Timetables- how to fit it all in!

This week I've felt really bogged down by the things that need to be done/ taught and the realisation of the fact that there's only three weeks of school left for the year. I then began reflecting on the past six years and how I have timetabled and prioritised things in past. I also thought about how my own teaching practices have evolved over the years… and how I've been influenced by amazing mentors and colleagues. I've also been introduced to many new programs/ pedagogies and these have helped to shape my programming.

So I thought that today I would share with you some of my past timetables and how they have evolved over the years... as well as some thoughts on where I'd like to go next (because let's face it... I'm still not getting through everything!)

OK so lets start at the foundation... how much time should we allocate to each subject (KLA)?

Now I teach in NSW so I will begin with looking at what BOSTES states, however, I will then share the National Curriculum expectations for those teaching in other parts of Australia. If you're not currently teaching in an Australian school, please feel free to check out our standards and then compare them with your own- they may be similar?

BOSTES (NSW)

Taken from: k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

I really like this pie graph as it clearly states how much of your teaching should be dedicated to each KLA (Key Learning Area).

If the school week is made up of 25 teaching hours you would need to spend the following amount of hours of each subject:

English: 7.5 hours (at 30%) or 8 hours rounded up
Mathematics: 5 hours (at 20%)
Science and Technology: 2.5 hours (at 10%)
HSIE (History & Geo): 2.5 hours (at 10%)
PD/H/PE: 2.5 hours (at 10%)
CAPA: 2.5 hours (at 10%)

And that would leave 2.5 hours (maximum) for Assemblies, Library, Languages, Scripture, and extra sport opportunities. 

I like to leave the morning block for English and then teach an hour of Mathematics after recess each day. However, this isn't always possible due to RFF and other school-wide commitments.

Australian Curriculum (ACARA)

Taken from: qcaa.qld.edu.au

This table was taken from the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority website. It explains how much time should be spent on each subject over the whole year.

I like how they have set time aside for languages. I also like how they have broken HSIE down as well as Technologies. However, I would like to know how this would look over a typical week!

Here are a some of my timetables, starting with my first year of teaching right through to the year I left to go on Maternity Leave. Please note that I haven't included this current year as I am Job Sharing and only work two days.

2011 - Year 6 Timetable

2012 - Year 6 Timetable

2013 - Year 6 Timetable

2014 - Year 5 Timetable

2015 - Year 6 Timetable

As the years went on I began including the Quality Teaching Framework at the bottom of my timetable. I also included little iPad icons to indicate when my class had access to the devices. Finally, I tried to ensure that I kept my KLA time allocations as close to the guidelines as possible.

I feel this is a nice representation of how my teaching has evolved over the years. I'm particularly happy with how I structured my time table in 2014. It was a little more comprehensive than the rest. You can clearly see where I would conduct my pre-tests and post-tests for the week. I even stated whether my lessons were modelled, guided or independent. The different KLA's were colour-coded, which added to the comprehensiveness. 

Where to next?

I would like my timetable for 2017 to include time for goal setting. I'd also like it to include the different programs/ pedagogies that shape the lessons, so that it can be clearly seen where it all fits in. For example, where and when I will teach TOWN… is it attached to a Maths lesson or is it separate? 

I would love for it to be digital with a hyperlink to the current teaching program. I will make sure that I continue to use the iPad icon, like I used previously. And finally, I want to ensure that I am sticking to the KLA time allocations set out by BOSTES. If possible, I would like to spend a little more time on English and Mathematics.