Schedule Planning Time

Creating multiple lesson plans in order to build curriculum takes time. It's important to schedule in
planning sessions and blocks of time to work on curriculum. Learning how to manage that time is also
important. Teachers shouldn't get bogged down on curriculum development. Work on it in sections or
by units. Set goals for yourself that fit in the allotted time and when time is up, step back and step away
for a break. It's not a race. It's your students' entire year of learning so make sure to handle it with care.

Schedule time for planning.

Remember U-Turns are Allowed

As a first year teacher developing curriculum for the first time, it's important to realize that it's not going
to be perfect the initial time around. It may not even be where you want it to be the fourth or fifth time
around and that's OK. Even when the finished product is ready for launch, there still may be a few bugs
to work out. That's why it's critical to put the curriculum into motion. Start teaching from it and see if it
works. You won't really know if the assignments, class projects, or even guest speakers are a good fit for
your class until they are presented. Be prepared because some things will work out perfectly while
others will need an immediate facelift. This is all part of the process of curriculum development.

Plan for Feedback and Assessments

Don't forget to build in assessments and time for feedback when developing your curriculum. You will
need to be able to measure how well students are doing. Set aside time to engage students in
conversations about the day's lesson and assignments. Find out what they liked or did not like and what
they might want to do differently. Encourage students to speak up if they didn't understand some of the
material presented as well.

At the end of the day, it's not about the curriculum or plan itself. It's about the students and how well
they understood the lessons presented. It's about the presentation of the material and the student's
ability to understand, retain, and apply it.