I love, love, love to plan! Planning is so important as a teacher. Even if your play goes awry and you accomplish something completely differently than you originally thought, it still helps to have a backbone sketched out. You will be surprised at what you can do and how far you can stretch yourself and your students if you have planned activities for each day.
I am super excited about EC Planners. A friend introduced me to them a few years ago and I am totally addicted. It is a guilty pleasure to have my very own personalized planner. My dad opened an office supply store when I was in the third grade and so as a young girl I grew to appreciate nice paper, pretty and colorful pens that wrote super smoothly, planners, folders, and more. I was so spoiled! (Secret: One of my favorite things to do as an adult is go to a giant office supply store and wander around and enjoy the smell! I know it’s strange, but I think office supply stores smell soooo good!)
This is the EC Planner I chose for this year.
One of the best features is the plethora of stickers you can use to individualize your planner. There are stickers for reminders, field trips, assemblies, holidays, conferences, and more. The sticker sheets are coiled into the planner so you don’t lose them.
The folder pocket is super nice. I keep a copy of my syllabi and other important items in mine.
My second favorite item is the add-on option of up to three sheet protectors. I always add all three (and would add a couple more, if possible). I keep my school calendar, a copy of my contract and license, directions on calling in for a sub, and more in these sheets. Anything that I thumb to on a regular basis, or look for in a file on a regular basis, goes in these protectors.
The back cover is also laminated and can be used with dry-erase markers.
I can’t wait to sit down this afternoon and plan the details of my Recycling as a Lesson unit!
