Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois

Idea posted April 2, 2002

Because I'm still kind of new at this and not always sure exactly how to present something off the top of my head, my lesson plans are pretty detailed. Anyway, I use a format that works well for my K-8 groups which meet 2 times a week. I have one page for each class each week divided into two columns (day 1 / day 2) followed by sections for:

  • Materials needed
  • Opening/warm-up/refresh
  • Prepare: where I'll first intro a new song, concept, or activity, but not enhance it with movement, accompaniment, etc. yet.
  • Present: where I'll take a newly learned song, concept, or activity and begin to enhance it or follow up in some way.
  • Practice: where we put the finishing touches on a song or activity, or perhaps turn something into a game. If there's any written work, rhythm, notation, etc., this is where I include it.
  • Closing: We'll wrap up with something we know, return materials, straighten chairs, announce mystery person, etc., bow, and dismiss.

I have my plans in a three-prong pocket folder with plastic sleeves. For each grade, their seating chart is in the left sleeve, their lesson plan in the right. I use the pockets to hold teaching notes, loose songs, master handouts, etc. that I need for the classes. This way everything is all together. I make notations with my vis-à-vis pen right on the plastic sleeves.

I'm also trying to lay out month-at-a-glance plans for each grade, but I've found I have to tweak so much that by month's end, I'm way off from the original plan.