How Do I Plan for Long-Term Projects?

Teaching with Valor Podcast: A Veteran Teachers Perspective

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Welcome to Teaching with Valor, where we take a deep dive into the practical aspects of teaching that help you improve from lesson to lesson and day to day. I’m your host, Don Fessenden, and today we’re tackling a big question: How do I plan for long-term projects?

Whether you’re teaching elementary students just getting used to managing time or high schoolers preparing for more independent, research-heavy work, planning a long-term project can be daunting. Long-term projects offer rich opportunities for deeper learning, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity—but they also require careful planning, time management, and constant scaffolding.

This episode will explore the strategies needed to create, structure, and manage long-term projects at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. We’ll discuss how to break down big tasks into manageable steps, how to help students stay on track, and how to assess both the process and the final product.
Show Notes
For more information on this topic checkout the following resources:

• Edutopia – Project-Based Learning: www.edutopia.org - Resources and strategies for creating meaningful, long-term projects.
• Buck Institute for Education – PBLWorks: www.pblworks.org - Comprehensive guides to project-based learning at all grade levels.
• Time Management Strategies for Students: www.teachhub.com - Tips on helping students manage their time effectively during long-term projects.
• Rubrics and Assessment Tools: www.teachervision.com - Templates for creating rubrics and evaluating student projects.
• Backward Design for Long-Term Projects: www.ascd.org - A guide to using backward design to plan long-term projects.

Stay tuned for more episodes, and remember, every student is unique, and every classroom can be a place where all students succeed. Keep teaching with valor!