Lesson Planner

First off, let me say that I apologize for not blogging the past two days. I decided to take the weekend "off." Well, that's not 100% true. I actually did spend some of my weekend working. In the past 6-7 years as I've been putting my school's music library together, I somehow managed to have multiple spreadsheets. I spent a lot of time this weekend combining the lists so EVERY title is on ONE list. I'm almost done. I'm comparing/combining the last two (there were at least 4 or 5 lists) - I think because I've  done work on multiple computers and lost a flash drive along the way too.

I also talked my husband into allowing me to use his Epson fax/scanner/color printer to print the awesome teacher planner that my friend, Kelly McLaughlin made. It is very much like the custom ones Erin Condren makes (erincondren.com). Kelly had made a really cute one for herself with an owl and a tree - I just fell in love with it. She was posting pictures on Facebook as she was completing each page/section. I suggested that she sell the planners on Teachers Pay Teachers, but asked her if she could email me one (just like hers) but with my name and school. Instead, she changed it up and personalized it for me since I'm a band director. She made it more "music-ky" (I know, not a word). She sent me over 50 color PDFs! I was going to take my flashdrive with a folder containing all the PDFs to Staples and have them print them, but then started to add up the cost in my head and it was going to cost more than me ordering a custom planner from Erin. So that's when I begged and bugged my adoring husband to allow me to use his printer. 

I bought a nice white 3-ring heavy-duty binder with a clear front/back for inserts at Staples today for my planner. I thought a binder would be better than coil binding because I'd be able to add/take away as needed. 

Here is the front cover:

Cute, huh? I haven't assembled the "innards" of the binder yet, but I'll talk you through it anyway. Here's the cover page (it will be in a clear sheet protector):

On the back (inside the clear sheet protector as well) will be the All About Me page:

I like the password section - that will come in handy. There will then be a yellow cardstock page with the first circle tab divider - Birthdays. I still need Staples to print them and laminate them. I will then glue them to the yellow cardstock. Here's the PDF file of the dividers though. 

Divider Tabs

Then I'll have the birthday pages (in sheet protectors once I've written in all of the birthdays):

Next will be the divider for Parent Contacts and then the pages (not in clear sheet protectors). I'll make more copies of those as needed.

Then a divider for the year at a glance and the pages. They will not be in clear sheet protectors either because I see myself adding to it throughout the year. 

I'm lovin' the colors! There will be a divider for the calendar pages. The calendar pages are all double-sided and are spread from left to right (August-July). There is plenty of room to write. The dates are left off so the pages can be reused from year to year. These will of course not be in clear sheet protectors either.

There are also "What's Going On In..." pages for each month - to make lists (to help with planning) - no clear sheet protectors.

The only problem with printing these out was that the colors bled through when I double-sided. The lines from these pages showing through to the calendar side will make writing evenly easier though. The next divider will be lesson plans, and the pages that follow this divider are the most important - the planning pages. I need to have Staples copy (double-sided) 35 more (there are 6 weeks of 6 weeks = 36 weeks total). These pages, obviously, will not be in clear sheet protectors as I will be adding to them daily as I adjust my plans.

I like how the days are color-coded in rainbow order. I read a teacher's blog where she color-coded everything for the day of the week (in rainbow order) - even down to using corresponding post-its, hi-liters, and pens. The next divider will be for grading and checklists. I will need to have Staples copy these pages too to accommodate all my classes. The pages will not be in clear sheet protectors.

The next divider will be my discipline log. These pages will be in black and white and hopefully there will not be too many. :) Then there will be a divider for notes. I will make more copies of these pages as needed. None of the pages in either section will be in clear sheet protectors.

I will then have a divider for To Do Lists. I need to create these pages. It shouldn't be too hard. These pages will not be in clear sheet protectors either. I will then have one last divider for Substitutes. This section will contain instructions and information for substitute teachers. I also see myself adding class rosters printed from the school grade book system as well as seating charts. All case-in-point in my decision for using a 3-ring binder.

Here is the back cover.

Any/all of the pages not in clear sheet protectors will have hole reinforcers to keep the pages from tearing and coming out of the binder.

I can't wait to get the binder all assembled and begin writing in it! Thank you, Erin Condren for your inspiration and thank you, Kelly for your execution! You both are going to help me to be a more organized and prepared teacher this year!