Let's be real: the years of only one prep are few and far between - especially in a high school setting.
Maybe you're teaching in a big public school with multiple elective courses you have the privilege of teaching, or maybe you're in a small private school with fewer teachers to compensate course loads.
Regardless, having multiple preps begs the question: how do I stay organized and not lose my head???
Across my (current) four years of teaching, I've had the following course load:
Year 1: English 11 & Honors English 10
Year 2: English 11, Creative Writing 1, Foundations of Literature
Year 3: English 9 & English 9 Co-Taught
Year 4: English 9, Honors English 9, English 11, Honors English 11
Across my current years of teaching, here are my three tips to stay ahead of the game and balance multiple preps while avoiding drowning and burning out:
Pace out full units in a calendar
After starting or making it about halfway through a current unit, I'll pace out the following unit by creating a calendar in Google Docs such as the one below:
This pacing guide for A Midsummer Night's Dream was made for 90-minute block scheduling classes on a 4x4 schedule, meaning I had the same students every day for 90-minutes each class period (on a personal note, I was not a fan of this schedule, but that's a conversation for a different day).
Creating a pacing guide for each unit helps me stay ahead of due dates, allot for an appropriate amount of days for studying or prepping for an essay, and building in 1-3 flex days should plans go awry.
For each prep, I keep individual Google Folders (such as one English 11 folder, one English 10 folder, etc.), and within those folders I'll make folders for each individual unit. Within the unit folders, I'll make folders for chapter sections, Acts in plays, or other general chunks to help stay organized.
Overall, keeping a calendar per unit helps me to stay afloat and not drown in information.
2. Schedule daily tasks for planning period
My planning periods tend to go as follows, and I give myself grace and flexibility should things come up (as they do):
Monday: Lesson plan for the following week in individual Google Doc lesson planners for each class's units (the current week would've been planned last Monday)
Tuesday: Grade as much as the previous week's assignments as possible
Wednesday: Prep slides for the following week; update Google Classroom/Canvas/Schoology, etc. for the following week with all assignments/links/loose ends
Thursday: Finish grading from the week prior
Friday: Make all copies for the following week on colored paper for each prep, tie up any loose ends that didn't get finished through the week
While I'm known for occasionally changing lesson plans 10 minutes before class, having a detailed road map a week in advance helps me stay afloat amid the many variables multiple preps brings about.
3. Utilize organizational tools
Thanks to the world wide web, there are countless types of organizational tools to help you stay organized.
Planner
Sticky Notes
Notebook
Labeled File Folders
Filing Cabinets
Paper Trays
Google Keep
Google Calendar
Google Drive Folders
Digital Planner
Reminders
Notes Apps
Ultimately, managing multiple preps is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes trial and error to find a rhythm that works for you.
Take the guesswork out of planning for multiple preps with instant access to a pre-built, standards-based framework that will save you time and ensure your students are mastering essential skills.
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