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There is no time! There is no time! There is never any time!
Jessie, Saved by the Bell
Do you ever feel this way when you are looking at you long to do list?
You’re not alone!
Years ago I learned the skill of batching and it completely changed the way that I work on tasks.
Batching is when you work on one specific task for a long chunk of time until it is complete rather than doing a little of everything with your time.
Batching your lesson plans has many benefits.
1. Reduces your start up time.
2. Simplifies your daily to do list.
3. It improves your focus and flow time.
4. Gives you time to prep your necessary materials that go along with your lesson plans.
5. Gives you time to find activities to fill the holes.
I used batching so that I could get four weeks of lesson plans done ahead of time. If you haven’t been batching, then the original start up will take some time. But it is SO worth it!
Week One:
Plan four weeks of math and one week of reading, writing, science and social studies.
(This is the toughest week!)
Week Two:
Plan four weeks of reading and one week of writing, science and social studies.
Week Three:
Plan four weeks of writing and one week of science and social studies.
Week Four:
Plan four weeks of science and social studies.
Week Five:
Plan four weeks of math.
Week Six:
Plan four weeks of reading.
Week Seven:
Plan four weeks of writing.
Week Eight:
Plan four weeks of science and social studies.
And just continue this pattern so that you are always four weeks ahead on your planning and never having to plan for all subjects on a Sunday night.
You’re ideas are “spot” on!
Thanks for sharing!
Michelle Whitworth
this is definitely a late comment but I’m wondering if you also batch plan when you are doing your guided reading lessons for each group? Thanks in advance!
Thank you so much for this information. My work days are filled and are always chaotic in some way, this has helped me to look at lesson planning in a different way.
Thanks for the ideas as well as the schedules!
How do you organize and store all of the lessons that you plan?
What a great Pod Cast! I love this idea and I cannot wait to start utilizing this during plan time this week!
Thank you Jamie =)
Oh my gosh! After 31 years of teaching, this is the best idea I have ever heard. I spend hours every weekend planning. I am teaching a new grade level this year and already feeling so overwhelmed. I can’t wait to implement this idea into my lesson planning. Thank you for sharing!
Wow! What a concept. I can’t wait to give this a try. It also seems like you may be able to “Unit plan” in a way because you will be planning so far in advance. I love to time manage as well, and lesson planning has always been my time sucker no matter how I’ve set it up. This way though is blowing my mind right now (at 10:26pm).
Thank you for this blog! I didn’t know that I was a batcher for lesson plans that’s exactly what I do. It was a vote of confidence that I am helping myself to succeed
I need batch planning in a bad sort of way! Will definitely try this! I am looking forward to having more time on the weekends!!!