Every school is just as unique as the lovely students that fill its classrooms. If your school is considering options for printed student planners, it’s important to optimize their potential by finding your school’s perfect match. Student planners can vary in format, durability, flexibility, and customization.
Here’s what you need to know to makes an informed decision
Durability
Not all printed planners are created equal!
Some are built to stand the test of time while
others, unfortunately, aren’t up for the task.
Planners are often crammed into crowded
backpacks, carried back and forth from place
to place, and written on daily. Student planners are an investment and should be built to last the entire school year.
Student Planners are an investment and should be built to last the entire school year.
Paper Weight
Printed student planners often print on both sides of a page. This makes it imperative to invest in planners with paper thick enough to write on without bleeding through to the other side. Between, stamps, pens, highlighters, and markers, planners will most likely encounter a variety of writing materials! When looking for high-quality paper, a 60lb paper weight with a 0.0048 inch thickness or greater can endure most writing materials without bleeding through.
Laminated Cover
Having a laminated cover is one of the most important aspects of choosing a durable student planner. From messy backpacks to kitchen tables, accidents happen! A planner’s cover is its first line of defense against messes. Investing in planners with laminated covers will help them repel liquids, food, or anything else it may come in contact with.
Binding
The binding of a planner is like its backbone. Without a strong binding, a student planner may not stay intact throughout the year. Before choosing a planner, ensure that its binding it tough and durable. A high-quality, firm plastic is a great choice.
Request a Sample Pack
The only way to absolutely guarantee a planner will have bleed-proof paper and unbreakable binding is by testing it yourself! Most planner companies will offer sample packs for you to see first-hand the quality of their products. Simply email the company and request a sample pack to vet the durability.
Most planner companies will offer sample packs for you to see first-hand the quality of their products. Simply email the company and request a sample pack to vet the durability.
Formatting
Formatting is an important aspect of choosing a
student planner that often dictates how successful it will be as an organizational tool. Think about what a day in the life of your students looks like; How many subjects are they balancing? How many assignments do they receive? How does their day flow from hour to hour? The formatting of a planner should reflect a student’s daily experience! Here are a few of the ways that plan.
The formatting of a planner should reflect a student’s daily experience!
Daily/Weekly Format
A simple format where the pages are laid out on a weekly basis and each day of the week has its own designated space to take notes.
Monthly Calendars
Monthly calendars are an additional aspect of student planners that are typically paired with one of the formats mentioned above. It’s important to ensure the monthly calendar of the planner you choose can accommodate your unique schedule. Events like district holidays, early release days, conference nights, sporting events, and many more are important staples to have marked in your calendar! Make sure you discuss the monthly calendar options before investing in student planners.
Hourly Format
This may look like a daily format but will have each day divided into hours. This can be beneficial for students balancing several courses that need to compartmentalize assignments throughout their day.
Subject Area Format
A planning format where each day/week is divided into subject areas. This is a helpful format for students who have one teacher but several subjects throughout the day. It’s a great way to scaffold students on organization and balancing their work across subject areas.
Flexibility
Modern planners are so much more than an organizational tool! A flexible planner should be multi-faceted and provide many benefits to both students and teachers! It’s important to survey your school’s needs and make sure you’re making the most out of the planners you choose! Here are a few flexible functions that student planners can offer.
Modern planners are so much more than an organizational tool! A flexible planner should be multi-faceted and provide many benefits to both students and teachers!
Parent Communication
Planners travel back and forth from home to school daily! This makes them the perfect vessel for parents and educators to stay in touch. Some planners can be equipped with parent pages to help optimize communication. Whether its behavior tracking, attendance records, or designated spaces for correspondence, custom student planners can be the perfect hub for communication.
Teaching Aides
Planners can also be the perfect place to house resources and visuals that will aide and elevate lessons. Some examples include stop and go cards, laminated whiteboards, subject area visual supports, and reward tracking pages! These features can be amazing assets that save educators time and money on preparing the resources themselves.
Social Emotional Resources
Student planners are great for providing resources, information, and activities on social emotional learning. Some planners have the option of including resources that help students with relationship skills, self-awareness, responsible decision making, social awareness, and self-management. When taught how to use the resources properly, these supports can have amazing impacts on students both at school and at home.
Student planners are great for providing resources, information, and activities on social emotional learning. Some planners have the option of including resources that help students with relationship skills, self-awareness, responsible decision making, social awareness, and self-management.
Customization
Planners are not a one size fits all tool! They should be customized and optimized to meet the needs of a school or district. This article has covered many aspects of planner features- some may be resonating with you, and some may not! That is the beauty of customization. It is important to find a planner company that will work with you to create the perfect planner for your students. From the logistics of the daily design to choosing design elements that evoke school pride and joy, designing the perfect planner for your students can make a world of difference!
How can I Get Started with Creating Custom Planner?
If you are interested in designing a custom printed student planner, Mimeo Planners is the perfect company to meet your needs. From high-quality and durable materials to thoughtful and practical designs, your students will love their custom planners from Mimeo. To get started, contact our team and request a sample pack here.