Streamline Your EL Education Prep
- sunandbroccoli
- Dec 31, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 6, 2024
Did your district just implement EL Education? Are you completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of manuals - and really concerned by the complete lack of usable materials? I can help! I have BEEN THERE!
We implemented EL mid pandemic, when we were already recovering from the intense workload of remote and synchronous teaching. I immediately turned to Google and to TPT and to Pinterest. And at the time, found almost nothing!
I spent SO MANY hours that first year sorting through manuals, creating materials, making slideshows, and just trying to survive. Teacher, if you are struggling. I feel you!
Here are some tips to help you survive your first year of implementation of EL, or any other prep heavy curriculum!
Prioritize and plan: Start by breaking down the new curriculum into manageable tasks and prioritize them based on importance and urgency. Make a schedule or a to-do list to help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the workload.
Even this can be a LOT your first year, especially with EL. We tried to work Module by Module, then moved to Unit by Unit because there was just SO much. We constantly felt like we were treading water.
Give yourself some grace this year. It's going to be a little bit of a mess! Be sure to keep detailed notes for next year. Write down what worked and what didn't. Things to change, things you loved, extension ideas, consolidation ideas, and more!
Collaborate with colleagues: Reach out to other teachers in your school who are also implementing the new curriculum. Share resources, ideas, and strategies to help each other. Collaborating with others can help you feel less isolated and can provide valuable support and guidance as you navigate the new curriculum. You might want to divide and conquer with your team.
When we implemented EL, I created slides. One teammate prepped all the student materials for modules, another prepped all Skills Materials. I tend to prefer to work alone (teaching has taught me I'm a teeny bit type A), but when you are implementing a new curriculum, you NEED to work together!
Get organized: Make sure your classroom is organized and that you have the materials and resources you need to teach the new curriculum effectively. This will help you save time and reduce stress as you won’t be wasting time searching for resources or materials in the middle of a lesson. This is easier said than done! We are headed into year 4 of implementation and I have already reworked my organizational system more than once. Stick with one system for a year, and then tweak if needed! Our 1st year of EL I had a separate plastic pouch for every module lesson. Everything I needed, including the lesson was in the pouch. We have manuals, but lesson materials can be spread between 2-3 different manuals! This allowed me to grab and go.
I found I had several empty pouches, AND it took up a lot of space. This year I am streamlining. One pouch per unit for student materials, one for anchor charts, one for lesson notes. For skills, I was reluctant to organize by cycle. My brain was stuck on organizing by phonics skill. This year I caved and I'm shifting to organizing by cycle. So I have one hanging file folder in my cabinet for each cycle. In this folder I put decodables, whole group worksheets, any materials for teaching the cycle, parent letters, etc. I also have a plastic pouch for each cycle. This is my small group pouch. I have cycle related small group materials in here. I can grab it, make copies, and be ready to teach small group, no matter the cycle.
Use technology to your advantage: There are many technology tools and resources available that can help make your life easier as you implement your new curriculum. Use tools such as Google Classroom, Edmodo, or Kahoot! to streamline your lesson planning, assessment, and communication with students and parents.
I rely heavily on slides to guide my lessons. I can review them the week before, make any changes I need, then I pull my folder or pouch from my cabinet, pull up my slides, and I'm good to go! Investing the time in making slides, or investing the money in purchasing them can be a total life saver for a new curriculum! Over time you may find you don't need them as much to guide your lesson, but that first year or two they are so invaluable!
Take care of yourself: Don’t forget to take care of yourself! Implementing a new curriculum can be demanding, so make sure you are taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Take breaks, exercise regularly, and seek support from family and friends when needed. I won't lie, my first year implementing our new curriculum was HARD. I cried. A lot. I constantly felt like my head was barely above water. I felt like I was failing myself, and my students. Taking the time to LET GO is so important. Take a step back, do what you can, make notes for next year, and move on!
Above all, remember, you are a skilled teacher. Curriculum implementation can be hard, but you know what to do for your students! If you are like me, you might want to have it all done, and perfect, right away. You can't. You just can't. And will burn yourself out trying (trust me!) Do what you can, and save the rest for later. You've got this!
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