Short Term Planning

Hello everyone,

After you have planned your entire year, you can start doing the shorter term planning.

You will do the unit and lesson plans as you go, making adaptations in your year plans as necessary. (The year plan never stays exactly as you planned it--don't panic about that. You'll get better at it as you progress.)

I personally plan my major tests, presentations, and culminating activities at the end of the units, and my quizzes and other assessments at the ends of lessons. After planning the sort of assessment you are going to do, then you teach to your own assessment. Teach your students so that they will get good marks on the assessments you plan, and make sure that you've planned assessments that truly assess high standards.

When planning for individual lessons, remember that lessons may span more than one day. Don't feel that you necessarily have to cram every single activity into the space of 62 or 63 minutes. It won't always be possible, especially if the kids aren't getting it.

As you plan for individual days, keep your classroom management in mind. Many management problems come from poor planning, including dead time when there is nothing for the kids to do.

Avoid planning very much lecture. Find other ways to present material. Keep in mind that students should do most of the talking and thinking associated with the lesson.

The better you plan, the better things will go.

Jeff Combe