How to help your students get the most out of their planners

Student planners are an essential tool for helping students stay organised and manage their workload effectively. These planners can be used to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and extracurricular activities, making them a valuable resource for any student looking to succeed in school.

However, simply having a student planner is not enough. To truly benefit, students must learn how to use their planners effectively. In this post, we will discuss strategies for helping students get the most out of their student planners. We will cover tips for teaching students how to use their planners, strategies for encouraging consistent use, and troubleshooting common issues that may arise. By the end of this post, you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to support your students in using their student planners effectively.

Step 1: Demonstrate

The first step in helping students get the most out of their planners is teaching them how to use it. Start by making sure they have a basic understanding of the planner’s features and layout. Demonstrate how to enter tasks, add deadlines, note events, and manage workload. Show students how to colour-code and abbreviate notes for quick reference. Once they understand the basics of using the planner, discuss strategies for staying organised such as setting reminders and utilising checklists. Encourage students to be creative with their planners; a fun or unique design can make it more enjoyable and motivating to use.

Step 2: Develop Positive Habits

Once your students have mastered the fundamentals of using their planners, help them develop positive habits around its usage. Set up regular check-ins where students can review their planners, set goals, and track progress on assignments. This will help them develop a routine around using the planner and ensure they are staying organised. Additionally, recognise and reward positive use of the planner; this could be as simple as offering extra credit or praise for consistent use.

Step 3: Troubleshoot Common Issues

Finally, it’s important to be prepared to troubleshoot any common issues that arise around student planner usage. Encourage students who are struggling with organisation to take a step back and consider if they have too much on their plate or need additional help in certain subjects. If a student is having difficulty tracking their workload, suggest ways they can break down tasks into smaller increments or use a calendar to plan out assignments.

By following these steps, you can help your students maximise their potential and benefit from the use of student planners. With the right guidance, they will be able to stay organised and make the most of their academic experience.

Choose Penstripe

At Penstripe, our goal is to create the perfect student planner for your individual requirements. With a huge range of sizes, bindings and contents, we can create a custom student diary that exceeds your expectations. With a wide range of bespoke pages to choose from, we’ll create the right planner for you. Our handy pocket size planners are becoming ever more popular amongst schools and are a particular favourite with sixth forms.

We create bespoke student planners that last the entire year. Guaranteed. Our team of experts are constantly innovating to produce useful new content that can be added to student planners. See our catalogue for a full breakdown of the options available. Regular engagement with student planners can help to foster a growth mindset, as students are encouraged to take ownership of their own achievements.

Penstripe has years of experience in producing both student planners and teacher planners, and a track record of excellent results. Order your free sample pack today.