Planning for a New Year {Long Range Plans}

 **UPDATE** You can now find an EDITABLE version of my Long Range Plans, Planning Calendar, and more in my newer Lesson Plan Series!

What is the first thing you do to prepare for a new school year?

Me?  I have to have a plan.

My husband says I kill all of the fun in things by overplanning.  What can I say?  I like to have a plan!  Even if I don't always stick to it, it's good to know that you have a plan to fall back on. :)

I actually start working on my long range plans in the spring of each year.  I posted my plans last year and have received many emails about this year's plans, so here they are!

I'm not sure how much help they will be since they're not "editable" but sometimes it just helps to see others' plans to get you pointed in the right direction.  Just click on the image below to open up the file.

I simply use Microsoft Word to create my LRP's.  It's just a table that I have painstakingly merged the cells of to meet my needs.  Yes, the process is very tedious and monotonous, but in the end, having my year laid on in this format is worth it!  My LRP's go in the back of my lesson plan notebook for easy reference.

In the front of that notebook, I have my "Planning Calendar" - this is a calendar of the year so that I can see the units (above) at a month's glance, as well as seeing other important school stuff - district dates, grade level duties, team birthdays, special holidays, etc.  I also add my "flexible" read-aloud focuses for each month at the top in the "special notes" sections.  Click below to see the full file.

I'll be back soon to show you a glimpse of my full lesson plan notebook, but I hope seeing the "plan" helps a bit.  What is your one organizational tool that helps you start the year on the right foot?

Don't forget to enter my Office Max Tools for Schools Giveaway {$125+Value} - I'll post the winner TOMORROW!



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33 comments

  1. WOW!!! I would love to have my year planned out like yours. What a great motivation for me. I bet it is nice to look at it and know what to do next.

    Heather
    The Busy Busy Hive

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  2. I LOVE your LRP....this was/is on my to do list for the summer and it is still
    "to do"!! Is there anyone you can make it editable though?? I would gladly pay for it! Thanks for all you do!

    jkroske@gmail.com

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  3. But overplanning IS fun :)
    These plans look wonderful & have sparked a lot of ideas for me. I can't wait to read them closely. Thanks!
    The general educators backwards plan at our school, by team level. We know where students need to be & how long we have to get there. Then we break it down to months, further break down to weeks, and then of course, days. There's assessment windows & a teeny bit of flexibility for reteach, if necessary.
    As the special educator, this helps me tremendously as I differentiate the lessons for my students. I think your format could help me with this process as I learn more about this year's students. Thanks again (& sorry for the long reply)!

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  4. Wow, you plans are amazing! Our district gives us pacing guides and has it planned out for us.

    Shelly
    Smiling and Shining in Second Grade

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  6. Goodness gracious! This makes me feel SOOOO far behind! I'm still just a newbie as a second year teacher but someday my plan is to be as organized and on top of things as you! I just feel like things change so often that my plan would just fall to pieces! Thank you for sharing. This makes me motivated!

    -Allison
    Adventures in Room 204

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  7. I created long range plans for the first time last year and it was wonderful! I never thought about adding the actual amount of days! Last year, I just did sort of went month by month at a glance. Adding the days however is super smart when you're playing the number games with breaks and weekends, etc. Love it!

    Thanks so much for sharing!
    Amanda
    My Shoe String Life

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  8. Super organized! I'm impressed. :) Looking forward to meeting you soon. :)
    ~Brandee
    Creating Lifelong Learners
    Follow me on Bloglovin'

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  9. I would love to be able to get a copy of your planning calendar and LRP's in an editable version. If you post on TPT I would certainly pay for them and adapt for my own 1st grade plans! I love pre-planning, it is so fun! I have been making my own planning calendar in an MS Word table but it is not nearly as visually appealing as yours. :~)

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  10. Holy lesson plans! This nifty calendar is awesome!

    Lindsay
    For the Love of First Grade

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  11. I have downloaded and even bought a lesson planner and I have to say yours is the most easy to understand...Can your put an editable format on TPT, I'm sure many would be interested.
    very impressive!!!
    be well
    ivett

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    1. You can now find an editable version of all in this blog series - http://www.teachingmaddeness.com/2015/04/lesson-plan-series-creating-long-range.html

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  12. BTW my email is iclevy1@gmail.com

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  13. Looks like a lot of work, but very easy to read and understand. Great idea!!! Thanks for sharing.

    Jamie

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  14. WOW!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I love the visual aspect of this as well as the entire scope and sequence! I will start my LRP soon and this will certainly be referenced!!!This will be my second year in 2nd grade - I think I am more nervous this year. Thank you :)
    Lindalouhoo
    piccolal@bellsouth.net

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  15. I feel so underproductive! You are amazing!!!!

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  16. Ooh, what a nifty chart! I sure need to adapt this in my yearly routine!

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  17. YEAH!! A girl after my own heart! I too plan my year; it has taken me 3 years to get my teammates to crossover to the 'Long-Range Planning' side of teaching...(spooky tune OOOOOhh!) HA! This year we welcome 2 new teammates, in fact we just finished our 4 hour year long planning today. Your format is very similar and almost as detailed as mine...Ooh, Ahh. I plug in our weekly themes, writing, math skills, etc. as we discuss them and then I will send to teammates for each to complete their 'special'; we rotate kiddos and each of us teaches a subject: ie. social studies, science, Australia (our country of comparison), and nursery rhymes/fairytales. We plan a lesson a week and each class rotates through our class-we love it! We get to know all our kinders and it lightens our planning load slightly. :)
    Thanks for sharing and ladies this way of planning is a great tool!

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  18. I saw your planner last year and made it my summer mission to do the same! Finally got it as finished as I can today, and blogged about it! Thanks sooo much!

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  19. Thank you for sharing!!! I mentioned your post in one of my posts. :-P

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  20. I agree with many...W-O-W!I also hope it becomes editable. You're amazing.

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  21. This is just what I have been looking for and would gladly pay for an editable version!!!!

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  22. Impressive! On a side note...I see your BIRTHDAY is on the first day of school. I hope your new students make it an extra special day for you! :)

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  24. Fantastic! Can you tell me where you made or got the Calendar template from?

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  25. I started following you last year and your blog and TPT products have been lifesavers for me. After 15 years of staying at home and another career re-entering the teaching field was exciting and daunting. It is such a different world in so many ways! You and others who share and "mentor" thru blogging and products are who keep me loving what I do. THanks!

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  30. Are you planning to create a long range plan for this school year? Also, I see you teach math units by strand. How do you see that work as opposed to introducing multiple standards within different strands? I plan to try math centers this year and I wonder how to incorporate each strand into my centers while only focusing on one that I had formally taught at a time. Thanks!

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  31. Do you have an editable version available on TPT or somewhere else? I would love to have one, I'm willing to purchase one.

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    Replies
    1. You can find the editable versions in this new blog series - http://www.teachingmaddeness.com/2015/04/lesson-plan-series-creating-long-range.html

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