What are the advantages and disadvantages of an annual plan? Why start with resources in designing units?

To be successful in any endeavor, first and foremost, there must be a plan in place. An annual plan provides structure for instructional goals that are aligned to content areas an effective teacher aims to accomplish during the school year. An annual plan, in essence, is the framework that will guide instruction through out the school year. Through a broad but comprehensive plan for the year, the teacher establishes a basic blue print for subject contents that are to be covered in all disciplines for the entire school year. In addition to being a guideline for content, it also serves as a timeline for teaching different subject matters. Without an annual plan, teacher would be operating in the dark and in constant chaos. It is hard enough to provide engaging and meaningful lessons for students, without a well thought through plan to follow, effective teaching will be severely compromised.

The greatest drawback to an annual plan is the time it will take to put together a well organized and comprehensive plan that will encompass a full and broad curriculum. Even though the time necessary to develop an annual plan may be considerable, in the long run, it will be time well spent.

How can any one start a task or project without knowing what resources are needed or available? It would be akin to start baking a cake without first checking if all the necessary ingredients are available and on hand. When planning a unit, unless resources are readily available and accessible, the efforts that go into the planning process would be wasted. Resources are key components to any lesson. They are the means to provide interest, meaning, and backup for appealing lessons that students will want to be engaged in.