Have you ever tried juggling while riding a unicycle? Probably, not, but you may have experienced something just as challenging: teaching multiple preps. Both are daunting, yet doable with the right practical strategies. Whether you are handling two different grade levels, two different subjects, or a combination of both, here are some practical tips for teaching multiple preps that will make your life a little easier. Maybe you’ll even have some extra time to learn how to juggle on your unicycle!
Let’s break down what we mean by “multiple preps.” Depending on your building or school district, you may be asked to teach more than one course or grade level. For example, an English teacher may take on both freshman literature and senior creative writing. Or, a middle school science teacher may manage both seventh grade science and eighth grade science. Multiple preps may also involve different ability levels, such as teaching an honors level class as well as a standard level class. Furthermore, some teachers, especially those at the elementary level or those in a multi-grade classroom, may teach multiple subjects, like math, social studies, science, and reading, oh my! While a co-teacher may help with some of the planning for this many preps, the workload can still seem overwhelming!
Organization is your best friend when you are managing multiple preps. Type A teachers, get excited! Type B teachers, you can do this! Here are some of my tried-and-true tips for teaching multiple preps.
Do you remember when you were a student and you bought a different colored folder for each of your subjects? For me, math was always purple! Try to convince me otherwise!
Assign a different color to each of your preps. Use colored folders, binders, and labels for everything related to that prep. This will help keep your desk free of unorganized piles of clutter and allow you to locate the right materials quickly and efficiently.
The fact that you teach multiple preps can be confusing not just for you, but for your students too. Create spaces in your room that are specifically designed for supplies and assignment postings for each prep. For example, designate a place on your whiteboard or a bulletin board for each course where you can list lesson objectives, agendas, and homework assignments. Consider using the same colors that you use to color-code your planning materials!
Are you a traveling teacher? If so, first of all, way to go! Second, consider using smaller whiteboards that are easy to transport from class to class with whiteboard markers that match your color-coding system!
Thank goodness for technology when helps us stay organized! We can leverage digital tools to help keep track of assignments, attendance, and grades. If your school does not already have a learning management system (LMS), consider using Google Classroom to manage all of your classes.
In addition to using your LMS to stay organized, I have a fantastic Assignment Checklist for you! Goodbye endless to-do lists on sticky notes! This resource is a game-changer for multi-prep teachers. Plus, it’s FREE!
Here’s why you need it:
The assignment checklist allows you to have both digital and paper access to an organized system for tracking attendance, behavior, work submission, grades, and MORE.
In addition to helping you keep your multiple preps organized, the assignment checklist can help you provide incentives for students who complete all assigned work in a given unit! See product details to learn more!
Effective lesson planning is crucial for teaching multiple different classes. Here are some different ways you can streamline the process:
Most teachers have a daily prep period. Let’s be honest, sometimes we may need to use this period for self-care to decompress from a stressful few periods…and sometimes we have so much on our to-do lists that we aren’t even sure where to begin! Anyone ever spend their whole plan period just staring at the wall? Guilty! The solution? Block planning. Try setting aside specific blocks of time to plan for your multiple preps. For example, Monday mornings are for seventh grade science planning and Wednesday mornings are for eighth grade science planning. If your schedule allows, plan even more specifically – Monday’s plan period from 8:20-8:50 is for lesson planning the following week’s math mini lessons, 8:50-9:00 is for putting together homework assignments, etc. No matter what is thrown at you throughout the week, you know that those prep periods will always be devoted to planning for each of your various preps. You may try designating time for grading as well. And remember, not EVERYTHING needs to be graded!
Look for themes or topics in your different preps that align. Are there any units where you could coordinate your multiple preps? For example, if you are teaching a social studies unit on latitude and longitude, and you also teach math, you may want to align your instruction so that you teach related math concepts (think graphing points on the coordinate plane) within the same week. As another example, if you are teaching science and English, you might locate articles that could be analyzed in both courses. Not only does cross-curricular planning make your job easier by saving planning time, it also enriches student learning by helping them form connections between subjects!
Don’t stress yourself out by recreating the wheel for each of your preps, especially first year teachers. Teacher burnout is real, and having lots of preps can tempt you to spend an unreasonable amount of time lesson planning. Reuse lesson plans from last year and adapt them for different grade levels or ability levels when needed. Or, perhaps you are teaching a regular physical science course as well as an honors one. Instead of creating two lessons for the same learning objectives, create one lesson, then modify some types of activities for students who need to extend their learning as well as students who need extra support. And, don’t be afraid to reach out to teachers who have been in your shoes – most are more than willing to share lesson planning resources and activities!
If you are new to planning for teaching multiple courses, filling an entire class period each and every day with new and exciting activities can seem overwhelming. Here are some tips for teaching multiple preps in terms of managing class time with your students:
Start each class with a quick warm-up activity, or, as some call it, bell work! Develop a clear, consistent routine so that students know exactly how to enter your classroom and begin the bell work independently. Such a routine allows your students to transition into learning mode while you have a few minutes to get yourself organized for the day’s lesson.
Here are some bell work resources you may find helpful in your middle school science classroom!
Not a middle school science teacher? These bell ringer activities are designed to familiarize your students in ANY course with growth mindset, executive functioning skills, and metacognition!
Establishing clear routines may be the best way to keep your classes from feeling overwhelming, especially when you have multiple different preps. Perhaps some of your routines are consistent across preps, while others are specific to a certain prep, or even a specific class period. Consistent opening activities, clear instructions, and predictable schedules help students know what to expect, thus reducing your classroom management issues. Make sure your students also understand your expectations when it comes to touching materials left out from your previous prep.
Do you ever feel like you are working harder than your students period after period? If so, you may want to implement more small group investigative activities in place of some of your mini lessons. Doing so gives you a chance to put your lessons in students’ hands: groups may work on analyzing a text, conducting an experiment, or deciphering vocabulary words. Instead of presenting new information to students in a typical lecture-style format, small group structures allow you plenty of time to differentiate instruction and give attention to different ability levels within the same class. An increase in student participation often means less pressure on you and more engagement for students – a win-win!
Did you get through the week without bringing your lesson planning materials home? Did you get all of your tests graded? Whatever it is, celebrate those small wins! Make it a habit to call to mind one small victory every day on your way home from work. Those small victories are what keep us going when the days get hard, especially during the first year of teaching! Don’t let your number of preps put a damper on your attitude!
Sometimes a good support network is all we need to lessen our stress levels. Besides sharing resources with other teachers, share your highs and lows of the week. Knowing that we are not alone in our efforts to teach multiple preps can be quite reassuring. Not to mention, celebrating successes with others is much more exciting than celebrating alone!
Whether you’re an elementary teacher, middle school teacher, or secondary teacher, first-year teacher or veteran teacher, Type A teacher or Type B teacher, coming up with lessons for various courses every single day that enhance the student experience may seem intimidating. Remember that you are not alone, and that your passion and dedication make a huge difference in your students’ lives, even if every lesson isn’t perfect and you aren’t planned out a month in advance. Take pride in every small victory – you can do this!
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