Introduction

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." We’ve all heard this adage. This can be especially true in teaching. Planning is absolutely essential to the smooth operation of your classroom. You must set goals for yourself and your students, but you should also be prepared to adjust those goals as you come to understand the needs and abilities of your students through ongoing assessment. In addition, planning also involves thinking about how to route traffic, distribute and collect materials, and build in strategies so that all students become active participants. Teachers must allow themselves “think time,” to take stock of what has worked, what must be taught in a different way, and what steps come next.

This self-guided course will provide you with a variety of resources so that you can identify what is appropriate for your situation and adapt it to your needs.

Materials

Book: New Teachers Handbook

Video: Successful Teaching Practices in Action for Elementary School Teachers, View Parts One and Two of "Strategic Lesson Planning" on the CD ROM,

OR,

"Collaborative Team Planning" on the CD ROM, Successful Teaching Practices in Action for Secondary School Teachers.

http://teachersnetwork.org