As a beginning teacher, you undoubtedly have been in a situation where you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them. Creating an overview is one of the things you must find time to do. Your instruction and your students' achievements are dependent on your having a clear overview of the school year. The steps required to create an overview include:     Step 1: Collect and study all the information you can find about the Florida Sunshine State Standards and Grade Level Expectations that pertain to your class. These can be found at www.firn.edu/doe/menu/sss.htm.     Step 2: Obtain and read a copy of your school district curriculum guidelines from your administrator, district supervisor, or school district website. The school district standards and benchmarks are closely aligned with those at the state level, but may be worded differently or include district-specific goals.     Step 3: Read through all text materials and any auxiliary materials to see how and where they align with the State and district standards. Text selection is made based on these standards, so there should be a very close alignment between the teaching materials you have and the outcomes expected of your students.     Step 4: Examine the school calendar for information about holidays, teacher planning days, field trips, guest speakers, testing days and any other information that will be critical to planning your instruction.     Step 5: Check with veteran teachers and your administrator to make sure you have all the best materials and information you need regarding standards, benchmarks, curriculum guidelines, teaching materials and scheduling information. Once you have followed these five steps, click here for a sample plan to help you create your curriculum overview. Curriculum Overview Plan