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a ready-to-run workshopManaging Multiple Preps
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Managing Multiple Preps (Workshop)

Many new teachers are handed several different courses to teach, each needing its own planning, three, four, or more preps. Managing multiple preps without drowning takes deliberate strategy: prioritizing, reusing and adapting, and accepting that not everything can be perfect.

Key takeaway

Many new teachers juggle several different courses, each needing its own planning; managing multiple preps without drowning takes strategy: prioritizing, reusing and adapting, and accepting not everything can be perfect.

Format
PLC / mentor session
Length
45 minutes
Group size
Any (works 1-40)
Who can run it
A mentor or new teacher
You will need
Slides (5)Printed handoutYour preps in mindA timer
Aligned to
Learning Forward: Learning CommunitiesInTASC 7: PlanningNew-teacher workload guidance
Share / assign

Why it works

New teachers are often assigned multiple preps (several distinct courses), each requiring separate planning, which multiplies the workload and can be overwhelming. Managing it sustainably takes deliberate strategy: prioritizing where to invest your limited time (the courses or units that need it most), reusing and adapting existing materials rather than building everything from scratch, finding and leaning on curriculum and colleagues, batching and systematizing planning, and accepting that not every lesson for every prep can be perfect, good-enough across several is better than perfect in one and neglected in the others. The goal is sustainable planning across all preps, not exhaustion.

The research: New-teacher workload and planning guidance.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

    The core activity: plan sustainably across preps

    New teachers leave with a sustainable multiple-preps strategy.

    Sustainable across all preps, not perfect in oneMultiple preps multiply the work. Prioritize your time, reuse and adapt, batch your planning, and accept good-enough across all, sustainable beats exhausted.

    Facilitator notes

    Trying to perfect every prep leads straight to burnoutBuilding every lesson for every prep from scratch is unsustainable. Prioritize, reuse and adapt, and accept good-enough across all preps.

    Adapt it

    Participant handout

    One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

    K12 Academics · Professional Learning

    Managing Multiple Preps: sustainable planning

    <b>Don't drown:</b> prioritize your time, reuse and adapt, batch planning, and accept good-enough across all preps.

    1. My preps and where my limited time matters most:
    2. The existing curriculum and materials I will reuse and adapt:
    3. How I will batch and systematize planning:
    4. Where I will accept good-enough:
    5. A prep-management change to make this week:

    Make it stick

    Sustainable planning:

    Common questions

    I have four different preps, how do I survive?
    With strategy: prioritize where your time matters most, reuse and adapt existing materials, lean on curriculum and colleagues, batch your planning, and accept good-enough across all preps rather than perfect in one. Sustainable beats exhausted.
    Should every prep get equal attention?
    No, prioritize. Some courses or units need more investment; others can run on adapted or existing materials. Spread your limited time deliberately, not evenly by default.
    Isn't reusing materials lazy?
    Not at all, it is smart. Build from existing curriculum and shared materials, adapt rather than recreate, and save your energy for where it matters most. No one builds every prep from scratch.

    Go deeper

    Build it into a bigger day

    Workshop
    Managing Your Workload
    Workshop
    Lesson Planning Basics
    Workshop
    New Teacher: Systems & Organization