I know firsthand how overwhelming and time consuming lesson planning can be, especially when you’re juggling countless responsibilities. That’s why I want to share with you my secret to maintaining sanity and efficiency - I lesson plan (and prep) once a month…and sometimes less! How exactly do I do this? I create comprehensive notebooks for an entire unit, sometimes more than one unit at a time. I will share:

What is inside the notebooks
Benefits of planning this way
How you can implement notebooks

Streamline the Planning Process

When I first started teaching, I found myself constantly scrambling to prepare the next day’s lesson. It was exhausting and I felt like I was always behind. When I started to streamline my systems for efficiency, I began to plan and fully prep for an entire unit. When I realized how many stacks of papers that led to, it progressed into creating notebooks for the whole unit.

If you want a step by step guide on how to streamline and simplify your planning, then click here to start implementing your plan now.

What’s Inside the Notebooks?

These notebooks are far from busy work “packets”. They are carefully planned to ensure they provide meaningful learning experiences. Here’s what typically goes into one of my notebooks:

Notes pages - usually Cornell style or graphic organizers
Labs, practice problems, and projects
Reflection questions
Supplementary resources
Study guides

Benefits of Monthly Planning (and Prepping)

Consistency and structure: With a clear plan laid out for the entire unit, students know what to expect.

Reduced Stress: Knowing that I have a solid plan in place for the month significantly reduces my stress levels. I’m not constantly worrying about what I need to prepare for the next day.
Availability: I feel more readily available if students need extra help before school or during lunch. Before I felt I was constantly scrambling to finalize plans or make last minute copies.
Only one trip to the copy machine!

If you want a step by step guide on how to streamline your planning, then click here to learn how you can start implementing your plan now.

Implementing Notebooks In Your Classroom

If you’re considering adopting this approach, here are a few tips to get started:

Dedicate a few hours before each unit to plan and create your workbooks. Treat this time as non- negotiable.
Gather resources. Collect all the materials you’ll need beforehand.
Think ahead. Consider the pacing of your unit and how each lesson will build on the previous one. Make sure your workbooks are logically sequenced.
Involve students. Get feedback from your students on what works and what doesn’t. This can help you refine your notebooks and make them even more effective.

My students love the notebooks because they have everything in one place. A lot of students like coming to class with just their notebook and pencil because that is all they need.

I have implemented this system in both middle and high school levels across a variety of content areas. This has been a game changer in streamlining the planning process and reducing my workload.

If you want to learn how to simplify your workload using the same step by step process that I used to go from working 60+ hours to 43 hours a week, click here to get your guide!

Not ready to fully jump in and learn how you can simplify your workflow?

Get your FREE Back to School Planning Guide