TesTwinkles Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 After having a manic half-term with lots of difficult domestic stuff, I'm suddenly facing the prospect of going back to school tomorrow still without a clue as to what my planning should look like! Had an advisor in last term who gave me some blank planning proformas but now I'm trying to fill them in I'm totally lost! I want to do a week on Fireworks as that seems appropriate at this time of year and I've got loads of great ideas of activities to do but I can't work out how I can decide what they cover and how to write the planning for them. This is my first year of teaching Reception on their own and I'm so worried about making a mess of it. I've only got a class of 14 so it should be a doddle, I know, compared to some of you with classes of 30 but I still have no idea what to do. Please can you help? Thanks | Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 hiya Im not in a school but a pre-school but I have a loose idea of what we will cover for instance it will probably be fireworks and dark/light due to dark nights also the stars and moon connected to a space topic before the wonderful C word. However it something i will discuss with the children on the first days back. we do a spider chart for the centre of our learning wall and we talk about things we could and want to learn about. As the term progreses this will take other paths and tha tis fine. With 14 chidlren this would most definatly be achievable but not sure about any pressure you have from head or key stage 1 teachers tho. Good luck what ever you decide Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Hi TesTwinkles Do you want to use the proformas your advisor has given you or do you want to do your own thing? If you want to use the proformas, perhaps you could tell us what the headings on the form are, and the wise teachers on here can suggest what sort of things can go in the boxes? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Thanks Maz - I thought I should try and use what I was given, to show willing - here it is... PS - I'm a bit thrown by the bit where it refers to an Environment plan as she didn't give me this. Thank you! Short_Term_Planning_8.11.04.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Well I'm not a teacher, but I wonder if the 'environment plan' refers to the continuous provision planning which states what experiences and opportunities are available to children every day from which they can choose? Hopefully now you've uploaded the blank plan some teachers will download it and then come back with wise words of encouragement! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Sorry maz, and TesTwinkles, I dont like that at all and I think Id be screaming for help too! You need to show your Learning Intentions and I always referred these back to the ELGs in reception too although this may no longer be compatible with EYFS. Think through the outline of day and the routines, where are you teaching focus times and what will you do and your child inititiated time? What will you do then? What will your support staff do? Or do you not have anyone? Lots of questions but do remember your planning is personal and a working document. It is to support you and your support staff deliver the teaching objectives that you have identified. Hopefully someone else will be along soon and they may be able to give more guidance on your form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittycat1279 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I agree with Susan I would find this document very hard to use - as Susan said it needs to be a document that you can use and develop. Our learning intentions always link in with the ELGs - we did consider using all of the 40-60+ month stages but felt focussing on the ELGs was more manageable. I know that's not that helpful but I find that planning proforma quite prescribed. I can see the benefits - giving specific opportunities for observation but it seems to lack flexibility but maybe I am misunderstanding it. Hopefully someone will be slightly more helpful. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Sorry maz, No need to apologise to me Susan: as a non-teacher I have to say most of it went right over my head! Was I right about the environment plan thing, do you think? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I wouldnt know what else it was! TesTwinkles how were you planning before this and why have you been given this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 How was I planning? Very badly!! I used to have a separate Maths and Literacy plan for the week and a Phonics plan (still keeping that one) and everything else would be planned for daily. My daily 'plan' was just ike a timetable for me and my TA so we knew what was happening when (we're a small school, so we have set times for play, assembly and so on). The adviser has said that I need to plan using the Development matters and I'm finding that really hard work. Does anyone have a simpler document that might help me out please?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittycat1279 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I have what I think is a simpler plan but don't know how well it would work in your situation as it is based on having 4 adults plus a special needs assistant for 60 children as we work as a unit but I can upload it. WB_2nd_November_2009.doc I hope it helps a bit. Good luck again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Hi there TesTwinkle. I am also not too keen on the format you have been given, so don't worry that you're not getting it. I am presuming it is an example of something you could use, not something you must use? It seems from what you have said that you already have a daily structure, which covers the must dos in a school such as PE, assembly etc. I would ask if any of these are negotiable, eg do you have to attend all assemblies and do you have to have set play times? I agree that you should keep your phonics session, whenever it falls. The one things I did notice about the format you have been given which I thought was good, was that the whole class inputs were short and the free play sessions were a good length, so its worth keeping that in mind. I agree with Maz, that the environment plan it the continuous provision. there are a number of examples for this in the resources section here. I would also never have both adults observing at the same time, not would I generally have two adults working with a focus group at the same time. There are a number of planning formats that members have donated which you might like to look at. Give us a shout if you cant find them in the resource library. I used to have a skeleton weekly plan for my focused activities, which sometimes went off at a tangent, and tried to ensure that I covered all areas and not just literacy and numeracy (not always easy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 holey moley that is very tricksy, i saw the number of pages and felt like giving in, why dont you just search for planning on here and use one you like and wow them all at your school x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TesTwinkles Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Thank you so much for all your help and support. I love your plan kittycat, even though I'm not sure I really understand it but at least I think I can see how it works. I'm not really sure where to look for planning ideas in Resources - the file marked Planning seems to be empty. Am I being really dense? Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittycat1279 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 (edited) Thank you so much for all your help and support. I love your plan kittycat, even though I'm not sure I really understand it but at least I think I can see how it works. I'm not really sure where to look for planning ideas in Resources - the file marked Planning seems to be empty. Am I being really dense? Thanks again Is there a school near by that you could visit that might be able to share their ideas with you. That's how we got started when we made a change to our planning. We have also had several schools in our areas coming to see us now that we have got it up and running. Talking to other professionals actually doing the planning is so useful. Try this link or this one Edited November 1, 2009 by kittycat1279 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Thanks for putting in those links kittycat. You should be able to find some formats in the resources library here I agree a visits to a neighboring school is a great idea if you have the contacts, that way someone can actually talk you through what they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 sorry thank goodness for all the good advise!! hey what do I know Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 wellhere is a blank version of mine, iv never ever posted my planning because everybody elses always seemed so good but at least it gives you a few to choose from x blank_weekly_planning.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melc Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 I have what I think is a simpler plan but don't know how well it would work in your situation as it is based on having 4 adults plus a special needs assistant for 60 children as we work as a unit but I can upload it. WB_2nd_November_2009.doc I hope it helps a bit. Good luck again. Hi Kittycat, Have just come across this thread as I appear to have time to browse, I wonder what I should be doing right now? I have had a look at your planning format which i really like and could see working in my setting where we have 2 reception classes which will be 60 children in January, 2 teachers and 2 full time TA's. Can you just briefly explain your setting, are you a foundation stage unit with 60 reception children, how many teachers etc etc. Thank you Mel C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittycat1279 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi Kittycat, Have just come across this thread as I appear to have time to browse, I wonder what I should be doing right now? I have had a look at your planning format which i really like and could see working in my setting where we have 2 reception classes which will be 60 children in January, 2 teachers and 2 full time TA's. Can you just briefly explain your setting, are you a foundation stage unit with 60 reception children, how many teachers etc etc. Thank you Mel C Hi we are a reception unit with 2 teachers, 2 TA's and a part time SNA for a boy with CP. We have 52 children at the moment but could go up to 60 if needed. It is the second year of running as a unit and using that planning and I find it really easy to follow. It probably doesn't have the detail of other planning documents but it works for us. We include the differentiation when it is necessary as well as enhancements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melc Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi we are a reception unit with 2 teachers, 2 TA's and a part time SNA for a boy with CP. We have 52 children at the moment but could go up to 60 if needed. It is the second year of running as a unit and using that planning and I find it really easy to follow. It probably doesn't have the detail of other planning documents but it works for us. We include the differentiation when it is necessary as well as enhancements. Hi Kittycat, We have 35 children at the moment going up to 60 in January. We have the equivalent of 2 full time teachers (a job share in one class) 2 TA's and additional support workers for identified children at various times during the day. We have 2 classes but work as an FS unit kind of. Looking at your planning am I right in thinking that you group children across the FS rather than within each class. My vision, as FS co-ordinator, is to have one of the best examples of EYFS in or LA. However, at the moment one member of staff is really resisiting working as a Foundation Stage Team. We plan activities in our indoor, what I call messy area with sand, water and creative, and outdoor classroom which children have virtually free flow access to. Then we have activities in the classroom which are exactly the same in each class base rather than a rich variety being provided, ie sometimes 4 different focus activities. I would really like to move our practice forward but find that this particular member of staff is against ideas of us 'working together' saying 'I want to keep my class together', there is very little working and playing together, apart from the times when the children use the middle and outdoor area, as a Foundation Stage. For example, sometimes myself and the other teacher will get the children altogether as a Foundation stage to demonstrate, teach etc. However, when this approach is suggested to the member of staff who is resistant, she is resistant, only really wanting her own class. I really believe that we can work this out for the benefit of the children, so that we are providing the environment and learning opportunties that we should be. Any help, advice would be really appreciated. From a frustrated FS Co-ordinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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