How do I write a teaching plan? For Irish Primary School Teachers

Primary school teachers in Ireland must prepare for their teaching with written plans (recorded preparation). These plans can be handwritten or typed. Most teachers prefer typed plans as they are faster to complete and can be edited each year if they have the same class level again.

How to write a teaching plan will depend on whether you are a student teacher, newly qualified teacher, mainstream teacher, SET teacher or an Autism class teacher! Below you will find some information on the types of plans required in different teaching rolls and how to complete them.

Mainstream Class Teachers

Mainstream class teachers need to have long and short-term plans. A monthly report called the Cuntas Míosúil, which details what work was actually taught also needs to be prepared at the end of month and given to the school principal. The Cuntas Míosúil can be a section that is ticked off or written in on the teacher’s short-term planning. Some schools will have a specific template for planning that they want teachers to use, but in general all plans will have the same headings. I have a cuntas míosúil template here. 

For long term planning, I have a separate article detailing exactly what needs to be included which you can read here. You can also download the blank template that I use for free here, or buy my fully editable sample long term plans for any class level on teachingplans.ie. Long term planning for the 2019 Primary Language Curriculum takes a slightly different format to planning for other subjects. Again, I have fully editable PLC plans for all class levels available here.

For short term planning, NQTs undergoing Droichead/ probation usually complete weekly plans, and fully qualified teachers complete fortnightly plans (although the sections that are included in the plans for both groups are the same). I have a free blank template for short-term planning which you can download here. I include the Cuntas Míosúil as part of my short-term planning. I am currently working on completing sample short term plans that align to my long-term plans for all classes. Have a look under you class level on teachingplans.ie to see what is available so far. Again, I have a slightly different planning template for short term planning for the PLC which I find easier to use and is available here.

If you are an infant teacher, you will also need to complete weekly Aistear planning. I have a free fully editable template available for download here, or fully completed Aistear plans for the year are available here.

Finally, if you have a child in your mainstream class who is experiencing difficulties in any area (academic, behaviour, social skills etc.), you will need to create a Classroom Support Plan. NEPS have a template available for this, and you can also purchase a sample completed plan and guide on how to create a CSP here. Children who attend the SET teacher will also need separate plans, and while the class teacher collaborates with the SET on these plans, the SET is responsible for completing them.

Special Education Teachers and Autism Class Teachers

Long term planning

A SET/ Autism class teacher will need to complete an individual long-term plan for each child on their caseload/ in their class. The same NEPS template that is used for Classroom Support Plans is used for School Support and School Support Plus. I have a comprehensive guide on how to complete long term planning for special ed. teachers, which you can download for free here. I also have sample completed School Support and School Support Plus plans here. Some schools still use an Individual Education Plan (IEP) format for children with a diagnosis. This is acceptable and I have a free IEP template and sample plan available here.

Any child who also receives SNA support will need something called a Personal Pupil Plan (PPP). This is usually completed by the child’s SNA, SET and class teacher. I have a template and sample PPP available here.

Short term planning

SET teachers and Autism class teachers also complete short term planning. I have a short-term SET planning template and sample plan here. A cuntas míosúil is also required. This will either be included as part of the short term planning, or some schools require a separate document such as this. 

EAL Teachers

EAL teachers need to complete long term EAL plans for the children on their caseload using the Up and Away curriculum. The plan will depend on the level of English language proficiency achieved by the child on the Primary School Assessment Kit (PSAK). I have an EAL long term plan that can be edited in minutes to suit children on any level of the PSAK available here.

EAL teachers also need to complete weekly plans. I have short term editable EAL planning for all levels here. 

Student Teachers

Student teachers who are on placement, usually complete lesson plans for each lesson that they teach, along with a weekly scheme detailing the work to be covered in a particular subject that week. The content of the lesson plan is usually very similar to what would be included in a fully qualified teacher’s short-term planning (strand, strand unit, curricular objectives, learning objectives, resources, integration, assessment, and differentiation), although the lesson plan usually would need to have more detail. The exact format and template that the student teacher should use will ordinarily be provided by their college.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below.