Too much content in your overcrowded school day? Try these sure-fire ways to squeeze more into your busy schedule.
Ms. Sneed Struggles with an Overcrowded School Day
Our favorite fourth grade teacher, Ms. Sneed, sighed. Her lesson plan book, state standards, and test dates were strewn across the desk in front of her. On the adjacent table, stacks of textbooks loomed. How could she make sense of all of this? And even worse, how could she fit it all in? Yes, she was suffering from a case of the overcrowded school day.
Think Beyond the Boxes in Your Lesson Plan Book
Just then, her mentor, Mrs. Brown, stopped by. She noticed the tell-tale frown on Ms. Sneed’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“This!” Ms. Sneed motioned. “All of this! How can I fit it all in? There’s too much content in my curriculum, which causes an overcrowded school day!”
Mrs. Brown walked to the desk and pointed at the plan book. “First,” she said, “think beyond these little boxes. This traditional structure encourages one activity per subject per day. In reality, you don’t have to do every subject every day. Nor do you need to do only one activity per subject per day.”
Ms. Sneed sat up a little straighter. “So maybe I could spend more time on science some days and not do social studies. After all, I have much less social studies content.”
“Right. And that’s just the beginning of how rethinking the boxes – or even getting rid of them – can help you fit it all in.”
Use Interdisciplinary Planning
Mrs. Brown continued, “All this talk about blocks actually blocks teachers’ planning power. When they teach social studies, for example, they only teach social studies.”
Ms. Sneed looked confused.
“Hear me out. When you’re teaching social studies, you should also be teaching informational text. Let your lesson do double duty.”
“Oh, I get it,” said Ms. Sneed. “Its like when I teach math skills during science.”
“Bingo!” cried Mrs. Brown. “When you plan to teach a concept, consider interdisciplinary ties.”
Ditch the Textbook to Ease Your Overcrowded School Day
Next, Mrs. Brown laid her hand on a stack of textbooks. “Strategy #2,” she said, “is to ditch the textbook.”
Ms. Sneed’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Now, now, don’t get all worked up. Maybe my words were a little harsh. But covering every page of every textbook causes an overcrowded school day, week, month, and semester. It’s awful! Give yourself permission to pick and choose. Select text that matches the standards. Teach informational text standards with other pages. And use only effective, engaging activities.”
Ms. Sneed looked thoughtful. “I suppose that’s what the principal meant when she said that the textbooks were simply resources.”
“Yep. Thinking that way helps you focus on the standards and take charge of learning. It simplifies your teaching life. Along the way, you become a better teacher.”
At those words, Ms. Sneed’s face softened. “Okay. I hereby give myself permission to pick and choose what to use in the textbook.”
Layer It On
“Back to the squares in your lesson plan book,” said Mrs. Brown. “Sometimes, there aren’t enough columns. For example, many teachers have two columns for ELA: reading and language. In reality, we teach reading, grammar, and writing.”
“At this point, I’m really only teaching reading – which consists mainly of literature – and writing,” said Ms. Sneed. “How can I fit in all the grammar they need?”
“You could try a daily language program. Teachers have found that teaching just a little each day adds up to mastery of grammar skills.”
“But it doesn’t end there. Your kids need to learn lots of measurement skills, right? You could provide bite-sized opportunities for practice. For example, Mrs. Ellis teaches just one measurement topic per week. Then, each day that week, her class practices that concept for just a few minutes.”
“Thanks, this little talk has helped a lot,” Ms. Sneed told her mentor. “I’m beginning to see how a few simple strategies can solve the problem of my overcrowded school day. Actually, I wonder if I don’t really have too much content. Instead, maybe I’m mismanaging my time.”
Good Planning Solves the Problem of an Overcrowded School Day
Mrs. Brown smiled. “You know, it all comes down to planning. If you spend time working everything in, you’ll no longer have an overcrowded school day. But remember, you’ll also need flexibility – and the strength to let go of material that’s not working for you.”
Ms. Sneed tapped her pencil in thought. “This year,” she said, “I’ll do just that. I know it will help me enjoy teaching even more.”