Pacing for Proficiency


A lot of new teachers ask how they should pace their curriculum in order to get through all the required learning while actually making learning happen. This kind of knowledge often comes from years of experience, and until then, it's normal to edit and revise your curriculum until you get it just right. 

In order to make it easier for you though, I broke my curriculum down into a few simple schedules that you can make your own! See below.

Note: Every teacher has their own style, so while these work well for me, don't stress if they don't work for you!


Scheduling Out the Year

Organizing a Unit

  • 1-2 days - Basic Lesson, Class Activities, Short Assignment
  • 2-4 days - Intermediate Lessons, Group Activities, Shared Assignment
  • 1-2 days - Advanced Lesson, Class Competition, In-Depth Assignment
  • 1-2 days - Extended Class Review, Assessment

Breaking Up the Period

Laying Out a Lesson

  • 5 min - Prior Knowledge
  • 5 min - Instruction/Modeling
  • 10 min - Guided Practice
  • 10-20 min - Independent Practice (Assignment)
As you can see, I usually have my year planned out far in advance, and, though it's taken me over a decade, I've whittled and polished it into something that works well for my students and I. I hope it helps you at least a little in your planning this year!

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