Planning has been the single hardest thing for me this year. I came to our school being the 4th art teacher in 4 years... Needless to say, there was no curriculum for me to use. I was excited at the idea of so much freedom with my lesson plans, but scared out of my mind at how much work that would be. Here's a few tips for those of you just getting started, or those who need some inspiration:
1. Pinterest is your friend. I have used so, so, so many ideas from the beautiful world of Pinterest. Type in a certain grade level and "art" and you will find so many ideas. Or be more specific in your search (i.e. "4th grade sculpture") for a narrowed search. Follow other art teachers! Follow me (Kiley Edington)!
2. Use your plan time wisely. "Plan" time doesn't always mean plan time for art teachers. We are not only art teachers, but also janitors and setter-uppers. So use the plan time that you can plan with wisely. I love the site Planbook. It only costs $1/month, and you can set up all your classes and just fill in what each class is doing every week. Print it out, hole punch it, and you're ready to go.
3. Find ways to make set up time go quicker. In other words, work smarter, not harder! Set things up the afternoon before a busy day so you won't be stressed in the morning. Have supplies already together (on the counter, in bins, boxes, etc.) for each grade level so you can pull them out quickly.
4. Make a yearly month-by-month calendar for yourself. I do a vertical column of grade levels on the left side, and months going horizontally. You can either fill in on the computer or by hand after printing. Having a general overview of the year will help you stay on track!
Hope this helps. Please leave any feedback you may have for staying on top of planning!
Mrs. E
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