• Home
  • Read My Blog
  • Shop My TpT Store

Sarah Plum

K-5 Resources for Diverse Classrooms

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Running a Classroom
    • Decor & Themes
    • Organization
    • Character Education
    • Communication
    • Family Engagement
  • Content Areas
    • Mathematics
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Social Studies
    • Science
  • Student Populations
    • English Language Learners (ELLs)
    • Gifted & Talented
    • Special Education
    • Title I
  • Grade Levels
    • 2nd Grade
    • 3rd Grade
  • Technology
    • Tech for Teachers
    • Tech for Students
    • Tech for Parents
  • Everything Else
    • Professional Development
    • Teaching Philosophy
    • Editorials
  • Product Catalog
You are here: Home / Other / Monday Made It – Done like a Thanksgiving Turkey!

Monday Made It – Done like a Thanksgiving Turkey!

July 21, 2014 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 55 Comments

Can you believe it? I’m actually posting a Monday Made It — on a Monday. Even while teaching summer school. I’d be in disbelief right along with you if it weren’t for the lower back pain screaming at me, “you sat WAY too long to make that darn planner!”
Let’s rewind, shall we? The summer before I started my rookie year (um, stop the world — that was 2012!) I endeavored to make a teacher planner I wanted to use. So I did. And I’m kind of embarassed, in retrospect, because um… no. It was not the best. But it worked! And I liked it, and so did other people that graciously purchased it from TpT.
No. Just no.
Last year, I updated it. Changed the fonts, made it more clean, and of course reflected the change in calendar year. Previous buyers got the update and they loved it! Wahoo. Right?
Better, but still. No.
You see, I’m an eternal perfectionist. I just cannot let something go if it’s not the best if can possibly be. This is a problem in relation to all things TpT. This is why I tend not to just throw my units up there mid-year — I can’t give them the necessary Sarah-love to get them up to my standards while spinning plates!
But it’s summer. And that means I have plenty (relatively speaking) of time to perfect, perfect, perfect.
Which gives you this:
Ahhhhh. Nice, fresh look. Clean fonts. Rainbow brights that aren’t too bright. Functional layouts. And oh yeah, 300+ pages not counting the editable PowerPoints. Yeah. I went there.

See, I can’t just have a planner with a calendar. That doesn’t work for me. I have a “book.” It’s got my calendar, my weekly overviews, my planning pages, and all of my student information, gradebooks, etc. This is my teacher bible, if you will. {Excuse the poor camera work that’s about to follow. I was trying not to wake a certain sleeping mister who fell asleep on the couch, so no light for me!}

   
It’s in a regular binder so that I can easily add, delete, or move pages as-needed. Like, you know, when white-out just won’t do and December needs to be reprinted. (Can anyone relate?) I have it divided into  four sections: calendar, planning, important information, and data.
  
I probably utilize the information section even more than the calendar or planning, because it’s where I house my contact log for the very important school-to-home connection. It holds me accountable in making contact with my students and their families, and serves as an important piece of data if a child needs behavioral interventions.

And my very favorite piece of the planner is my student information page. I had a rougher version of this that I used last year and it was SO vital, especially when we began sharing students as a team for language arts. My teammates were able to photocopy this page and immediately have a snapshot of the student — from their demographics, to their likes, to other siblings at school.
All in all, this is really a Monday-through-Friday-for-three-weeks Made It. It’s been a labor of love and I am so proud to use it next year, and that I’m also able to share it with all of you. It’s on sale at TpT through this evening (20% off); you can check out some images of what else is included below:

If you’ve made it this far, I’m giving away this planner and a product of your choice from my TpT store! Enter using the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to share this?

  • Tweet

Related

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Getting Organized, Monday Made It, NOT Your Average Teacher Planner, Shop 'Til You Drop, Teachers Pay Teachers

Comments

  1. primary practice says

    July 21, 2014 at 6:09 am

    Love this, Sarah! Those colors and fonts, and so many pages to organize teacher-life! I am not on fb, so I can only leave my email. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 21, 2014 at 6:39 am

      Thank you for your kind words! Silly me forgot to uncheck the "mandatory" box on Rafflecopter. πŸ™‚ You can enter the giveaway now!

      Reply
  2. Creativity to the Core says

    July 21, 2014 at 11:33 am

    I've been looking at this planner on IG! It's beautiful! I almost wish I hadn't bought the one I already have…although I love it…yours is SO colorful. Great job on that. I know that must have taken some long hours of hard work. It is definitely worth it!

    Meredith
    Creativity to the Core

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:45 am

      It definitely took MANY hours of hard work — thank you for your kind words, Meredith!

      Reply
  3. Lori Sanford says

    July 21, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    Your planner is so cute!!!! I love all of the space in it! It's perfect!
    Lori
    Mixing it up in Middle

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:46 am

      That was one of my goals — to not have it be too cumbersome with graphics, etc. while still being sleek and easy-on-the eyes. I'm glad you love it!

      Reply
  4. Gina Peters says

    July 21, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    Wow! This is adorable! Perfect and all inclusive! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:46 am

      Thank you, Gina! It was an undertaking to get there!

      Reply
  5. Judy B. says

    July 21, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    Great planner packet! Love the colors and practicality!

    Reply
  6. Sarah Koves says

    July 21, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    Anything rainbow is fine by me. I love this planner set!

    Kovescence of the Mind

    Reply
  7. Ashley Richardson says

    July 21, 2014 at 1:43 pm

    I'm currently trying to make my own planner and it's all about the colors. Designs are cool but they are nothing without the right colors.

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:47 am

      I completely agree — the color scheme is EVERYTHING!

      Reply
  8. Shannon says

    July 21, 2014 at 2:06 pm

    I love it! It looks like you've literally thought of everything! Love the colors and the details. My favorite part of my planner is the colors-it's bright, to match my classroom and just makes me happy. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  9. The Traveling Teacher says

    July 21, 2014 at 3:10 pm

    Your planner looks so crisp, clean, and organized! I love that look. I love being able to edit and type in the boxes on Powerpoint because I hate looking at my handwriting.
    The Traveling Teacher

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:48 am

      Me too — I'm definitely a "type it up" girl!

      Reply
  10. The Four on Board says

    July 21, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    My favorite part of my planner ( well my dream planner ) would be the info sections about students. It would be awesome to have it all in one place!!! girlforgod27@aol.com

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:49 am

      YES. A student information section is just vital for me because student engagement and home-to-school connection is the key to success for my kiddos!

      Reply
  11. Heather says

    July 21, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    My favorite part of the planner is the variety of things included that all teachers need. I love the colors as well.

    ✞Heather
    Swinging Through Second Grade
    swingingthrough2ndgrade@gmail.com

    Reply
  12. Mary Carlson says

    July 21, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    It looks fabulous!

    Reply
  13. Erin R says

    July 21, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    I love the week at a glance page of the personal planner

    Reply
  14. Christina says

    July 21, 2014 at 7:48 pm

    Love the colors and font. Also love your rendition of the contact page!

    Reply
  15. Haley says

    July 21, 2014 at 9:27 pm

    So glad you got this project behind you! I know you are glad to be done! πŸ™‚ It's so cheerful and I love how it came together!

    Haley
    Owls and Lessons, Etc.

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:49 am

      I am SO glad to be finished, Haley — thank you!

      Reply
  16. Amanda Hudacek says

    July 21, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    By far it's the calendar! I love seeing what's coming up and what we've already done!

    Reply
  17. Amy says

    July 21, 2014 at 10:25 pm

    Every year I search for a "perfect" planner and this one looks pretty perfect to me! I like to see a month and a week at a glance. Amy
    amyjperry@gmail.com

    Reply
  18. Rachel says

    July 22, 2014 at 1:26 am

    I think this might be the perfect planner for my first year of teaching. I love that it is fun and colorful but it isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg to buy ink to print it. It seems to be the perfect combination of bright and cheery without being too cutesy! Awesome job!
    Rachel
    raejones1430@gmail.com

    Reply
    • Sarah Plum says

      July 23, 2014 at 2:50 am

      Can you believe how much ink costs? It's INCREDIBLE. I definitely designed it with that in mind — because goodness knows I can't afford an arm and a leg on ink!

      Reply
  19. Amy says

    July 22, 2014 at 2:14 am

    I couldn't survive without a teacher planner! I absolutely love how organized it is! Great job!
    Amy

    Reply
  20. Loni says

    July 22, 2014 at 2:59 am

    Cute! Thank for sharing!

    Reply
  21. scrambledhenfruit says

    July 22, 2014 at 3:18 am

    I need this to keep me organized- It looks great! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  22. Cheryle says

    July 22, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    Cute planner! I love the colors!

    Cheryle
    http://www.as-the-classroom-turns.blogspot.com

    Reply
  23. lovelyday says

    July 22, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    What an adorable planner! I love the entire look, especially the bright colors. This would be a great teacher "bible". Thanks for the opportunity to win it!

    Reply
  24. Jennifer Hees says

    July 22, 2014 at 5:51 pm

    I've never used an all-in-one planner/binder but would really like to try this year! Your system looks great!

    Reply
  25. Tammy Cook says

    July 23, 2014 at 2:11 am

    I have never used a planner like this before! I would love to be the winner! jtjcook@tds.net

    Reply
  26. Roberta Hall says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:03 am

    Planners help me to stay very organized. It is all in one place.

    Reply
  27. Desiree says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:10 am

    My favorite part about my planner is my tabs. I used to love adding in my tabs, making sure each month had a different color. Now my current planner comes with the tabs already set up. It makes it easier to find the months.:) Thanks for the opportunity!

    Reply
  28. Karen F. says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:10 am

    I have used store bought planners but they are not especially teacher friendly…. I would love to win this !!! Exactly what I need!!
    Karen

    Reply
  29. Jennifer Weberman says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:11 am

    (oh my goodness, my whole comment just deleted!) I LOVE the looks of this planner, especially the week at a glance which would be so helpful to get and stay organized. As a fellow second year second grade teacher (and mom), I am both amazed and inspired that you find the time to be a mom and teach and blog and create wonderful products! Thank you!

    Reply
  30. Britany Presly says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:11 am

    I am by nature a very disorganized person, my planner helps me to keep track of school, family, and social events. I take my planner EVERYWHERE!!

    Reply
  31. hsease says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:12 am

    My favorite part is the schedule page! Love having a schedule!!

    Reply
  32. Carly Kaczmarek says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:13 am

    I love being able to put it in a binder so you can add or take out what you need or don't need. I also love being able to make it my own! carly.kaczmarek@gmail.com

    Reply
  33. Melanie Arizmendi says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:14 am

    I love that my planner helps me stay organized and reminds me of important dates I add that I tend to forget at times ;). Thanks for this chance!

    Reply
  34. Cassandra Johnson says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:16 am

    Your planner is adorable! I love all the eye catching bright colors πŸ™‚ I love using my planner because I have everything at my fingertips- lesson plans, calendars, meeting notes, etc.

    Reply
  35. Anonymous says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:17 am

    I like you system and the fact that it is a binder makes it all the better. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  36. Becky Fraser says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:18 am

    My favorite part is that everything is together in one binder – calendar, plans, student info, etc. Yours looks awesome and would help me be organized!

    Reply
  37. Colin McCormick says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:24 am

    Would love it all!

    Reply
  38. joyfulee24 says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:25 am

    I like that everything is in one place and that its made for what I need!

    Reply
  39. Teach2Love says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:34 am

    This looks like an amazing planner to win! πŸ™‚ My favorite part of my personal planner is the weekly quote! ~Shannon

    Reply
  40. Jen says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:39 am

    This planner looks amazing. Everything flows perfectly!

    Reply
  41. Anonymous says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:41 am

    I would love to win this.

    Reply
  42. Caryn Cuadra says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:48 am

    My favorite part of my personal planner is having everything I need at my fingertips! Having said that, it would be even better in such a colorful and bright version. Thank you for the opportunity to win this!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  43. Leslie Goldhardt says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:49 am

    This is terrific, Sarah! Well done, my dear! πŸ™‚
    Fashionable in First

    Reply
  44. Meghan Little says

    July 23, 2014 at 3:59 am

    This looks AMAZING! My favorite part of my personal planner is just the fact that everything is in one place. I don't need to go through a billion files to find what I am looking for. I would really benefit from having your product and wish you well on this upcoming school year. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  45. Anonymous says

    July 24, 2014 at 1:43 am

    Do we know who won?

    Reply
  46. Kate says

    July 29, 2014 at 3:17 am

    I am sad that I missed out on the raffle…broke until payday after next so this will have to go on the wishlist in the meanwhile. Great job!
    *Kate*
    Windows Into My Classroom

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About the Author

Sarah Plum(itallo) is a teacher of emerging multilinguals and 21st Century Grant coordinator in Virginia. She writes curriculum for inclusive classrooms and presents professional development on a variety of topics.

Read more about Sarah and her background in education here.

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Copyright © 2025 Β· Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework Β· WordPress Β· Log in