Time Management Tips for Teachers: Simple and Easy Monthly Menu Planning

You've worked hard All. Day. Long.

You arrive home, and the first words out of your family's mouths is, "What's for dinner?"

There are no high fives for an awesome day.  

There is no sympathy or concern about the rough day you experienced.

There is no talking through it.

No, you've come home to a hungry crowd, and they are demanding to be fed.

Wouldn't you love to change all of the above?

The answer is so easy and simple.  

Monthly menu planning will help with time management in your life.

You'll even find that you have time for some rest and relaxation each afternoon.

Best of all is that your family will be invested and involved with this plan, taking some of the responsibility off of your shoulders!

Steps for Easy Menu Planning

Step 1: Make a list.

What are your go-to meals?  What about elaborate meals?  What are your all-time favorite meals?

Brainstorm a list of these meals.  I like to use this FREE form to make a master list.  

Step 2: Plan meals around the ingredients you have.

By planning meals around the items in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and the list of items you plan to purchase, you will save time during the month by not making multiple trips to the grocery store.

RELATED: Once a Month Grocery Shopping (part 1)

Step 3: Include your family.

Including your family once a month for menu planning is a great learning activity for your kids and keeps everyone involved and invested.  Have your family help fill out the "Master List of Menus" you downloaded above.  Make sure that each family member has his or her favorite dishes and meals included each month.

RELATED:  Once a Month Grocery Shopping (part 2)

Step 4: Plan out Your month on a calendar.

I like to plan my month in PENCIL.  Inevitably, something happens to change at least one night during the month.  Think about these things before listing your meals:

• Is there a set night of the week for church, sports, meetings, etc.?
• Is there an activity (conferences, PLC, faculty meetings, kids' soccer practices, piano lessons, etc.) one or two afternoons a week that makes you arrive home later? 
• Is there a day of the week when you are always super tired?  (Mine is always Monday and Thursday)
• Do you like cooking a big Sunday meal?
• Do you have the same meal one night a week (ex: taco Tuesday or pizza Friday)?

(Here's a FREE calendar to use.)

Keep these answers in mind as you pencil in your monthly menus.  My personal plan always includes:

• one or two "easy" nights each week
• a night for someone else to cook (Remember, even younger children can put a loaf of bread, cold cuts, chips, and plates on the table.)
• a leftover night (Keep younger children busy while you rest by letting them make menus of the foods available.)

Refer to #3 above, and include your family.  Let each family member choose his or her favorite meal, and pencil it in on a night that will work best.  

Complete the entire month, and hang the calendar on the fridge so that all family members have access.

(Don't forget to save this pin to your favorite Pinterest board so that you can refer to this post as needed.)

RELATED:  Editable Calendars (with free updates for life)

Step 5: What's for Dinner?

Each night of the week, quickly check your menu for the next evening's planned meal.  Prep ingredients, or remove items from the freezer that need to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Set out the crockpot if you need to add items the next morning before heading to school.  

You will no longer have to start thinking about your "second job" of cooking dinner every night.  You can now come home to rest and relax for a bit because you have a plan in place for the evening's meal.

Best of all, when your family asks, "What's for dinner?" Just point to the refrigerator while laying on the couch without opening your eyes or saying a word.  

Helping you with a plan and some rest time after a long day of work, that's just...

My Kind of Teaching

10 Things to Buy at Dollar Tree in June

Whether you are homeschooling your child or just looking for some fun (and cheap) activities for the summer break, you can't beat shopping at Dollar Tree!  Whenever I shop anywhere, I'm always looking and thinking of fun activities I can use the item for, which is not necessarily how it is normally used.  Keep reading for ways to cover literacy, math, science, social studies, and much more!

#1 - Mini Dust Pan and Brush

This makes a fun game to play at home or on a road trip!  Write uppercase or lowercase letters, numbers, cvc words, sight words, etc. on small pieces of paper.  Let your child throw the cards up in the air to scatter all over the floor.  Call out something for your child to sweep into the pan.  This is a fun and simple game that will have your child learning and practicing important concepts while "sweeping up"!

#2 - United States Wall Map

All children need to learn about geography, map skills, and the states.  Place this on a wall.  Use a pushpin or highlighter to mark the places you travel this summer.  Keep it up all year to continue using as your child learns about important landmarks, capitals, etc.

#3 - Clothespins

Using clothespins to clip items helps your child develop fine motor skills.  Use clothespins to pick up pom-poms or other small items.  Call out a number, and have your child use a clothespin to pick up and count out that many objects.   

 #4 - Patriotic Table Scatter

There are so many great educational activities to do with these.  Sort by colors.  Sort the stars by large or small.  Count the red items, white items, or blue items.  Count the stars.  Compare which color has more and which has less.  Are there more large stars or small stars?  Start patterns and have your child finish each pattern.  Use the clothespins you purchase to pick up the items.  After you've completed a LOT of math activities using this one simple product, glue the pieces on construction paper for arts and crafts. Make a Happy 4th of July card, make a poster to carry to a parade, or make place cards with names for a get-together or with the names of foods.  Use your imagination.  This one activity can keep your child busy for a LONG time! 

 #5 - Cyclone Fever Twirly Toy

My grandson has had SO much fun with this one.  The heat index has been CRAZY, so he's played with it inside.  Again, this one is great for math activities.  Predict which color will fly the highest or the most distance.  Measure to check.  It's a great science lesson for force and motion also!

 #6 - Straws

Sort the straws by color and count them.  Cut the straws into different lengths, and put them in order from shortest to longest or longest to shortest.  Make patterns.  Use the straws to make shapes.  Add large marshmallows to build 3-D shapes.  Use the straws for non-standard measurement of the distance of the twirly toy (10 yellow straws or 20 blue straws).  Use the straws as counters for adding or subtracting.  Of course, use them for drinking deliciously cold slushy drinks!

 #7 - Bug Catcher

Not only will your child love scooping up and catching insects, but there are other uses, as well!  Use these with items in a container of water.  Catch small objects as they are floating by.  Pick up pom-poms, or scoop up rice.  This is another fun way to develop fine motor control.

#8 - Pick up Pairs Card Game

These cards are great for developing your child's vocabulary.  Discuss the types of habitats of the different animals.  Discuss different kinds of skin coverings.  Sort the animals by their skin, where they live, or number or legs, or classify as mammals, birds, amphibians.  One of our favorite games is to turn them all over and play a game of classic memory. 

#9 - Cookie Sheet

Not only is a cookie sheet magnetic, but it's the perfect size to hold in a lap when traveling this summer.  Use it to hold items for playing so that they stay contained.  Use it to keep crayons from rolling off.  It's also perfect as a "desk" for books and coloring books.  It can even be used for a food tray!  

#10 - Puzzles

Puzzles are a lost gem in today's world of technology.  When I taught kindergarten, we used a lot of puzzles in the classroom.  This is another activity that is perfect for developing fine motor skills.  Puzzles also help build logic, reasoning, and cognitive skills.  We love to put small magnets on the back of each puzzle piece, pop them into a Ziploc baggie with the front of the box for reference, and take them along on a road trip (or even just a trip to town).  Use the puzzle with the cookie sheet to make for an easy and fun activity that really sticks!  

(Please note this blog post has an affiliate link for the magnets.  This means that if you purchase using the link, I receive a very small commission that helps me with the upkeep of my website.  However, this doesn't add to the price of the item for you.)

Do you love Dollar Tree as much as I do?  It's a frugal and effective way to have fun learning at home.  Don't miss out next month when I give you ten more ideas to purchase for July.  

Fun and frugal learning is just...

My Kind of Teaching!!!