Annual Plan, Anyone?

When I was first asked to create an annual plan, I was clueless. As many times as I've been in the classroom, I've never seen an annual plan used. That's why it's been so difficult to tackle creating an annual plan for 5th grade social studies. And I only have to create instruction for the 3rd quarter! That said, I'm eager to learn how to create an annual plan that can be effectively used in the classroom. The idea seems simple and self-explanatory. But, creating a plan becomes tedious and difficult when you start adding in objectives and goals the students have to learn for an entire school year.


What are the benefits of using annual plans in the classroom?

1. An annual plan helps the teacher see the "big picture". Seeing the big picture is important for the teacher because there are so many goals and objectives to cover for each subject. The teacher can either choose to create a plan for one subject, or he/she can create a plan for each specific subject. I think I would use annual plans for each subject because that would help me see the areas in instruction that overlap. Interdisciplinary instruction should be incorporated into the classroom whenever possible - annual plans are a great way to see the connections between disciplines before the school year even starts. Talk about organization!

2. Using an annual plan also helps teachers clearly see the days and weeks that students will be out of school for holidays, teacher workdays, and early release days. Knowing how much time is allotted for instruction each school year is critical for the teacher to know. Creating annual plans can help the teacher see the time more clearly. The annual plan is the outline of instruction and can later be used to time out lessons and activities that will utilize the time most effectively. The annual plan is the pre-plan (the backbone of instruction).

3. When collaborating with my peers, Kristina made a great point about using annual plans in the classroom, which is the third benefit. Annual plans can be great resources to share with parents on parent-night. The teacher can share these plans with parents in order to let them know the progression of units throughout the school year. Parents might be driven to volunteer if a particular subject is taught when they're off from work, etc. Thanks for the great idea, Kristina!

What are the drawbacks of annual plans?

1. As I said above in number two, annual plans can be great organizational tools, but they can also cause teachers to over-plan. I like to think having an outline of my units for the entire school year would be enough for me, but I am a big picture person. I can foresee myself wanting to have units outlined and lessons planned before the school year even begins. This can cause a problem because I won't know my students yet. I need to remember that the annual plan is the outline and the resources and cooperative activities can be adjusted to meet the needs of any learner I come into contact with. The annual plan is the outline, not the end-all, be-all.

2. Think of the annual plan as a guideline. If it's seen as anything else, it can have the potential to make the teacher feel like a failure. Stay with me. If instruction isn't on track as far as the time element goes, or a unit seems out of place, the teacher has to remember that the plan isn't set in stone. Things can be moved and adjusted according to student achievement and understanding of the content. Again, the annual plan is a guideline! Don't get wrapped up in the details too early. Remember that elements of the plan can be shifted in order to meet the needs of the students, not the textbook or pacing guide.

What does this mean for my classroom?

I look forward to learning more about annual plans. I want to be able to interact with a plan and see how various objectives are broken down and put into quarters and units because that's been the hardest part, thus far. I also want to see the details teachers put into annual plans - what do the resource and cooperative learning sections look like?

After reviewing an actual plan and understanding the format a bit better, I can see the potential for using a plan in my classroom. I'm glad I'm getting the opportunity to create one with my peers because it seems like a laborious process. I'm looking forward to giving annual plans a try because I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.