How to Unit Plan with Less Time.
I am not a naturally organized person, in fact I am a naturally disorganized person. I don’t have to work at being disorganized at all. If you are like me, I say let’s own it.
I have other strengths. The issue is that sometimes disorganization becomes a time eater (anyone besides me ever spend 30 minutes or more looking for their keys?). As a result, I have had to work incredibly hard to create systems that work for me.
I still think of myself as being a creative scientist, which sounds a little like a mad scientist. That means I can’t automate everything because that feels stifling. I try to create a system for things that should not be burning up my creative energy.
When I ‘m not wasting that time and energy, I have more time for the things that make me happy. It is all about balance. If you are a teacher or homeschooler, I think the first step towards balance is reclaiming some time. Learning to create a unit plan with less time and energy was a lifesaver.
Reclaim your time!
I was feeling so much pressure at work and home. I had no “free time”. A job you love (like teaching or homeschooling) can be depleting when it takes over your entire life.
As a new teacher, it was completely overwhelming to plan. I muddled through and survived. Then when we had a course redesign and I was faced with the same overwhelmed feeling. I did not take the time (or have the know how) to develop a system early on.
Once I decided how I wanted to approach this new course design, it became pretty easy. I was able to create new units without hours of time or bags of money. I still follow a similar system many years later and unit planning has become something I look forward to rather than a chore.
What is my approach to each unit plan?
Building from the end point in units is the key to my success. I think about what I want to accomplish and how I will assess student learning. Don’t trudge through and plan lesson by lesson. That survival mode isn’t good for anyone.
Plan from the big picture down rather than day by day. Take a day of the weekend or over a break to create units for the rest of the school year with a complete assessment plan. I predict that the rest will seem to fall into place (for the most part).
Any time I have abandoned this method, I have regretted it. It is applying goal setting principles to course planning. Focus on the end goal and plan to meet it.
My entire systems includes:
- brain dump
- determining essential questions
- creating learning modules
- developing a solid assessment plan
- find resources
This should be a process you can streamline into about an hour. If you are interested in knowing more about my step by step unit planning, I have a FREE 5 day email course. Sign up here:
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Stopping by from The Homeschool Nook Linkup….
I totally agree that survival mode isn’t good for anyone. That’s often what happens when we focus only on day-to-day planning.
“Plan with the big picture in mind” is a great tip! It certainly helps you to stay focused and make better use of your time as a homeschool family.