago when it was on sale. I buy from Erin Condren. Her planners can be expensive, so that’s why I get them on sale. I have been teaching for 25 years and I use to fill out my planner for the first two weeks of school and that was it. Now that I have a nice, pretty planner – I actually use it all year.
The first think I do is decorate my planner with stickers. I mark all the holidays, parent conference dates, and anything else I know will not change during the year. In the past, I have written all the daily planning in pencil because things change constantly. But this year, I am trying pens. I have two sets of colored pens. One for things I know are permanent and a second (erasable pens) for daily items that can change.
At my school, we have Back-to-School Night the second week of school. Believe it or not, but there is a level of expectations for teachers to have the room decorated with student work. So, the first thing I do is figure out what work I will have on the walls and windows. I have about 8 days to get those completed and hung. I try to have six items. A couple of the things I will do this year is have students write a currently page that I will hang in the writing display on my wall. Another project will be an art project with a three-dimensional star that has writing with sentences starting – I am a star because…
Another thing I do with planning in the summer is make lists. I love using lists. I write them in the extra lined pages of my binder and I have a notebook titled – The Book of Lists. I use that for school and personal. I will just create a list and cross out the things that get completed. It is very satisfying to me to see things completed.
Finally, I have a notepad by my bed. I use that to write ideas. I always have ideas, but a lot of times they flee my mind unless I write them down. It could be a new product for TpT, a lesson to do with my class, or how to decorate a room in my home. I usually grab the notepad after I go walking because I do generate many of my ideas while exercising.
These are the things I do when I begin to plan a new year. I think just getting started on what you can will give you a head start on your year. Make planning fun if you can – you will be more likely to stick with it!
Thanks for dropping in!
Karen
