2013-2014 printable calendar for teacher planning
How to lesson plan starts with having the big picture. I use this printable calendar as my starting place every year when I want to sketch out my year. It may be obvious {or maybe not} but you've got to know where you want to go in order to find out how you want to get there. This is my number one tip for teacher planning.
My calendar template is simple. Since I use a binder to hold my lesson plan templates, I want a calendar that fits in it and has plenty of room to write. I use this two-page format in order for it to lay flat and for me to see my month at a glance.
This format works for me so as I'm planning I can work my way from the big picture of year long goals down to our 9 week quarters down to a month and right down to individual weeks. For example, I know that I have x number of sight words that I want to teach. I break my list down by quarter, then by month and week. Having weekly-bite sized pieces of my core instruction planned out before the school year begins makes planning my week simplified once that week rolls around.
You can do this with themes, favorite stories, writing, anything. Plus, this structure allows me flexibility to change pacing to meet my students' needs.
We all know that due dates, events and meetings are important to a teacher's calendar. This is my secret weapon on always being prepared and being organized. When I hear of an event or due date (or if I set one for example for Scholastic books orders) then I can also write in the dates I want to have it done for myself (or to send out parent reminders).
Since it's in my binder I can easily flip to it each week as I am lesson planning to be sure that I am always working a step ahead and have things written down that are coming up as reminders or that go on my to-do task list.
You can easily jot down notes to yourself. If you don't want to handwrite everything you can always print your items onto small sticky notes or labels and then stick them into your calendar. This is what I did when I first took the free calendar given to our district and ripped it apart to fit into my binder. I like printed fonts much more than my own handwriting. {much more}
This year I've also taken the template and placed it as the background in a PowerPoint file. You can't type "into" it, but you can type on top of it. This means that you copy and paste text boxes where you want them and make it your own. You can also insert clipart on top of it if you like a little fun in yours. This file is a paid version.
Note: I did not place text boxes in every date space. If you wanted to change the font, size or didn't want to type in every box, then you'd have waaaay too much work deleting a gazillion boxes or formatting them. I designed this so that way you could edit one to be the font and text size you want so you can copy and paste and work smart that way - just with the number of boxes you need. Its my assumption that if you want an editable file, you'd want to work smart too.
Here's a video tip on how to modify then copy and paste text boxes if you're interested but not familiar with copying and pasting text boxes on PowerPoint.
Free Planning Binder Covers
Creating a Guided Reading Binder
Planning Binders
Organizing Materials for the Week
Organizing Digital Files Weekly To-Do List
My calendar template is simple. Since I use a binder to hold my lesson plan templates, I want a calendar that fits in it and has plenty of room to write. I use this two-page format in order for it to lay flat and for me to see my month at a glance.
Teacher Planning
Tip! Two page format so it lays flat in a binder.
This format works for me so as I'm planning I can work my way from the big picture of year long goals down to our 9 week quarters down to a month and right down to individual weeks. For example, I know that I have x number of sight words that I want to teach. I break my list down by quarter, then by month and week. Having weekly-bite sized pieces of my core instruction planned out before the school year begins makes planning my week simplified once that week rolls around.
Tip! Break down main pieces to make planning simplified.
You can do this with themes, favorite stories, writing, anything. Plus, this structure allows me flexibility to change pacing to meet my students' needs.
We all know that due dates, events and meetings are important to a teacher's calendar. This is my secret weapon on always being prepared and being organized. When I hear of an event or due date (or if I set one for example for Scholastic books orders) then I can also write in the dates I want to have it done for myself (or to send out parent reminders).
Tip! Add in due dates and reminders.
Since it's in my binder I can easily flip to it each week as I am lesson planning to be sure that I am always working a step ahead and have things written down that are coming up as reminders or that go on my to-do task list.
Printable Calendar
I created my original using my design program and can cut and paste parts I want to keep for the following year. This year I am sharing it again with you for free in pdf form. This printable calendar version is great for printing and adding to your binder.You can easily jot down notes to yourself. If you don't want to handwrite everything you can always print your items onto small sticky notes or labels and then stick them into your calendar. This is what I did when I first took the free calendar given to our district and ripped it apart to fit into my binder. I like printed fonts much more than my own handwriting. {much more}
Editable Calendar
This year I've also taken the template and placed it as the background in a PowerPoint file. You can't type "into" it, but you can type on top of it. This means that you copy and paste text boxes where you want them and make it your own. You can also insert clipart on top of it if you like a little fun in yours. This file is a paid version.
Here's a video tip on how to modify then copy and paste text boxes if you're interested but not familiar with copying and pasting text boxes on PowerPoint.
More Binder Tips:
Creating a Guided Math BinderFree Planning Binder Covers
Creating a Guided Reading Binder
Planning Binders
More on Teacher Organization:
Planning for a SubOrganizing Materials for the Week
Organizing Digital Files Weekly To-Do List
I hope you can use some of these ideas and the free calendar template to make your planning simplified or organized. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly just like this one. What tips do you have for teacher organization?
- Leslie
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Labels: Back to School, End of the Year, Freebie, teacher organization
posted by Leslie @ Friday, April 12, 2013
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