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I teach at a community college and we don't have set classrooms like you would in a K-12 setting. So basically, I'm a travelling teacher. I found it very difficult to lug my laptop, charger, cell phone, papers, HDMI cord, and other supplies to each classroom so I started looking into options that would make my life easier.
I became a paperless teacher. Now all I take to class is a handheld bag that holds my iPad, Apple Pencil, calculator, and some pens. It's lightweight, easy to carry, and opens a whole world of technological tools I never knew I could use as a teacher.
I bought an iPad Pro, the original Apple Pencil, and the Goodnotes app about 3 years ago and I've been teaching with it ever since. I travel to two schools and several classrooms, so carrying papers and a planner everywhere just doesn't make sense! I started importing all my notes and documents as PDF's and uploading them into my Goodnotes app. I loved everything about my new mode of teaching, but my planner was never really great. I uploaded a free PDF version of a year long monthly calendar and wrote all over it. It worked just fine and I used it to survive the busy-ness of teaching full-time and attending grad school full-time but once I graduated I started looking into something a little more interactive and sophisticated (I kind of wish I had done this while I was a student but I just didn't have time).
There are interactive digital planners you can purchase online very easily but I wasn't comfortable paying $15-$30 for something I could make over summer break. I watched this video, paused after each step, and followed her instructions word for word to create my digital planner. Once the planner was complete in Keynote, I uploaded it to Goodnotes to start adding/ duplicating pages and to add stickers that I could use over and over in the app.
I did personalize the planner in Keynote a little more than she showed in the video by adding calendars, idea boards, to-do lists, some grid paper, and a blank page for stickers. I think she says you can do this is the Goodnotes app, but I went ahead and did it in Keynote so that I could reuse the same planner next year.
To add these little personalizations, I googled "grid paper free PDF," "comic book layout free PDF," and other images so I could get a quick screenshot in the camera roll to put into Keynote (or later in Goodnotes if you prefer).
The stickers seen in other planners can be done in Procreate, but I didn't have that app and it costs $10. This isn't a bad price so if you're an artist then you should definitely buy it. BUT, since I have third grade drawing ability at best, I didn't purchase the app.
Instead, I drew my stickers in the Goodnotes app on a blank page, used the lasso tool to select the "sticker", and copied/pasted it wherever I wanted it. That way I can reuse the stickers over and over again on any page.
The possibilities for making a digital planner your own are endless when you figure out how screenshot works and how to use the lasso tool in Goodnotes (Noteability is another great notes app for teachers, but I prefer Goodnotes). If you're new to Goodnotes, I recommend watching some how-to videos on YouTube to orient yourself to the app. Whether you are a student or a teacher, this app is worth having.
Also, even though I had to buy the iPad pro to use the Apple pencil 3 years ago, now you can buy just about any iPad and it will be compatible with the pencil. The Apple pencil is not required to be able to use Goodnotes, but I've tried other styluses and I'm telling you, the Apple pencil is worth the money.
If amazon is out of stock, try Target or the Apple website. The Apple website has discounts for educators, so it might be worth looking into. I chose to link the first generation pencil because it's a little cheaper than the newest version (2nd gen) and performs the exact same. The only difference is the 2nd gen has a button on it to switch between functions. If that's important to you, then go for the 2nd gen Apple pencil.
These tools have made my teaching experience fun and a lot easier. I hope you are able to get inspired by my ideas and re-energized to make it your own. If you have any questions or need any help, please reach out! I'd love to talk with you and share ideas.
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