We are spring cleaning in the classroom and that means revamping curriculum for next year!
Spring cleaning is a real thing.
Every year as I start to hear the bird chirping, the squirrels race around, and the bugs start making noise again, I think about a fresh start.
I don’t know if this is just the teacher in me that believes a fresh start is really the end of the previous school year or if it is something everyone feels.
Either way, I find myself in clean-out mode right around April and May every year.
And if I’m not cleaning everything out, I’m definitely simplifying.
Spring Clean by Revamping Curriculum
Simplifying in my home life looks like taking totes to consignment stores, cleaning out that closet that has been filling with clutter over the course of the school year, and deciding if I really am going to get into ‘that’ dress this year or not.
Simplifying at school is about revamping my curriculum, getting rid of the excess waste from my plans, and eventually making room for new ideas and fresh assessments.
When I work on revamping the curriculum to prepare for the next school year, I like to turn to my trusty old spreadsheets.
Standard Breakdown Spreadsheets for the Win!!
I start by laying out all the standards and thinking through each quarter of the year and mapping out what we did, how it went, and whether it was successful in accomplishing the goals I had for the unit/assessment.
I like to use editable spreadsheets that already have the standards mapped out and the skills listed, like those that I have ready for all the K-12 standards.
However, I also like to have a set just for middle school as well.
6th Grade Standard Breakdown Spreadsheets
7th Grade Standard Breakdown Spreadsheets
8th Grade Standard Breakdown Spreadsheets
These editable spreadsheets make it easy for me to make copies, move things around, and add or delete anything that needs to be ‘thrown out’ in the new year. I also frequently link my digital assessments and plans into these documents to keep everything organized and simplified as we head into the new year.
Fill in with Standards-Based Resources
As you begin your spring cleaning this year, make sure to tidy up what matters most, and in the classroom, revamping the curriculum is a good place to start.
If you find that you have a hole in your curriculum where you are not quite hitting the standards the way you need to be, consider grabbing one of our standards-based mini-lessons to provide some focused instruction on each skill you need to attack.
Enjoy the spring, find some time to get outside, and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the world waking up!