Utilizing daily agenda slides in your secondary English Language Arts classroom provides a good foundation for strong and consistent classroom routines. I love how a few minutes of organization can bring organization and clear expectations into my class. These slides are also an integral part of managing work for absent students. Read on for more information about how I use daily agenda slides in my own classroom.
What is a daily agenda slide?
A daily agenda slide is just a slide you pop onto the screen for each class, each day. Yup, each and every one. That may sound like a lot of work and commitment, but I promise it just becomes another habit for getting your class ready for the day. It contains the most important information you want your students to know.
What goes on a daily agenda slide?
In short, whatever will keep you and your students on track for the day! You should include some basics like the date, objectives, and what you will be doing in class that day. But everything else is customizable to fit your style and personal flair. Here are some ideas for what you can include on a daily agenda slide:
- Include the list of materials students need for class that day.
- Have a reminder section for students such as homework assigned, upcoming tests, projects, school events and breaks.
- Share things you love like favorite quotes, trivia, and student shout outs.
- Use some space for vocabulary terms or an SAT Word of the Day.
- Add things as needed, like a timer when your agenda needs focused time management to get accomplished, or links to specific tasks in your agenda for quicker access.
- Attendance questions to enhance relationships.
Why use daily agenda slides?
Keep your students organized with clear expectations and predictability. They will know what to expect for the day, what needs accomplished, and if you include things like homework and test reminders, they will know exactly how to prepare for success. You can also add it to your Google classroom for hybrid students to access or for your absent students to refer to when they need their missing assignments.
Keep yourself organized by having a resource to save and reflect. It is so much easier to see what you did a few months ago by looking through your agenda slides. You can even add notes to the slide to make planning scope and sequence for next year a breeze. It is also a great time management tool to keep you from getting sidetracked through class.
It is so easy to click back to a slide to reference your agenda than it is to take up the space on my white board. Swapping out for each class, each day, is super simple. I can access my slides from any device and I can even include links to it for my students to access if they are part of hybrid classes. Better yet, any of my absent students can check through the slides to see what they missed (I can then link assignments through the slides as well).
An added bonus, it makes my administration happy, too. When I get a classroom observation I know that I’m getting all those boxes checked – clear expectations, students know what’s next, assignments listed, standards listed, and an overall feeling that I have an organized class.
Where do I get started with daily agenda slides?
The easiest way to start is make a list of what is the most important information you want your students to know every day. Do you like detailed agendas or a simple checklist? Do you want to include space for announcements or do you have another system you prefer? Once you know what you like, you can design a template (or find one) and begin using it right away.
Jazz up your daily agenda slides!
You can give your slides or PowerPoint presentations a face lift with some beautiful images from my shop. They can be used for daily and weekly agendas as well as every day presentation images. Find the bundle here. You can also find a free sample by clicking right here.
How will you use daily agenda slides in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below or follow me on IG and FB to join the conversation.
Happy teaching!
Looking for more fresh ideas for your secondary English Language Arts classroom? Join me for the tips, strategies, and resources you need to take your teaching to the next level right here.
