A Peek At My Schedule

23 August 2013
Well, I'm officially in that back-to-school mindset.  T minus 10 days until I'm back at school.  Although I'd be lying if I didn't say I wish there were a few more weeks of summer, I am also excited about a brand new year.  My school is amalgamating with another smaller school this year, so we had new classrooms built over the summer (not mine), new teachers hired, and many new students joining us.  Lots of NEW for our brand NEW year.

I've had a lot of questions about my schedule over the years, so I thought I'd post a peek here.  This is just my bare bones schedule - doesn't show how my blocks are divided up, but I thought I'd share anyway.  I'll be back next week (or maybe even this weekend) to explain how I segment my math and language blocks.


For the first time ever, I have my prep period first thing in the morning ... not sure how I'm going to like that yet.  I'm worried I might slack on my planning, knowing I have the morning block to prep.  I think my time is used much better when I use that prep period for marking ... which I'll be bringing home a lot more of.  :(

We are on a "balanced school day" - that means we have three 100 minute blocks of instructional time, with two shorter nutrition breaks (lunch) and activity breaks (recess) breaking it up.  I think some of the main reasons for going to the balanced day were to provide that longer, uninterrupted block of time for language arts (100 minutes required in primary, 90 minutes required in junior/intermediate - but I still do 100 minutes).  Another reason is that with the older, 15 minute recesses, by the time the little ones got all dressed into their winter clothes, they were left with only about 5 minutes of recess.  And then that undressing time came out of instructional time.  

I am on a 5 day schedule, but I tend to look at it as a Monday-Friday schedule.  So, even though I have "data folders (and portfolios)" scheduled at the end of day 5, it will be Friday afternoons that I do them.  Our data folders contain a weekly reflection on learning (written by the students) and any work or notes that need to go home to the parents.  I had a hard time squeezing it in last year (so it didn't always happen).  Now that it's scheduled in, I'm hoping I can stick to it.  

And that's about it.  I have also had a lot of requests for my long range plans.  I don't have any recent long range plans to share.  A lot of our long and short range planning is done through collaboration with my other divisional teachers through our PLC meetings or other meetings.

Have a wonderful weekend!

15 comments

  1. I love the nice long block you have for math! Our 5/6students have been getting less and less math and now.

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    1. That longer math block is so important to me - I had even longer block last year when I didn't have phys ed scheduled where it is. I've had to "borrow" (creative scheduling) from other areas to keep a longer math block.

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  2. I loved a long block for math. Last year my principal let me have a full 100 minute block for math, it was great, and the kids loved it because it gave the enough time for them to really explore a topic.

    I'm curious about your data folders. I want to do something like that this year. I've bought newspaper scrapbooks for this purpose, but I'm not sure what to do with them.

    Viki

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  3. Your blog is so inspiring! Those long blocks for LA and Math are so important. I teach in an independent Montessori school and we try very hard to schedule three hour, uninterrupted work blocks in the morning. This makes such a difference for my students. I too would like to know more about your data folders/portfolios. What do they look like and how do you implement them. Thanks so much,

    Kim

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  4. Our prep period is first thing in the morning too. I worry about it for the same reasons you do. I'm going to *try* and keep on a good planning schedule so that I can correct during this time...I hoping I can stay with that goal!

    My schedule is a lot like yours! I started teaching Social Studies and Science in the morning last year and I really liked it. I love Math in the afternoon because it is a universal language and all of my students, regardless of language background, loved working on it together so I saved it for last...you know how long a schoolday can be for 5th graders, of course ;)

    I'm looking forward to reading more about your math and language breakdown!

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  5. I'd really like to see your break down! Our schedule this give me a 90 minute block for ELA, and another chunk of 30 minutes after lunch. We have county mandated writing workshop, and we're supposed to do reading. Last year I had a solid 60 minutes for each, so I'm definitely worried about how to get it all in.

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  6. Hi Friend:
    I loved seeing your schedule--although I am jealous of that math block. We only get one prep a week, but if you change half of your math to social studies, your schedule looks similar to mine.
    Sounds like lots of NEW things happening at your school. I hope they all translate into a wonderful new year for you...

    Kim
    Finding JOY in 6th Grade

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  7. I am so jealous of your prep period!!!! I have never understood my elementary teachers don't always get one. We teach EVERY SUBJECT but have so little time to prepare (except of-course at 9:00 at night after my own kids go to bed).

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  9. Hello! I thought you would love to link up since you have some interactive notebook ideas!

    http://mrsosrockinresources.blogspot.com/2013/08/interactive-notebook-gold-mine-linky.html

    Pam
    Rockin Resources

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  10. Schedule looks great! It's definitely hard adjusting to early prep periods. This year mine is 40 minutes earlier then it was last year. Taking a bit to get use to it. A few years back I had a learning skills sheet about their day. I want to use something similar but my last 60 minutes is math and I want to take the least amount of time away from that. Do you have a copy of the one your using at the end of the week? I have a 40 minute block on Friday's before last recess I do something similar.

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  11. I'm so excited to integrate your Interactive Math Journals to my program this year! I've mentioned them and added a link to your math journal page on my blog!
    Flying In Grade 5
    Tracy

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  12. I would love to know more about how you break your schedule up (especially during your language arts block...
    Thanks,
    Krista

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