Problems with Planning


These past two weeks especially I have been struggling in regards to my planning. I have been struggling to make sure I put enough time into my planning to make my lessons work well. This weekend I was able to dedicate more time to planning my lessons and I think I may have some good ones. I have noticed that one of my main issues, beyond time management, was trying to create everything. I have been provided with many resources to use during my lesson planning as well as given advice on where to look for information. Despite this, I have kept trying to remake everything. This is very time consuming and makes it harder to create all the lessons that I would need to have for each week. I am working to make better use of my resources but I still struggle with finding what I need. I know my cooperating teacher is more than willing to help me and I know that my student teaching is a learning experience, but I am still struggling with asking for help when I need it. I am trying to improve and I did succeed in putting more time into my lessons for this upcoming week, but I am anxious to see how the lessons go this week.

My biggest problem boils down to planning ahead. I am working to improve this issue and I know that the only way to get better is to work at least a little bit every day to improve myself and my planning. I am trying to schedule my time so that I get my work done but have short breaks to calm myself.  Once I figure out how to properly schedule my time I will be better able to plan and provide better lessons for my students.

How have you struggled with planning? What are some of the things that you have done to help improve your planning?

Comments

  1. Katie RanckFebruary 16, 2020 at 2:53 PM

    Abbie - this is a new teacher "issue" that we all faced and honestly I still face it. Finding enough time to plan lessons that meet the needs of all of our learners can be difficult and exhausting, especially week after week having to start from scratch. Not putting every minute of everyday into lesson planning was difficult for me not to do while student teaching. I found quickly in my first year that burn out is real and without balance in your life it will take the joy out of what you love. Here is some food for thought... have students create materials so you are not always doing it. Keep them as examples for the next time you teach the lesson. Keep using your resources but I am a big advocate of reading through and adapting what I am given to my classroom. Do not just take and teach, you need to know what is in the PPT or lab you are using. Find virtual labs or videos to teach content and then give them a problem to solve. I would encourage you to allow learners to explore, research, design, and problem-solve then give them worksheets and activities everyday. This will push you to read some background knowledge but learn along with them. I know I was able to read a few articles on the topic the night before but if the learners asked a question I did not know, I would say "That is a GREAT question. Lets research it." I would then get on my computer to help them find the answer. The last piece of advice is to stagger. Some of my most demanding days were when I was starting new units or topics in all my classes. Try to plan for a project in one class, an assessment in another, and so on, so you have a mixed bag that keeps you energized all day. Lastly, I am in year four and I am only feeling confident about my organization of lesson planning. It took me awhile to find what worked. Keep adapting until you find what works.

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