by Mr. Awais Mehmood
The secret to sustainability isn’t working harder; it’s working with a strategy. Here is the step-by-step workflow to batch-plan your entire week in under two hours, leaving you time to actually enjoy your weekend.
The “Skeleton” Strategy (20 Minutes)
Before you look for a single worksheet or slide deck, you need to know where you are going. Most teachers waste time getting stuck in the weeds of “Monday morning” before knowing what “Friday afternoon” looks like.
The Action Plan:
Start at the Finish Line: What is the one specific skill students need to have mastered by Friday?
Map the Middle: Work backward. If they need to write an essay on Friday, Thursday is for outlining, Wednesday is for thesis statements, Tuesday is for evidence gathering, and Monday is for the intro to the topic.
Write the Objectives: Fill in your planner with just the learning objective for each day. Do not look for resources yet.
A Mentor, Not Just a Teacher
Not Just a Teacher When a tutor works with a student consistently, they build a relationship. They learn what motivates the child, what their hobbies are, and how their mind works. This connection allows the tutor to become a mentor who can connect abstract concepts to the student’s real-world interests, making learning more meaningful and enjoyable.
Pro Tip: If you can’t state the objective in one sentence, the lesson is too complicated. Simplify it.
The “Sandwich” Method (30 Minutes)
Decision fatigue is the enemy of speed. If you are trying to invent a new structure for every single class period, you will be planning forever. Instead, use the Sandwich Method.
- The Top Bun (The Routine): The first 10 minutes of class should always be the same. A bell ringer, a vocabulary review, or silent reading. You don’t need to plan this; you just need to slot it in.
- The Meat (The Instruction): This is the 15–20 minutes where you actually teach.
- The Bottom Bun (The Output): An exit ticket or a quick summary activity. Again, keep the format consistent.
Why this works: You only have to plan the “Meat” (the middle 20 minutes). The “Buns” are automatic.
The Resource Hunt (60 Minutes)
This is the danger zone. This is where you fall into the “Teachers Pay Teachers” rabbit hole and lose three hours.
The Rules of Engagement:
Set a Timer: Give yourself 15 minutes per lesson slot. If you can’t find a resource in 15 minutes, you must create a simple one or use the textbook.
Theme Your Days: To speed this up, assign themes to days of the week so you don’t have to decide “what kind” of activity to do.
Set a Timer: Give yourself 15 minutes per lesson slot. If you can’t find a resource in 15 minutes, you must create a simple one or use the textbook.
Theme Your Days: To speed this up, assign themes to days of the week so you don’t have to decide “what kind” of activity to do.
- Model Monday (Direct Instruction)
- Teamwork Tuesday (Group work)
- Writing Wednesday (Silent work)
- Tech Thursday (Gamified learning)
- Feedback Friday (Quiz/Review)
Recycle: Did you teach a similar concept in October? Reuse that graphic organizer. Change the title. Done.
The “Flex” Buffer (10 Minutes)
The unexpected happens. A fire drill, a surprise assembly, or a concept that students just didn’t get.
The Strategy: Leave Friday (or your last lesson of the week) 50% empty. Plan a “Catch Up/Review” day. If you are behind, use this time to finish the week’s content. If you are on schedule, use a pre-planned “Evergreen Activity” (like a vocab game or current event discussion) that you keep in your back pocket.
The Mindset Shift: 80% is an A+
The difference between a “perfect” lesson that takes 4 hours to plan and a “solid” lesson that takes 20 minutes to plan is usually negligible in terms of student learning.
Your energy is your most valuable resource. Students learn better from a teacher who is rested and happy than from a teacher who is exhausted but has a beautifully laminated set of flashcards.
Close the tabs. Trust your gut. You’ve got this.