Planning, like many other aspects of teaching, becomes internalized after several years. Even so, when the subject matter is new, experienced teachers still need to do detailed planning. Thematic planning follows a theme and integrates curricular subjects. It requires grouping students according to different abilities. Conceptual planning follows an idea or an activity.
Some schools choose a school-wide theme for each month or term.
They would aim to cover material in each of the different subject areas, but not in discrete periods. A project on environment might encompass math, language arts, science and art. One of the bonuses of this kind of planning is that it is usually done together with other teachers, and whenever you plan with others you have a greater store of knowledge and ideas to draw on. Some schools choose a school-wide theme for each month or term. They would aim to cover material in each of the different subject areas, but not in discrete periods.