Making the most of planning days

Most teachers have sat through a planning day that felt more like a marathon than a milestone. Hours of discussion, multiple documents, and somehow by the end of the day little has changed.

Planning days should make life easier, not harder. Done well, they bring focus, alignment, and energy for the term ahead. Done poorly, they drain already tired teachers and leave everyone wondering what was achieved.

Here’s how to make sure your next planning day actually makes a difference.

1. Start with a Clear, Achievable Goal

Not every planning day needs to overhaul the whole curriculum. Pick one focus that feels realistic — for example, improving a single program, refining assessments for a stage, or aligning outcomes across a year level. When goals are achievable, the day feels productive and teachers leave with something concrete.

2. Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good

Programs don’t need to be flawless on the first draft. It’s better to have a solid, working version that teachers can refine later than to spend all day chasing perfection. Progress is what matters — refinement comes through use and feedback.

3. Use Shared Templates

A lot of time is lost lining up different versions of the same document. When everyone works from a consistent format, collaboration becomes smoother and programs stay aligned across the school.

4. Focus on Decisions, Not Discussion

The best planning days move from talk to action. Use time to decide, not debate endlessly. Once the team agrees on a direction, document it straight away.

With Planuva, teams can collaborate directly in real time — co-editing programs, refining outcomes, or adjusting units together in one shared workspace. Everyone leaves with the same version, updated instantly.

5. End with Clear Ownership

Every planning day should finish with two things: who is doing what, and by when. Whether it’s refining an assessment, adjusting a sequence, or reviewing resources, assign names and timelines before wrapping up.

6. Keep Reflection at the Core

John Hattie’s research on collective teacher efficacy reminds us that when teachers plan and reflect together, student learning improves significantly. The goal of collaboration isn’t to tick boxes — it’s to continuously improve what happens in the classroom.

When planning days have structure and purpose, you spend less time talking about programs and more time improving them.

Planuva makes that even easier — enabling schools to plan, collaborate, and refine programs together, all in one place.

Because planning days should build momentum, not just minutes.

Want to plan together better?join us at planuva.com