007. Lesson Planning Like a PRO

02/13/20 • 22 min

3 Listeners

This is a topic that we think you all are going to absolutely LOVE! Today, we are talking about lesson planning. Yup. We said it. Lesson Planning. We want to dive deep into getting your lesson plans done so that you can leave on Friday feeling ready for the next week.

But here is the thing, lesson planning is NOT a to-do. It’s not something you write to write down on your checklist because lesson planning is a project. In this case, it is a recurring project. When we understand that lesson planning is a project then we are more capable of tackling it with a separate process. A process that is unique to project planning.

Now, if you are already asking the question, “Am I able to apply this to any project?” Absolutely! You can! We are using lesson planning as an example for this episode because it is a project that EVERY teacher has on their plate, but you can use these steps for any project no matter if it is a one-time project or recurring project.

7 Steps to Lesson Planning Like a PRO!

[6:50] Step #1: Define your End

[8:37] Step #2: Set Your Deadline

[10:13] Step #3: Brain Dump

[14:03] Step #4: Create a List of Materials

[15:28] Step #5: Group Related Tasks Together

[19:10] Step #6: Find the Time to Batch

[20:20] Step #7: Monitor Your Progress

[20:58] Review of the Steps

CONCLUSION

Leaving school at the end of the week knowing that your plans are ready all the way down to the copies is truly life-changing, but it’s not rocket science. In fact, it’s quite simple when you break things down into actionable steps that allow you to see the whole process. Give this a try and be sure to share how it has worked for you!

Click HERE to download the FREE Project Planning Organizer!

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7 Steps to Lesson Planning Like a PRO!

[6:50] Step #1: Define your End

[8:37] Step #2: Set Your Deadline

[10:13] Step #3: Brain Dump

[14:03] Step #4: Create a List of Materials

[15:28] Step #5: Group Related Tasks Together

[19:10] Step #6: Find the Time to Batch

[20:20] Step #7: Monitor Your Progress

[20:58] Review of the Steps

CONCLUSION

Click HERE to download the FREE Project Planning Organizer!

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!

Previous Episode

006. How to ACTUALLY Finish Your To-Do List

1 Recommendations

We’ve all experienced the Neverending To-Do List. The list that makes you feel as though you can’t breathe and your heart is falling to the pit of your stomach. We have also experienced the satisfaction of marking items off of our to-do list and feeling the accomplishment that follows.

A To-Do list is an incredibly useful tool. It helps to keep our focus, provides us with things to accomplish when our brains are not functioning properly. A good to-do list also frees up space within your brain. Our brains, the majority of the time, cannot remember every to-do that you have thought of within any specific time frame. This is what causes the dreaded feeling of what was I getting? at the grocery store.

When we take the time to really think about all the tasks that we need to accomplish and we write them down, you also become more present at the moment and dare I say, sleep better.

So we know that a good to-do list is valuable. We know that we can feel less stressed when we have one, but how do you ACTUALLY get those items checked off?

[3:50] Steps to ACTUALLY finishing your To-Do list

[4:05] Step #1: Get it Down

In this step, the focus is on how to get your to-do’s down. Writing them on random pieces of sticky notes and leaving them around the classroom, may not be as productive as you’d think.

[13:20] Step #2: Sort It

Once you have your to-dos created and in one location, it is time to sort your lists. This step will help you to get rid of distraction and focus on accomplishing the to-dos that need your attention the most.

[13:55] The method that we use and that we find to be quite useful is The Eisenhower Method for Taking Action.

[16:05] If that method seems to overwhelm you a bit, start smaller by creating three categories: needs to be done today, needs to be done this week, and needs to be done this month.

[20:05] Step #3: Schedule It

When are you going to do it? Yes, you have your list and you have them sorted into the most important tasks, you still need to determine when you are going to do it.

[22:35] Step #4: Get It Done

Now, it’s the hardest part! Getting the list done. You have the tools, you know the strategies, but now it’s up to you to get it all done! Again, be like Nike and just do it!

Keep in mind that with these to-do’s you do not want to have tasks that are recurring. These to-dos should be built into your schedule already. These are tasks that come up time and time again and not only do they have a place in your schedule but they also have their own checklist. Adding every time that you can think of will only overwhelm you.

We will be sharing more about the projects or recurring to-dos later on in another episode! We hope that you feel inspired and equipped to tackle your to-do’s and take control of your time!

Click HERE to download your FREE Finishing Your To-Do List Cheat Sheet!

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Next Episode

008. Get More Done Using ONE Simple Trick

Batching is our JAM! When you understand the power of batching and utilize it to help you gain back your time and feel less stressed, you will never want to go back to your normal to-do list again!

In our episode How to Lesson Plan Like a PRO, we talked about the power of project planning and in there we gave you a teaser that this week was all about batching. For all those out there that are already batching their work, they will tell you how it has helped them to become more efficient. It’s true.

When you bake cookies, you don’t bake one cookie at a time. NO! You batch them. This is how you need to view your productivity. When you batch your work your productivity increases and that leads to less stress and a happier YOU.

[1:37] But first! We want to hear your Time Sucking Hurdles! Be sure to click here to share your Time Sucking Hurdle with us and you can be featured in our next episode.

[4:00] In our last episode we talked a little about multitasking versus task-switching, and before we move on to the steps to get you started with batching, we want to revisit what this means. For those of you out there thinking that you are fantastic multitaskers and you don’t need batching, what if we told you that you are not truly multitasking? In fact, what if we told you that you are actually task-switching?

Multitasking is the act of completing two tasks at once. For instance walking and chewing gum. Sweeping and talking on the phone. Those are examples of multitasking.

Task-switching is the act of moving back and forth from one task to the next. Your brain never really gets to focus on one thing because it doesn’t have enough time to process what it is doing.

Batching helps to prevent task-switching and gets your brain laser-focused on one “like” task. So let’s stop task-switching! #LetsStopTaskSwitching

Now you’re probably wondering what you can actually do for batching. Well, we’ve got you covered because there are so many areas that you can batch in your life! Answering emails, grading, lesson planning, copies, and laminating are only a few ideas that will get you started. You can also head over to the home page and signup for our 7 Ways to Jumpstart Your Teacher Productivity freebie and get so many more ideas!

Now let’s jump into these steps.

5 Steps to Getting More Done

[8:15] Step #1: Plan Ahead

[10:26] Step #2: Decide How Long it Should Take

[12:45] Step #3: Choose a Time to Batch

[16:14] Step #4: Gather All of Your Materials

[18:00] Step #5: Get it Done

[21:22] Review the Steps

CONCLUSION

Remember that batching works best for projects that can be broken down to those like tasks. The hardest part is planning. Taking the time to plan each of these steps will ensure that you are successful, but we are confident that if you do follow these steps you will see the reward greater than you can imagine.

Click HERE to download the FREE Batching Organizer!

Let us know what batching has done for you! Be sure to leave a comment here or over on iTunes!

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

Are you subscribed to our podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here to subscribe to iTunes!