Preschool planner

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day!
We all know how much extra effort teachers put into their students and their classrooms each and every day.
We know because we are products of those teacher.
Because our children are products of those teachers.
Because we have friends or relatives who are teachers.
Because we are teachers ourselves and we know how deeply we invest ourselves in every child that comes through our classroom.

Everyone go write a nice note or email to a teacher you know.
Go ahead, I'll wait...

Done? Ok good.

I am a preschool teacher. I have been for 10 years now (10 years? Can it really be 10 years already?!?) And as a preschool teacher, I know how important those early years are. And I know how much energy is needed to get through even a half-day class with those tiny balls of boundless energy. And I know how little time I have during the day to plan and prep and get ready for the next class or the next day. Which is why I also know the vital importance of a really good planner. And that's why I know that most of the pre-made planner out there are crap.

Yeah, I said it. Seriously though, teacher planners are just not made for preschool teachers!!! Especially those of us who teach multiple classes each day. So after years of making do and muddling through with the store-bought teacher planners, I made my own.

Is anyone here surprised? Didn't think so! ^_^

Every year, my planner morphs a little based on what I am teaching and what worked or didn't work the year before. I go back through my previous year's planner and see what kinds of notes I made on a regular basis that maybe need a dedicated space in next year's planner. I also color-code my classes, so I can see at a glance what my week looks like.

So let's do a quick break-down of what my 2014-15 planner looks like. Above is the weekly layout, in all it's messy-handwriting glory (seriously, I write like a fidgit-y 9-year-old).

The left-hand page is where I write the weekly themes for each age group and all my whole-room setup information (sensory table, science table, dramatic play center, etc).

I also keep a running list of To Do items here. And since I'm also in charge of our school website and other tech duties, I keep a small tech section at the bottom.

The right-hand page is where all the daily planning takes place. I have AM classes and PM classes, so I break the day into 3 sections: Notes/Events (birthdays, fire drills, meetings, special events), AM, and PM. I have certain activities during the day that I need to plan for like what to do at large group, small group, art, or table time. So I put those sections in each class area. Because if I don't have the prompt, I may forget to plan the activity, and there's nothing worse to not know what you're doing in the middle of a transition in a preschool classroom.

I finish out my planner with a pen loop and monthly tabs. Then I bind it and I'm done!

I love my planner! It helps keep everything organized and in one place so even my assistant and paras can look at it and know what's going on for the day!

I've had quite a few of my co-workers ask about my planner when I take it out at meetings, so I've actually designed some for my coworkers as well! I customize them for each of their unique schedules and planning needs. I've gotten really good feedback from them and even some repeat customers!

I also sell some blank designs in my Etsy shop as well, so if you'd like your very own planner, you can stop by and download a 2-page printable for only $5! And for $8, I'll customize it with the colors, words, and sections you need. And starting at $30, I'll even print out your full (customized!) planner, bind it, and ship it to you!

This planner was designed for preschool, but it would work well for home-schooling, day-care, or nannies also!

Please let me know if you have any questions about my planner or if you have questions about customizing one of your own.

Happy Planning and Happy Crafting!