Planning for the FCS classroom

If you are like me, you are "blessed" with more than one, two or even three preps per day. Most FCS teachers I know have upwards of 5 or 6. I have grappled with different ways to plan- and every year of my 6 year FCS treating career I have used a different way of planning. Last summer I was at the local teacher supply store and found this:

I picked it up, since it was only $7.95- I wouldn't be out $20-30 for a planner that I may or may not have ended up liking.  This last year I had three preps- so this particular planner with 8 spots worked best for me. I was able to have a space for the lesson and a space for the materials I would need. I find this to be especially useful teaching FCS, as we always needs LOTS of materials. Those materials might be food for recipes, or poster board and construction paper for a project, or even, literal material for a sewing section. If I am planning at least a week in advance (and I try to plan more than that out) I can look and make sure I have all materials I might need for that day to keep me from needing to run to the store at the last minute. 

This is a picture that I took of my first week planning from last year. Last year I taught Principles of Human Services/Principles of Hospitality, Fashion Design and Problems and Solutions. The last box was used for FCCLA info- to attempt to help me stay organized. As you can see, I was pretty well planned. I do not use the large, page long per lesson, forms that we were given in class to fill out per lesson. My brain does not work that way. I need a day by day process, not a lesson by lesson process.  

At the end of the year I got a little more lax- not nearly as thorough. But I knew what I was doing every day. But the idea was still there!

My school requires us to input lessons online as well- but for my actual lessons that I can pull out and look at- I use this. And I loved it enough last year to use it all year and plan to purchase a new one for the incoming year.