Starting off the new year with a new semester is a great opportunity to reset your classroom expectations and get started on creating the classroom climate you want for you and your students. Planning for the new semester is key to achieving this great dream! And guess what? The planning doesn’t need to be extensive, time consuming, or stressful!
Academic scholars have told us for generations that routine is best for student retention and overall success. Use that knowledge as your guide in planning for the new semester for your classes. Develop a routine that will work for your students, and plan based on that design.
Planning a Routine for the New Semester
- Start with a bellringer that draws student interest. This can be something from current events, a connection to students lives or experiences, or a review of prior knowledge (this is my least favorite option, but can be valuable).
- Transition from the bellringer into the lesson introduction. This is your objective statement! You are setting the standard that you wish to achieve in the lesson with this transition and need to make clear your expectations for the lesson.
- Begin a student-centered activity that introduces the content or practices skills. Depending on your class period length, this may be 2-3 different activities that teach and reinforce content and skills for your lesson topic.
- Transition from lessons to wrap-up or lesson assessment. Take a moment to go over what you expected students to learn from the activities. Review the key content, help students make corrections, make connections to the bellringer or to current events, and let your students discuss the topic and the topic or lesson significance.
- Assess student learning and processing skills. I did this with a simple wrap up prompt or exercise in an interactive notebook format. As students completed the tasks, I circulated to address inaccuracies or issues with student completion. Check for understanding and correct, while using the simple assessment as a check-out for the day. Once it is completed and checked by you, students are finished for the day! Timing of this is vital, though! Match it up to the bell and you are a master!
Plan a New Semester with a Routine that Works for You!
Now set up your routine into your curriculum map or Scope and Sequence as you plan for the new semester. Each day will be the same, with new content and activities inserted as you go. Students know what will need to be completed each day, and your expectations will be clear for daily lessons and even unit completion.
Oh, but don’t go yet! Follow these simple tips to make your planning for the new semester even easier and more complete!
- If you don’t already have a Scope and Sequence, grab a free one that will offer mapping suggestions as well as websites to utilize for research and novels for extension learning. I have these ready to go for U.S. History, World History or Civilizations, and Geography. Grab them here!
- Start with a curriculum map template that will guide you in planning for the new semester and in setting routine. You can find a free and editable template through this link.
- Find resources that will allow your students to collect content and practice skills at the same time. Use engaging strategies with your resources to place the responsibility of learning on your students. Students will benefit from the lesson on learning as much as they will from learning the content!
Planning with Purpose
Planning for the new semester using these suggestions will not only save you time and stress once the semester gets started, but it will also help you create a classroom where your students are more engaged and, in turn, learn more! It will be a classroom where your preparation shows your commitment to excellence and your expectations for learning are clear!
And, as always, if you ever need any help, reach out to me! I not only create resources and write these posts to help teachers in planning our awesome courses, I also work with teachers to help guide them through this ever-changing and ever-challenging academic world. I’d love to work with you!
Happy Teaching,
