Finally! The opportunity to review something practical for my son! ? Scroll down for the full review. TL; DR? I love it!
The brand new Teen to Teen 2019-2020 Academic Planner from B&H Publishing Group is ideal for high school students (or any motivated, independent students) who prefer to do things their own way.
Physically, the dated planner is hardcover with thick, matte, cream-colored pages ideal for ink pens, pencils, and colored pencils (markers will bleed through, but fine-point, felt-tip markers will probably be okay). The binding is tight, but the pages are Smyth-sewn, so in time and with regular use, it will lay open flat.
This tough and durable planner is designed to last through entire academic year.
Although it includes a number of features common to all planners (e.g. personal information, weekly class schedule, and semester planner), it’s also got a number of distinguishing characteristics that set it apart from other planners.
Minimalist Planner Design
Months are laid out across two pages, and because of the minimalist design, the daily blocks are quite large with plenty of room to record appointments and due dates, draw illustrations, or decorate with stickers. There’s also a column for notes so nothing is forgotten.
The weekly layout shows the entire week (Monday – Sunday) with weekdays having twice as much space as weekends (which makes sense since this is an academic planner). Below each date, are seven check boxes and seven lines that span the width of the page. These can be used for anything: project due dates, appointments, chores, homework assignments, personal reminders. I love this, because it really allows the student to track what’s important to them to track.
Track What You Want How You Want!
Each week includes a quote from the bestselling Teen to Teen devotionals available from the same publisher. The featured devotional quotes echo the teachings of the Southern Baptist Convention (i.e., traditional values, purity culture, Biblical inerrancy, etc.).
- Teen to Teen: 365 Daily Devotions by Teen Guys for Teen Guys
- Teen to Teen: 365 Daily Devotions by Teen Girls for Teen Girls
The planner has two features that remind me a lot of my favorite Day Designer™ planner from Blue Sky®. First, there’s a place to record the top three priorities for the week—again, the type of task is not pre-defined so it can be whatever the student thinks is the most important.
Practice Gratitude
Second, there’s a place to record three things you’re grateful for. This weekly gratitude list is an excellent tool to create or reinforce a regular practice of gratitude. Additionally, it provides material for meaningful conversations with your teenager throughout the year. All you have to do is ask, “What are you grateful for this week?”
This is a great planner for any student who is independent, motivated, and busy! I definitely recommend it, and I can’t wait for my son to start using his. You can purchase one wherever books are sold, and if you love Amazon as much as I do, here’s a direct link for your convenience: Teen to Teen 2019-2020 Academic Planner.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”