I try to get as much rest and relaxation
during the summer as I can. I want to be refreshed and ready for my new classes
when school begins in August. With that being said there is one school related
thing that I make myself complete during my summer break. It is creating a year
long plan or scope and sequence for each subject that I will be teaching the
next year. By doing this, I will start the school year with a roadmap of the
topics I will be teaching. This scope and sequence makes lesson planning easier
once school starts.
Creating Your Scope and Sequence
Step One
The first part of planning your scope and sequence is to decide how you are going to record your information. I like a day by day scope and sequence so I use blank monthly calendars to create mine. You can find free monthly calendars on the internet and Teachers Pay Teachers. This year I am going to be using a digital planner on my Ipad (Click the image below if you are interested in the digital planner I will be using. I also will provide a link for a free digital calendar for the school year if you would like to use it).
Free Digital Planner https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-2019-2020-Teacher-Calendar-for-iPad-and-Android-Tablets-3951596
Step Two
The next thing you will need to do is get a copy of your school calendar for
the year. Mark
off any workdays, holidays
and days for testing on your calendar. If you know of any
other days that will affect your teaching during the school year you can mark
those off also. The days that are left on your calendar will where you will
schedule your topics for teaching. Please realize that this plan is not set in
stone. As teacher we must be flexible. You will have unexpected changes in your
schedule during the year-–field trips, snow days, pep rallies, guest speakers and so on.
Step Three
Now you must decide the order that you will be teaching the standards for your subject. In my county we have a pacing guide that we have to follow. Our standards are divided up into quarters. We are allowed to decide the order that we want to teach each standard for that quarter, but I have to teach all of my standards for the quarter to have my students ready for their quarterly benchmark. Here are some things to think about as you try to determine your order.
- What standards must be covered during each quarter or grading period?
- What unit will you teach first?
- What topics standards must come before others?
Step Four
Next you must decide how
long you want to spend on each topic or standard. Think about what standards/topics must
be covered during
each quarter. Count how many teaching
days you have and
determine how much time you will spend on each standard/topic.
Step Five
Start writing your topics down on your
calendar. I usually leave extra days in the calendar for review or in case I get behind. I
also leave a couple of weeks at the end of the school year to review for our
states end of year test.
Step Six
Check over your calendar to make sure all of your standards are covered for each quarter and for the year. If possible leave extra days in your calendar for each quarter so that you will be able to catch up if some topics take longer than expected.
Step Seven
Use this calendar during the school year
to help you plan your lessons.
Once again please realize that things will change. You need to be flexible. Many
things will come up throughout the year that will cause you to change how long
you are spending on the standards. When I make this calendar it is before
school starts. I have not met my students. I do not know what standards they
will struggle with and need more help on. I have
to change as needed during the year while ensuring that I cover all of my
content for each quarter and for the year.
In Closure
By creating a scope and sequence you will ensure that
your students will have had every
standard for your subject for their particular grade. This will allow them to
be ready to go into the next year prepared. A scope and sequence keeps you
organized and on target for the school year.
Please feel free to comment or to send me
any questions that you have about creating a scope and sequence. This is only
one of many ways to plan. Do whatever works best for you. Please share how you
plan! I would love to hear from you and learn how others do it.
Have a great school year!
