Hands-On Activities to Help Kids Overcome Classroom Struggles

Guest post by Laura Pearson (edutude.net)

Hands-On Activities to Help Kids Overcome Classroom Struggles

Whether you’re homeschooling or not, watching kids struggle with lessons can be heartbreaking. Of course, you want to help your kids and make things easier, but finding ways to do so that will keep their interest can be difficult. The trick is to disguise the subjects and lessons they’re struggling with as fun activities and projects.

If you’re not sure how to do this, the following creative tips from The Bender Bunch might be helpful.

 

Spend Some Time Stargazing

Is your child having trouble with science? Then maybe they just need some exposure to science in the everyday world!

Take them out into your backyard at night and look up at the stars, for a fun at-home science lesson they’ll never forget. You’ll want to plan your backyard stargazing session for a night when the moon isn’t that bright so you can really see the stars and planets shining. Use an app like Sky Safari to help your child identify stars, planets and constellations.

You can take those lessons one step further by looking up interesting facts about stars and constellations. Once your kids find out what stars are made of and how they’re born, they may become more interested in science lessons back inside the classroom.

Do you need an activity you can do indoors and during the daytime? This DIY snowstorm is a fun alternative! Using some simple ingredients, your kids can put together their very own mini-blizzard. They can also fill out worksheets to set the experiment up and find out how everything works.

 

Work on Some Creative Writing

If your kids have a hard time paying attention in English class, having them work on some freestyle writing could provide the encouragement they need.

You can keep things simple by using these suggestions from the National Endowment for the Arts to prompt creative writing sessions. Pictures work best because they allow your family members to express themselves freely. Have your kids pick a country on the globe and write about it, or choose an everyday object around your home. You can even have your kids keep journals so that they get in some extra writing practice.

Before your kids start writing and researching, you’ll want to make sure they have the right tech and equipment. That could mean picking out a new laptop or tablet, which is also helpful if your kids are learning from home. Since this is a bigger purchase, you’ll want to look for laptops that are user-friendly and durable, while also having all of the features your kids need.

 

Give Kids More Time for Gaming

Is math or geometry making school tough for your kids? If so, letting them play more video games may be the answer. No, seriously!

As you may already know, kids love playing Minecraft. And that could be good news if they are also having a hard time in math class. That’s because there’s a new version of this game that is basically one giant math lesson! As your kids keep trying to draw an uninterrupted line, they are actually working out a mathematical puzzle known as an Eulerian Cycle. Now, if math isn’t the issue, there are other learning games that can help your kids perform better in school.

Since many of the best games are online, you’ll want to make sure that your home is connected to a reliable and lightning-quick internet service. Besides providing your kids with a smooth gaming experience, a faster internet connection will also provide your entire family a boost when it comes to remote work and online learning. This is notably true if you have older kids who are using Virtual Reality or if any of your children are attending virtual coding camps.

Learning doesn’t have to stop once school is over! In fact, if your kids are struggling with science, English or math, the learning really shouldn’t stop. You’ll need to get creative to provide opportunities for enrichment and improvement. Most of all, you should keep lessons outside of the classroom fun so that your kids stay motivated and interested.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

Tired of Dried Out Markers, Missing Caps? No More!!!

Sick and tired of finding markers with the lids off and dried out, only to be thrown away?!! I was so sick of it that I finally retired my markers 2 years ago and only allow my students to use colored pencils and crayons now! Well thanks to "Magik Stix," markers are coming back to The Bender Bunch Classroom! 

These markers are a teacher's and parent's dream! I mean where have you been all my life!?

The seller of these, "Pencilgrip.com" guarantees these markers will not dry out with the cap off for 7 days, but that's an understatement! I tested a marker from this pack while traveling across country this past week and check out these results!

 I'm actually on Day 15 now (not pictured) and this marker, WITH NO LID, is still writing perfectly, as if it were brand new!!! Amazing! I can't wait to see just how many days I can go!! 

You can get these in sets of 12 for $9.99. That may seem a little pricey, but when I did the math and figured how much I was spending on regular markers before I retired them, the dried up markers I was throwing away, or even the ones that caps didn't get placed on tightly enough that dried up, I'll actually be saving money! Magik Stix are definitely my new "go to" marker!!! Now if they could just make these available in DRY ERASE, how awesome would that be?!!

The Pencil Grip, Inc. also has some amazing paint markers that I love! 

These paint markers are literally solid tempera paint and the best thing ever!! My students can paint with no mess, no brushes, no water, no smocks!!! :)

And it's smudge proof and dries instantly!! My students want to paint every day now with these Kwik Stix and I don't mind because they are absolutely mess free!

The "Kwik Stix" are available in primary, neon, and metallic colors and are $11.99 for a 12-pack! They also have a classroom pack available that includes 96 stix that I'm planning to purchase here. 

These also make excellent Christmas gifts! I just ordered for my nieces and nephews!

While shopping for my markers, I also found a great selection of pencil grips too that might be worth checking out! 

But back to these absolutely AMAZING markers and paint sticks that I'm in love with!!! The Pencil Grip, Inc. is giving away a set of "Kwik Stix" and "Magik Stix" to one of you!! Enter below to receive a set to try out with your kids!!! 

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Celebrate NV Day With Me! Hacks, Giveaways, & Sales!

Can I just say I am beyond thrilled to be sharing a guest post from Amy Mascott, author of "Teachmama.com" on my blog today!! Quick break...{turn and scream}! I mean seriously! Below she shares 7 Classroom Hacks for Teachers, and {turn and scream again}, The Bender Bunch is cited in her post!  

Save Money and Time this School Year: 7 Classroom Hacks for Teachers

By: Amy Mascott of TeachMama.com

Date: [10/28/16]

Back-to-school season isn’t just for students, my friends.

As thousands of schools have been opening their doors, teachers have been working tirelessly setting up classrooms, preparing lesson plans and printing materials for their students.

In a school spending survey, almost 80% of teachers say they use their own money on material supplies in what amounts to a $1 billion annual spend for their classrooms. That is a LOT of money. And many teachers don’t have the extra to spend.

As a former high school teacher whose sister is a pre-K teacher, whose in-laws are former educators, and whose husband is an elementary school principal, I can absolutely empathize. I remember vividly the days of saving pennies for classroom supplies and begging the PTA for reimbursement. It wasn’t easy.

With that amount of money spent on back-to-school prep, it’s no wonder educators are constantly searching for tips on cutting back.

Several of my teacher friends with more than 60 years of combined classroom experience shared seven money and time-saving tips for this school year.

Whether you are a classroom teacher or a supportive parent, knowing these tips is hugely helpful. Keep this information in your back pocket. Share it. Use it to drive your support for school fundraisers or classroom gifts.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Save Money and Time this School Year: 7 Classroom Hacks for Teachers

    1.      Preserve materials you’ll use multiple times. Shannon Lisowe, from Speechy Musings, laminates useful visuals, pages, and books and stores them in a binder to make it easy to grab and go from year to year. “It’s a little more cost and time upfront, but it will absolutely save you in the long run!”

    2.      Reduce printing costs with a subscription service. Many teachers have printers in their classrooms but very little budget to print.  Between activities for lessons or centers, many teachers end up printing up to 300+ pages per month.

HP’s Instant Ink program allows subscribers to save time and money by delivering ink cartridges at a fraction of the cost of store-bought ink, right to your door. This program offers a month-to-month subscription and you can cancel anytime. Plans start as low as $2.99/month which can save teachers TONS of money on ink. I mean tons.

“I do not feel guilty about printing games and activities for my students because I am not having to spend a fortune out of my own pocket!” Chandra Dills, from Teaching with Crayons and Curls.

Photo Credit: TeachingWithCrayonsAndCurls.com

I use HP Instant Ink for my home, and I’d be lost without it. I love it. With three kids in 7th, 5th, and 4th grades, my kids already do a lot of printing. HP Instant Ink takes one thing off of my list of things to remember. Your compatible HP printer communicates low ink levels to HP so ink is delivered to your door before you run out. “My favorite thing about HP Instant Ink is the fact that not only is the ink inexpensive, but it is shipped to your door so you never have to leave your house!” Lauren Shirk, a K-3 Reading Intervention teacher from A Teachable Teacher.

There are so many perks packaged into the HP Instant Ink program that extend beyond ease and convenience. For example, Jennifer Kadar, from SimplyKinder, has referred enough friends to receive free ink until 2020! “It's effortless.” With the HP Instant Ink Refer-a-Friend program, you and the friend you refer receive a free month of ink. The best part is the amounts of referrals are unlimited! “The HP Instant Ink program is made for teachers. Period.”

Photo Credit: SimplyKinder.com

HP Instant Ink also offers great options for teachers who are tired of only printing in black and white to save on costs. Kristin Oldham, from A Teeny Tiny Teacher, loves the aspect of being able to print in color too, for the same price. “I love how I don’t have to prioritize what I will print in color or what I will print from home vs. school.” You can learn more about HP Instant Ink by visiting www.hpinstantink.com.

    3.      Organize your space. Vanessa Levin, from Pre-K Pages, recommends a well-organized and fully functional classroom environment where materials necessary for teaching and learning are easily accessible to both teachers and students. “Clear the clutter. If it hasn’t been used in one year, toss it. Lighten the load to make more time for teaching and learning.”

4.      Be a smart shopper. Getting ready for back to school is costly. Cut back on costs by visiting local thrift shops. “You'll be amazed at how many goodies you can find for little to nothing for your classrooms.” Traci Bender, special education teacher for grades 3-5 from The Bender Bunch.

5.      Stock up during back-to-school sale events. Buy as many 1-cent composition books and packs of paper as possible, and ask friends and neighbors to buy them, too. Many states offer tax-free weekends for school supplies. Kallie Lerchbacker, who is going into her third year of teaching says, “Don’t buy everything all at once. It’s okay to have a classroom that is not decorated like a Pinterest classroom. Also, it’s good to make/print your own centers because the stations from the teacher stores are very expensive.”

6.      Hone your parent-teacher presentation. Teachers like Vanessa Levin from Pre-K Pages, admit that parent-teacher nights can be nerve-wracking. Calm your nerves by planning and anticipating parents’ questions. Vanessa suggests creating a parent handbook to arm yourself with the answers they are looking for. This way you will appear confident and knowledgeable and parents will be at ease knowing their child is in good hands.

7.      Ask for donations. You might be surprised to learn how many of your students’ families have extras around the house that you can use in the classroom. Make a list at the beginning of the school year with everything you might need: tissues, hand sanitizer, crayons, glue, etc. and send it home with each student. Even indoor recess activities can be supplied via donations if families have extra puzzles or games sitting around.

What do you think? How do you support your child’s teacher, or if you are a teacher, how do you save money in the classroom?

{end of post}

I love all of these hacks! And yes, I shop thrift stores all the time for goodies for my classroom! If you're not, you're missing out on some great deals! 

The second best advice given above is HP Instant Ink! I LOVE Instant Ink! If you're still running out of ink, shopping for ink, sparingly using your ink, spending a fortune on ink, and counting the amount of colored pages you print, then STOP IT! You need to check out HP Instant Ink! You'll be sorry you didn't know about it sooner!

Curious about HP Instant Ink? You should be! You can read all about the Instant Ink Program here and even receive a link for one free month! But don't go there just yet, because not only I am giving you a free month of Instant Ink, I'm giving away an HP Printer to get you started! 

This is the world's smallest all-in-one printer and I'm excited to give it away to one lucky teacher follower! You can check it out here, and enter below to win! Once you try the Instant Ink Program, be sure to share the link with friends and other teachers so they can also learn about HP Instant Ink and get a free month!

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And there's even more! No school for me today or other teachers in Nevada! It's NEVADA DAY! I'm celebrating Oct. 28-31st. Head over to my Instagram page and enter to win a $30 Amazon gift card and resources from my store and two of my other Nevada teacher friends, "An Apple for the Teach" and "Well Michelle." We're also having a 20% off sale in our stores! Grab my sales here. 

Good luck! Happy Nevada Day!

About the Author:

Amy Kilpatrick Mascott is the creator of teachmama.com, where since 2008, she has shared tools and resources parents can use to become the best teachers they can be for their children.

A Reading Specialist, writer, and literacy consultant, Amy’s work has been featured on dozens of online and print publications, including Scholastic Parents, PBS Parents, readwritethink.org, PBS Digital Studios, and more.

Amy is a former high school English teacher who has truly expanded the walls of classroom, sharing her expertise at local and national events and publishing her first book with Scholastic, Raising a Rock-Star Reader: 75 Quick Tips for Helping Your Child Develop a Lifelong Love for Reading in 2015.

Married to an elementary school principal, Amy resides in the DC Metro with her three crazy-cool kids (12, 11, and 9 years old), a dog, two birds, and a kingdom of sea monkeys.

Whole Group Token Board for Teaching BTS Procedures

Today I'm sharing how I use a "Whole Group Token Board" to teach beginning of the year procedures in my classroom.

I start with this simple template. Each sheet is set up for 5 students, so I have printed two sheets and taped them together for 10 students. There is even a third one taped that you can't see for when I had 12 students one year. I hang this on the wall where I do whole group instruction. 

I place their pictures down the left side as shown. These are their Life Touch school photos that I obtain from the office every year. They come in so handy! Check to see if your office has them for your students. Most offices get them to use in Cumulative folders and such, but my office doesn't use them, so works for me! 

I keep a basket full of tokens by the token board. These were so easy to make. I just placed smiley face stickers on copies of the token board itself, laminated, and cut them out. I'm always getting these stickers free in the mail from Highlights. 

So how do I use it? I use it all throughout the day to reinforce students for following beginning of the year procedures, and for as long as necessary. 

Here are some examples. So I've taught the rules and procedures. We've reviewed the procedures and practiced the procedures. Now it's time to start catching them following the procedures on their own.

Teacher: 
"I love how you stayed in your seat and raised your hand, Jo." Give a token. 

"I really like the way you cleaned up your class materials, _____." Give a token.

"I love how you pushed in your chair when you stood up." Give a token. 

I may even give multiple tokens at the same time.

"I love how Dan, Jo, Sue, and Lily are all following directions." Give all 4 a token.

"I like the way everyone lined up without talking." Give whole class a token. 

It's very effective because once other students see a student receive a token, it becomes contagious and they want to try to earn a token too. 

Once a student has earned 5 tokens, I may decrease this number for more disruptive students, they choose a reinforcer of their choice. No time is spent pre-determining this. They choose once it is earned. It might range from a hershey kiss to 7-8 minutes on iPad. I'm not really worried about them missing out on too much classroom instruction at this time, as my main focus is teaching the rules and procedures these first few weeks. 

Generally, my students are following the rules/procedures appropriately within 2-3 weeks, and especially since most of my students were with me the previous year. So, I am able to fade it within a month or so. But in some cases I'll continue to use it for whole group lessons throughout the year to keep students engaged and following along, or to remind them of the rules and procedures. 

You can get an updated version of the token board template for free here. It now includes 7 students to a page and the tokens. 

Have a great year and don't forget to practice those rules and procedures! :)

Data Collection Simplified!

Today I'm here to talk about how I've simplified and found the perfect academic and IEP goal data collection system for my classroom. Data collection! Such a struggle right? We're always looking for ways to simplify it and make it doable! We try this and we try that. It always seems unmanageable! 

Well last summer I perfected my academic/IEP data collection system and I can finally cross it off my to-do list for GOOD!! My year ran so smoothly with this system last year and my data was so thorough, timely, and organized. 

I started with a 2 1/2 inch binder! I kept all of my students' academic/IEP goal data in this one binder. If you're wondering, I separate behavior. My students with behavioral goals have separate behavior binders, as there is so much more data involved for behavior. This post strictly focuses on academic data collection. 

Here's a peek at the inside of the binder. 

I love these pocket dividers! They are vinyl and very durable. I labeled a pocket divider for each of my students. I label them in pencil so that I can easily reuse them year after year!

I use the pockets to store their test items and work samples for easy access! Everything else is 3-hole punched and placed behind their pocket. I use AIMS web to progress monitor my students academic goals whenever possible. They have so many progress monitoring tools available that even my lowest students working on letter recognition and basic number recognition can be progress monitored and assessed with AIMS Web. It's easy and reports and graphs are so easy to print! Fortunately, my district provides AIMS Web. It is largely used across the states by numerous school districts for progress monitoring and accountability; however it seems few special education teachers use it. If your district has it, I highly recommend using it. If your school doesn't use AIMS Web, they may use DIBELS. This program is very similar to AIMS Web. Either way, check to see what your school uses and take advantage of it.

Here's a peek behind a student's pocket. Each student's may look differently depending on what skills they are working on.   

This is the first page for every student. I always include a blank sheet of paper as the first page. This is where I put notes of things I see they need to work on, or where I can quickly jot down those ah-ha moments that hit me about that student!

This is the second sheet in the binder for students being monitored using AIMS Web. This student has a goal of reading CVC words, so I am progress monitoring her on NWF (Nonsense Word Fluency) and ORF (Oral Reading Fluency). 

AIMS Web also offers basic math computation assessments. This is a 5th grader that I was assessing using first grade probes. She mastered 1st grade and then moved on to 2nd grade.

I love that it provides a running record that is easy to view progress. My students also have open access to this binder so that they can see their scores. They look at their scores before each assessment and try to beat their score!!! Each time they do we make a big deal of it! We shout it out in the class and everyone applause's. I give my student a little something for increasing, like a hershey kiss or a starburst. 

I print the reports I need each quarter or prior to an IEP meeting or conference, 3-hole punch them and stick them in the binder. 

My students that can read also have this assessment behind their tab. This is the San Diego Quick Reading Assessment. I love this reading assessment. It can be administered in less than 5 minutes and is SOOOO accurate in assessing a student's reading level. You can access it here.

For readers, the third page is always this. This is my phonics quick screener. It clearly identifies what level students are at in their phonics skills, where they need remediation at, and where lessons should start. You can get the phonics screener here.  

It also includes their Fry's Word List Recording Sheet, as we practice these daily. You can see our Fry's Word Lists and get access to this sheet here. 

Some students will have different sheets, such as this student that is working on play skills.

Here are the sheets I use to track IEP goals in my classroom that I can't use AIMS Web for. I like to track goals using trials when the goal allows for it, as it is much easier to track. Some goals require a percentage criteria. You can still use this sheet to track those goals. So for example, if a student got 6 out of 10, that would be a 60% achievement. For students that have a mastery criteria of 5 trials, I use a sheet with only 5 trials listed. The goal tracking sheets allow for 6 goals so you can keep each student's goals on one page for simple organization. I rarely have a student with more than 6 goals. I typically stick with one goal for each area. This keeps it manageable.

So when do I fit all of this in!? Simple! I collect academic/IEP goal data every Friday, but each student is every other week. So for example, I'll do half of my students this Friday, then the other half the next Friday.

I decided to stop wasting my time trying to collect IEP goal data daily or every few days. Let's face it, most of our students do not make progress at that rapid of a pace. So in order to see growth for my students and simplify my data collection system, I assess (progress monitor) my students every two weeks. One of our classroom centers is "Teacher Table" where I do direct, explicit teaching Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, "Teacher Table" is cancelled and I call students back one at a time to do my assessing. Rather than my students coming to their "Teacher Table" center on Friday, they go on iPads or computers during this center while I assess.

My school is on a quarter system, so there are approximately 9 weeks in a quarter. So if I assess my students every two weeks, for example, on week 2, week 4, week 6, and week 8, this allows me to have a good amount of data by the end of each quarter. 

Lastly, I can't forget the front of the binder. In the front of my binder I keep my benchmark targets, norm charts, standards, etc. in sheet protectors so I can easily refer to them when I need them. 

And that's it! My data system simplified! One binder, some pocket tabs, a few simple recording sheets, and you too can simplify and organize your data to make it manageable. I'm at school to work with kids, not take data all day! Stop letting your data consume you and take the fun out of teaching! Remember you don't have to take data every.single.day and on every.single.thing!!

Grab the student progress monitoring and goal tracking sheets here for free and start simplifying your system!

If you're in need of more support on simplifying and managing behavioral data, check out this post.

Stop back tomorrow for some SPEDtacular Freebies!

Special Education Lesson Plans

I always have sped teachers asking, "Can you share your lesson plans?" "What do your lesson plans look like?" So I thought I'd share mine with you today. 

I love my lesson plan template! Don't get me wrong...it took much trial and error, as isn't that the story of teaching, but this template has worked perfectly for me and my staff over the last couple of years! 

The Daily Overview
This is the first page of my weekly lesson plans. I think the daily overview is important! It gives you a quick glimpse of what's happening and gives anyone viewing the plans an overview of what everyone is doing at all times every day. It allows my aides to see exactly where they are expected to be. Even more importantly, if you put in a request for assistance for a 1:1 aide or such, or a student on campus needs more support, you will most likely be asked for documentation of how your aides are currently being used. This is your documentation! Being able to account for every minute of your aide's day is important in many ways. 

Here is a copy of what my weekly lesson plans look like as a whole, and then I will elaborate on each section. 

 

Now to elaborate on each section.
I always like to start the day with an independent activity. This gives me a chance to do attendance and wrap up anything else! My students come in each morning, remove their homework, agenda, and take-home daily logs from their backpacks. They place these 3 items in the appropriate trays, hang their backpacks up on their assigned hook, grab their morning work folder from their bin, and go to their assigned seat. My aides and I assist with their morning work as needed and check their morning work. 

Then we begin our Morning Meeting with a "Daily Fun Fact." I have the Fun Fact displayed on the Smartboard each morning they arrive. My students LOVE our Daily Fun Fact, but they have to complete their morning work first, so this entices them to get it done! 

 Daily Fun Facts 

After our Daily Fun Fact, is Morning Meeting where we review calendar, weather, money, time, place value, etc. But first, and just started this year, we do "crossing the mid-line" exercises. You can learn more here. 

Next, we break off into our math rotations.

This is my center rotation chart from last year. As you can see, I have four groups, four rotations, and groups are color coded and coordinate with their center activities. Since there are only 3 of us (adults) and four centers, my fourth center is always an independent center. During math centers, the independent center is computers/iPads and for my reading centers, the independent center is independent reading. My non-readers still love looking at the picture books. You can find more details about how my centers run, here. 

My lesson plans show what each aide and myself are doing with each group and what materials we need. I place these materials in color-coded baskets that correspond with the colors on the plans and that also corresponds with the color assigned to each group. 

This is the lesson plan for my center.

This is the lesson plan for my two aides. Aide 1 works the "At Your Seat" center, which is IEP Tubs. You can read more about my IEP Tubs here. Aide 2 works the "Number Work Center."


At 10:55 Math centers end and the whole class goes on computer. Luckily I have enough computers for each student. If you do not, maybe you have iPads and can distribute iPads to student that you don't have a computer for. I must mention to alleviate any confusion...I co-team with the Resource Room teacher for centers. So the students that have an asterick* by their name are his students and leave at this time. That leaves me with 5 students. 

At 11:30, we go to lunch. I don't like missing lunch with my students, but I also need a lunch too. So I overlap our lunches, which allows me to spend 1/2 of their lunch with them. So to get a bigger picture, it looks like this:

Students' lunch- 11:30-12:00
Aide 1- 11:15-11:45
My lunch- 11:45-12:15
Aide 2- 12:15-12:45

This gives me the opportunity to just visit with them and to observe them during this unstructured time. I don't like missing anything. I want to see how their eating, if they're opening their own packages, if they're chewing with their mouths closed, etc. Some of my students may have eating goals, so I want to be able to monitor those goals. Overlapping the lunches allows me to do that.

After lunch, one of my aides does a read aloud with my students, and one GoNoodle song, not reflected in plans. Then, we begin reading rotations. My lesson plan layout is pretty much the same as the math rotations. However, due to two resource room students moving away, I eliminated the yellow group from this block.

After reading rotations (resource students leave), we have whole group instruction again, and specials. Whole group is when we do life skills activities and where I incorporate science, social studies, health, and crafts. We always begin with a fluency fitness warm-up from "Tickled Pink in Primary." Her fluency fitness resources are amazing and my kids LOVE them!

At 2:05, my students do their classroom jobs and stack their chair, IF they don't have any missing work from the day! If they don't have any missing work, it is free choice and social time for them! When students misbehave and/or refuse to do their work during the day, I never negotiate with them, I simply say, "No problem," and go obviously drop it in the missing work tub. I would say 7/10 times, they decide to do it.

After social time, they go to specials. Once they return from specials, we line up for the bus.

Of course this schedule my change year to year depending upon times of specials and lunch times, but this is the jist of my lesson plan layout and how our day runs. I am lucky to have had specials at the end of the day the last two years. I really like specials being at the end for my students. If you're wondering, I am now teaching students in grades 3-5, rather than 1-5, so I split it in the middle and send my students to fourth grade specials. My students that are capable of attending specials without an aide, go with their grade level. 

And that's my lesson plans! 
I hope you'll be able to use some of these ideas to simplify your lesson planning. :) 

UPDATE: Due to an overwhelming interest in an editable copy of my template, I have added the link here.

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