Easy Curriculum Mapping With This Calendar Template
The People, The Paperwork and Now... The Planning
It’s 2 months before school starts and you are raring to go. Today we will tackle “The Planning” for the new school year and talk about using a calendar to do some easy curriculum mapping.
If you’ve been following this blog we’ve gone over (click on each title to go to that post) “The People” and “The Paperwork” that need to be addressed 2 months before school starts. Now, we are on “The Planning.”
Keep It Simple... It's Going To Change
Let’s keep this simple. You have 2 months until school starts. Your priority right now is to get a big picture of your year’s curriculum. What do you need to teach and when does it need to be taught. What assessments will be used and what learning outcomes need to be mastered? The best place to start is with curriculum/assessment. What needs to be taught and learned by the last day of school?
Lucky OR Not Lucky???
If you are lucky enough to have a district issued curriculum map then start by familiarizing yourself with assessments, teacher editions, and units and when you will teach what during the year.
If you are not lucky enough to have a curriculum map for the year then roll up your sleeves and let’s get busy.
Just imagine yourself when this is done. Clear vision, focused outcomes, determination on steroids. Cripes, I can’t wait to see you knock this out of the park.
Map Your Year For Clarity
Getting a broad overview is important. Get out a copy of your school calendar with all its holidays, early releases, etc and start plugging in a overview of your year. It’s not going to be set in stone, and you will have to revise and shuffle, but you will get a general overview and direction and that’s what you want.
Editable Calendar
If you need a calendar head over to my TpT store and pick up the 2018-2019 school calendar that you can either print and write on with pencil and then place it in your bind or an editable calendar that you can type into and then print and/or save. It’s 2.00 if you are interested.
If You Already Follow Me...You get the Freebie Too
If you already follow me by email you will be getting this as well as all the free resources I offer on each post sent right to your inbox. (Please note I will not send you any resources that have been posted prior to you following the site…. However, if you follow me and you see something that would make your teacher life better and it was posted prior to your joining, please just let me know and I will send it to you.) Sorry the freebie calendar offer has expired
Start Mapping Reading Curriculum First
Start with reading. It’s a bugger and your highest priority. If they can’t read then you’ve failed them. Look at your units. Divide them up. Remember the days before your winter break are going to be filled with other events.
Also, look for short weeks and plan accordingly. Look at your assessments. (If they are provided) and make sure you make the time to teach to mastery those skills. (Teaching to the test? Umm Yeah, Kinda. It’s what Stephen Covey calls “Beginning With The End In Mind”. The “real” world does it all the time.)
Map Out Math Social Studies and Science
Next, map out math and science/social studies etc. It might look something like this.
Ok, that’s it for now in the category of Planning. You have a general overview and a big picture of your year. Don’t get to detailed yet. There will be time for that later.
Where does this curriculum map go???? You know. Put it in your teacher binder.
Free Binder Divider/Header Pages
Be sure to print out your free binder pages. (Go To That Post and Freebie Here) We will be adding to this binder but get it set up so you are ready when the time comes.
What's Next????
The next post will be about the other “P”s. The Prep Part 1. If you missed The People or The Paperwork, head over here and you can get caught up and grab the special freebies that go with each of those posts.
Also, give me a quick comment below. Does your district provide you with a curriculum map or do you create one of your own. Maybe you don’t even use one. Let’s hear what you have to say.
Until We Meet Again...
Until we meet again, Go Be Your AWESOME self.
