Show Us Your: Lesson Planner

With August only a few days away, the thought of Back-to-School is inevitable.  I will be participating in The Teacher's Chair's School Week Linky.  Throughout the week, you will get a glimpse of my Back-to-School mindset.

I have started looking back over last year's plans and have begun organizing topics for this coming year.  I have learned that each year I am a better planner and more comfortable with my lesson plan tools.  YAY!  It sure doesn't feel that way sometimes!

Check out everything that goes into my plans:
I always start by figuring out what my week is going to look like.  I loving planning ahead, but things ALWAYS come up.  I decided to splurge on my planner this year, with an Erin Condren.  I didn't get a lesson planner, but a life planner, keep reading to see why.  I adore how it is laid out by month and week.

Isn't it fancy?!

Once I have a good idea of my week, I review my monthly overview to make sure that I am covering necessary ELA strategies and topics.  I created this template for each month.  It is available in my TPT store, in editable and PDF forms.  It has helped me wrap my mind around everything I do and want to teach each year.

Next stop, reviewing my CCSS checklist.  I found this checklist last year, in my search for understanding first grade.  It is created by the amazing Rachelle Smith.  

This checklist has allowed me to become more familiar with the CCSS, while making my planning more meaningful.
So now that I know how much time I have, and what needs to be covered, I start to throw everything into my weekly lesson plan template.  I discovered this template through Erica Bohrer and absolutely love it!  It was originally created for Erica by Ms. M, from A Teacher's Plan.  If you struggle to create the perfect lesson plan template, I highly recommend that you check out her blog.

 

Even though I create the majority of my plans digitally, I alway print them so that I can add notes and make changes along the way.  It is amazing writing this post and realizing how much goes into my plans each week.  What lesson plan tools do you use?

Be sure to follow along this week!

First Five for Friday

I am so excited to be linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching, for today's Five for Friday.  This will be Kacey's last Five for Friday until August, but don't fret, Friday blog posts, in July, will still feature greats from the week.

This week has been filled with organizing, relaxing, and packing.  

1. Washi tape!  Where has this stuff been all my life?!  I am in love with how easily is transforms Blah! into BOOM!

2. Pathways to the Common Core.  Over the last couple years, I have been preparing myself for the transition to CCSS.  As an ESL teacher, I worked on breaking down the standards to determine what language forms and functions my students would be required to use.  Now, as a classroom teacher, I have jumped head first into the CCSS.  This books has severed as a fabulous resource throughout all of my work up-to and with the CCSS.  I highly recommend it!

3. Creating for TPT.  I love being able to let my creative juices flow, while sharing the final products will all of you.  This week, I added a set of I have...Who has...? and a super cute word family activity.

4. My Monster.  I love being home during the summer to walk and play with this terrific fur ball.  

5. Erin Condren Life Planner.  I did it, I splurged and got my first Erin Condren Life Planner.  I chose to go with the Life Planner because I use a digital format for my lesson plans.  I love that I was able to personalize this planner, it inspires me each time I look at it.  I am eagerly waiting to start writing in it!

I am off to HOTlanta for the National Education Association's Representative Assembly (NEA-RA).  This annual event is an incredible experience where members from all over the nation come together to monitor and support our rights as pubic educators.  

Happy Friday!

How Pinterest Has Made Me a Better Teacher

Like many of you, this past year, I experienced a teaching shake-up.  I was laid-off and recalled to a position I had not taught before.  Although I have several years of classroom experience, it was all at the intermediate level, making the thought of teaching 1st grade daunting.  With only a few days before the start of the school year, I knew I needed to learn how to organize a primary classroom FAST!

My sister introduced me to Pinterest the previous spring, as a visual learner this site became my haven for DIYs and decor ideas.  The most powerful pins I have found are definitely those aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  With 45 states having adopted the CCSS, I am intrigued by the ability to share ideas nationally.  Having taught in 3 states,  I love that I can now share ideas that former colleagues can use.

It wasn't until I started playing around with the search feature that I came across a multitude of classroom resources.  The search feature allowed me to explore first grade ideas, without getting overwhelmed with everything else.  I loved the ability to glimpse inside other teachers' classrooms, while building a bank of ideas.  I can't wait to take the spastic pinning I did this year, to survive my first year in 1st grade, and "Rock the Socks" off of this coming year's classroom and teaching!

Throughout my use of Pinterest I have learned the following:

• make sure the pin is active BEFORE pinning it to your boards
• double check that you have "Permission to Pin" ideas that you find on blogs and websites
• organize your boards to make reviewing ideas simple




• monitor your time (Do you get sucked in like me?)

Happy Pinning!