Lesson Plans Part 1 - Choosing a template(s)

I am obsessed with creating the perfect planning template for myself.  Is anyone else this way?  I think the problem is that my job is not consistent.  I see some kids in their classroom for ELA or Math, I see some in my own room, some I see daily and others I see every other day and some students I don't ever work directly with but they are still in my schedule/caseload!  Of course I can't find a plan template that works for all of that! 

So I did the only logical thing and created 5 different templates.   I'm going to share them all with you, my lovely readers! (*Disclaimer, these templates were made with a resource room/small group teacher in mind). While obsessively working on creating a plan template(s) for myself, I did a lot of reflecting.  It is so important to pick a plan template that works for YOU!

So what kind of template is right for you?

Do you like to plan day by day or do you like to plan by group?

I personally like to plan a large chunk of time for my group all at once.  That is how I keep my lessons cohesive.  The fastest way for me to write plans is to have each group in it's own section in my planbook.  If you like to plan out each day, having all your groups together on one page would work for you.  This is my favorite template and I'll tell you why in my next post!

How often do you see each group?

Every day?  Every other day?  For my groups that I see every day in my room, I like to use a calendar type template.  I can quickly map out a month of cohesive plans for the group.  This doesn't make sense for my every other day groups because of all the wasted space.  

Do you have groups where you aren't the lead teacher?

I push into classrooms frequently and I am not given time to co-plan so I usually walk in blindly.  I (at the suggestion of my district-given mentor) write down what we worked on AFTER I see the group.  I have a special planning template for that type of group.  

Are you using a scripted program?

I use LLI with some of my students.  I am not about to waste time re-writing the lesson plan.  For these groups, I use a 1 page calendar template and I simply write the lesson # we are doing along with an objective (which is usually given to you in the scripted lesson).

Finally, what information are you required to put in your plans? 

You will have to keep this in mind when you are choosing or creating a template.  

Freebie Time
It sounds silly but your lesson plan template is a personal thing and you really need to make it your own.  I've made all of these templates customizable for you so you can create something that you love and the best part is they are free! 

Grab my planning guide and all of the templates I created here!

My next post will be all about how to make your planning template work for you!