Guest Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 I dont know about you guys out there, but i always find medium term plans a really difficult task to get started with and to complete....i have completed mine now, today but it took up most ofthepart. aNYWAY, i'M JUST HAVING A LITTle winge. I never know what activities my chn will be doing from one week to the next, its not until i look at observations and chn's interest that i plan for the following week. I just find it difficult to understand, when ideally we should be planning day to day, so why are we expected to plan 6/7 weeks ahead. Is it just me or does anyone else have the same concerns. If anyone has an easier format or ideas, would love to hear your thoughts on these. Misss pink xx
Upsy Daisy Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 I have been wondering the same thing. I'm going through the process of rejoining the childminding network and when I was in it before we had to do long, medium and short term planning. I wonder what I will do if it's still a requirement because I plan by the hour or minute not 6 weeks or 6 months ahead.
Guest Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 Yeah totally agree, it all seems daft to me. I darent mention it to my head though incase she thinks i'm trying to get out of doing work. I'm sure she knows im a grafter, but do you know what i mean. Anyway hopefully we will haver some other point of views shortly. Tanx for getting back so quickly upsydaisy xx
Cait Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 The only medium term plan I have is for the adult led activities surrounding particular festivals - for instance activity plans for hanukkah and christmas this half term - but I don't put as much info into it now, just 'things to look for, listen out for and take note of'
Guest Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) I don't do a MTP I have before and always end up changing it....so I just don't now. Like Cait I mark up when we will cover festivals and how and when to cook the Christmas cakes etc ....but not much else can be planned ahead. Edited October 29, 2009 by Guest
Inge Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 I stopped doing medium term plans when EYFS came in... I had a look at the suggested planning with it, and other info and was told by LEA to scrap them as they are no longer needed. We found none in the suggested eyfs planning examples so why continue to do them was our decision. As you say you cannot plan that far ahead and follow the children's interests or needs. Only did long term which was mostly continuous provision and festivals or special days added , had a list of festivals we 'could' incorporate over the year, but not a set in stone list, and short term plans came from the observation of the children and following their interests , often started by reading a book or bringing something in to show, or a child bringing an item in etc Inge
Susan Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 The foundation Stage curriculum planning guidance was to work from long to short term planning. It is individuals that seem to have perpetuated the myth of MT plans. As Im now working in year 1 I havent unpicked EYFS in great detail but I cant believe there is a requirement in there to plan LT, MT and ST?
Upsy Daisy Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 There is no reuirement that I can find under the EYFS but the network paperwork states clearly that we will have to work to higher standards than the requirements so we may still be expected to do it. I don't know, maybe their thinking will have moved on since I left the network as it was just prior to the EYFS implementation.
mundia Posted October 29, 2009 Posted October 29, 2009 Hi Misspink, I am right to think you are inn a school? It might be prudent to have a chat with your Head, if you are, about the MTP, Im not really sure how useful they are any more. However, it might be quite tricky to convince a school head of this and there may be expectations for you to produce them. This could take the form of a skeleton plan, putting in place fixed events such as festivals, the inevitable Christmas events; (for example); trips that may have been planned ahead; parents events etc. It may also be possible to ask the children what they would like to learn about (eg if you have observed an interest in shoes! what is it they they are interested in?). This could then be presented as your MTP, along with the usual health warning that it could all change by next week. Out of interest, how many school settings have managed to let go of the MTP?
Guest Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 We only do weekly planning for group times and enhanced provision. No medium or long term planning.
Upsy Daisy Posted October 30, 2009 Posted October 30, 2009 Our village school has very details long and medium term planning in reception and this is raising some interesting questions for me as I work within it with a small group doing maths activies for a FD assignment. It clashes nicely with the ethos we are suppoed to promote so great for the evaluation but I wonder how well it meets the children's needs.
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