A Sample of Annual Course Calendar (Yearly Planning)

I used to think that devising an annual course calendar is a waste of time! “I know I will cover the whole syllabus on time, so why should I bother keeping a plan like this one every single school year?” I always thought to myself. It is only when I decided to design an annual course calendar for one of my classes that I realized that planning is rather time-saving. That is, with the annual course planning, I sensed that my vision of the course has become clearer. I vividly know where I am going, so to speak! I have also come to realize that designing a course calendar is more than just knowing when to teach a certain lesson or carry out a particular activity. When you place a blueprint of your annual course calendar in front of you, you can plan everything beforehand purposefully. You only need to zoom out on it and:

see how the lessons/syllabus elements relate to each other;
decide on the pedagogically-sound sequence the lessons should follow considering your students’ level;
look at commonalities between certain lessons and find a way they can be pooled together to save time;
rearrange certain lessons and see what themes/units they fit in better;
decide on what to skip in case you happen to run short of time, especially with classes that have fewer sessions per week;
decide when to bring the lessons to a halt for some extra-curricular activities.

Here is a sample of annual course calendar I devised for one of my second-year baccalaureate classes. The course calendar was devised in accordance with different reference ministerial notes that sanction our activity as EFL teachers in Morocco. If you are from a different context, you, too, should make sure that your course calendar complies with any relevant official circulars and communiqués issued by your education authorities, school administration, etc. Below the course calendar, you will find a key to help you understand the abbreviations I used there.

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