Plan Your Planning Time!

Sundays used to be crazy.

They consisted of lesson plans, newsletters, and grading piles and piles of papers.

Not to mention food shopping, laundry, and cleaning.

I didn't really like them all that much!

This year, I decided things had to change. 

Weekends are for family and fun!

(and creating!)

So I started planning my planning time. 

I made a list of all the things that needed to be done each week.

Then I sorted them out over the week. 

Made myself a checklist.

And BAM! 

NO MORE WEEKEND PLANNING OR GRADING!

I think my little list has changed my life. 

For real! :)

I always plan a week ahead.

Mondays I print our A to Z books and sight word flashcards for the next week.

Tuesdays I get copies ready for my volunteer and prep my centers (I change them on Wednesdays).
Tuesdays I also meet with my team to plan for the upcoming weeks.
It makes my own planning much easier!

Wednesdays I sort and file my copies and do my newsletter for the next week.

Thursdays I start writing my plans and grade papers. 

Fridays I get my centers ready for Monday and grade, grade, grade!

Saturdays and Sundays, you ask?

I relax, have fun, and create things that I WANT to do! :)

My little checklist even motivates me to get things done early in the week.

There's just something about checking an item off that makes me so happy!!!

Of course, there are things that don't need to be done weekly.

Things that come up that need to be done.

Those things I just add to a sticky note!

(Not one that gets lost in my lunchbox or jacket pocket, 

but one that gets stuck right next to my trusty little checklist. ;) )

Now, I have to say, that I don't know WHAT I was doing during my planning time before. 

I'd have a bunch of things that I wanted to do each day, then forget about them.

I'd write myself a note and then forget to look at the note.

I'd get sidetracked and do....I don't even know!

So things had to be brought home. 

Not anymore!

Planning your planning time is THE WAY to go. 

I made my little checklist editable so you can use it too!

Grab it HERE!

Give it a try.

I don't think you'll regret it. :)

Happy planning!