Organize your classroom first before you begin creating a lesson plan for the following week. This ensures that you can find everything you need so lessons and activities move on as scheduled. Clean excess papers off of your desk and make sure books, craft materials and other items are in the right places. Place labels on drawers and cupboards if this makes things easier for you.
Consult your teaching guide to make sure the right lessons are moving forward each week according to what the students have already learned. Sometimes repeating specific lessons is necessary if more than one child is struggling in a certain area.
Write down all the lessons and plans that you would like to complete during the week and write an estimated time for completion. Allow flex time in between lessons just in case you end up going over on time for certain lessons or crafts. This can help you stay on schedule.
Schedule time for each subject and make additional time for crafting, games, singing and outdoor activities. You can scatter lessons about subjects around fun activities to create balance or focus more on certain lessons in the morning and then reserve the afternoon for field trips, playing with Legos or spending more time outside with the kids. Most schools automatically schedule required recess sessions throughout the day, so make sure to build your lessons around this time also.
Type up the completed plan on a calendar program located in your computer and print it out. If you don't have a computer, write out a daily list by hand and and make copies to give to parents. Keep all the plans from throughout the year in a three-ring binder and check off activities as you do them. Make notes about struggles, challenges or ideas on the back of old plans. Keeping your notes in one place also helps you stay organized.