The Minimalist Educator Podcast
A podcast about paring down to focus on the purpose and priorities in our roles.
The Minimalist Educator Podcast
Episode 096: Planning Less, Teaching Happier with Judith and Lorena
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Ever wish planning felt lighter, clearer, and actually energizing? We sit down with Judith Roca Bastardes and Lorena Roca Bastardes, the educators behind Roma Planners, to unpack how a simple PYP-focused planner grew from a personal survival tool into a global pilot and a living community of practice. Their story starts with a familiar challenge—too many frameworks to juggle and no single place to make sense of them—and lands on a planner that turns priorities into visible action while reducing the daily mental load.
We dig into the anatomy of their system: the inquiry cycle embedded into weekly planning, targeted focus on the learner profile and approaches to learning, and two-page student profiles that make evidence easy to find when it’s time to report or differentiate. They share how design choices keep the tool minimalist yet powerful, helping teachers track what matters and spot patterns in engagement across science, social studies, and beyond. The message is clear: structure creates space for creativity, and flexibility—yes, write in pencil—keeps plans responsive to students.
Beyond the tool, we explore the human side: balancing full-time teaching with a growing venture, dividing roles by strengths, and embracing iteration through LinkedIn-driven feedback. Their advice for teacher entrepreneurs is candid and practical—ship your idea, learn in public, and, if you can, find a trusted partner to share the load. We also talk about the future: expanding into other IB programs and building a customizable template library so any teacher can assemble the planner that fits their context, from unit pages to checklists.
The conversation lands on a resonant truth: structure is a form of self-care. In a profession full of variables you can’t control, a clear planning routine restores focus, protects energy, and helps you teach happier. If you’re ready to pare down the noise and amplify what matters, this one’s for you. If the episode helped you rethink or simplify your practice, share it with a colleague, subscribe for new episodes, and leave a review so more educators can find it.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorena-m-b022a1161/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithrocabastardes/
This episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services.
Find our book The Minimalist Teacher and Your School Leadership Edit: A Minimalist Approach to Rethinking Your School's Ecosystem at the links!
Follow on Instagram @PlanZEducation and @minimalist_ed_podcast.
The Minimalist Educator Podcast is a Plan Z Education Services adventure.
Welcome to the Minimalist Educator podcast, where the focus is on a less is more approach to education. Join your hosts, Christine Arnold and Tammy Musiowski, authors of The Minimalist Teacher and your school leadership edit, a minimalist approach to rethinking your school ecosystem, each week as they explore practical ways to simplify your work, sharpen your focus, and amplify what matters most so you can teach and lead with greater clarity, purpose, and joy.
SPEAKER_04:On this week's episode of the podcast, we are joined by the team behind Roma Planners, educators and entrepreneurs who are redefining what planning looks like for teachers, as well as building something beyond the classroom. Their pair down pointer is about looking after yourself first and ways to find control. Judith and Lorena are the co-founders of Roma Planners and creators of the PYP Planner, a tool that helps teachers stay organized and inspired. Their mission is to plan better, teach happier. Hello everyone, and welcome to today's episode of the Minimalist Educator Podcast. Very excited to have two guests today from Roma Planners. We've got Lorena and Judith. Welcome. Hi, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_02:We are very excited to be here and we are grateful for this opportunity. Yes.
SPEAKER_04:No, we're very excited to talk to you. So just very briefly, I don't want to take away your chance to tell your story, but I work with Judith and Lorena. And as part of their journey on the PYP authorization journey, they put together a tool that was going to be super helpful for themselves with their work in the PYP. And now they're in the position where they're able to share their work with other people. And they have got even more plans for the future to help all of us, not just in the PYP, but in even broader means to help us with, you know, really fine-tuning and strategically planning in the work that we do. So can you tell us a little bit about the work that you're doing?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think you would be you couldn't have described it better, actually. We can tell uh you're with us in this process as well, seeing what we do. So you started as you said as a tool for us, just personal projects, and then we shared it with other colleagues, and everybody was excited and were like, okay, what's happening? And we decided to bring it to the world through LinkedIn. And we were actually overwhelmed by the amounts of responses that we received of teachers around the world.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So as you said, it started as a tool for us to actually make our lives easier as a teacher. And then we saw how powerful it was, this simple tool. And yeah, we started cheering it around. And we're quite excited about how people are are uh taking it and they are uh yeah, they are enjoying it right now, they are using it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:That is really exciting to know that you know you started to develop something for yourselves, and then you see how much people really need something like that. What has what kind of started the process? So, like, did the two of you just get together and say, let's make a table? Like, can you walk us through a little bit the the kind of tiny steps in the development?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think I can start on that because I was new in the school last year and it was my first time working with the PYP curriculum. So for me, it was overwhelming to start using all the uh vocabulary to incorporate all those concepts. So I didn't know where to start. So I needed something, I looked it up. I looked for planners online that could help me plan, keeping all these concepts, all this information in mind when I am planning. And I couldn't find anything that worked. So I when I started learning more about PYP curriculum, then I created something very simple that could help me start from somewhere. And then I shared it with Lorena and we started taking it serious. We said, okay, let's sit down and let's reflect on what we need exactly. So, how do we plan? How do we spend our time planning and how can we make it easier? So that's how it started, and then we yeah, we we had a lot of meetings reflecting on it and looking at the design. So, and now we have a planner that it's complete and it has everything we believe that you need in it.
SPEAKER_04:So I know right now you have available for digital and paper for the PYP, but you've got plans in place you're working on for the other IB programs as well. But I really we were talking a little bit about your plans about building a community based on your planners. Can you tell us a little bit about the community you're hoping to build as well?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, we started now with the PYP pilot planner. So it's teachers around the world having the planner, and we will start with them. So we will start sharing with them tips about how to use the planner, connecting with other schools, connecting with other teachers. So that's our main start. But when we move forward, we want to have like a website where teachers can also adapt their planners and choose what are the what is that they need, and also have like a little newsletter, little community moment where we can share, okay, we are working in this unit, this is what we're doing, and this is how we are using our planner. What about you? And maybe invite other teachers to also share in that blog with tips and ideas. So that's what we aim to do and go for.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. When we started receiving emails from teachers that wanted to join the pilot, what we heard a lot was would be nice to know how other people are using the planner because we share the planner with them and we want to get feedback from them to make it better. So to see how people around the world using the same program are actually using this tool that we created. And most of them were like, Yeah, it would be nice to meet together and see how they are documenting or how they are writing down information for reports, or how they are writing down ideas that afterwards will come into the unit. So, yeah, we really think that this community, it's it's important.
SPEAKER_03:There is a lot of power in connecting with each other just to know that you're not the only person going through something, right? So, like you see the need that people were like, Yeah, this planner is gonna really help me too. Was this something as you kind of started your teaching journey? Was did you anticipate that maybe something like this would happen where you would kind of branch out into developing some kind of product and then becoming an entrepreneur? Or it wasn't even a thought in your mind?
SPEAKER_02:I think it wasn't a thought in our mind. It started kind of a game of two girls that want to try something, and then I think because we empower each other's strengths and skills, we just went for it and tried to use this push that we had from others. But no, we I I never thought of that. I've tried, I've tried to do many things, but this one seems to combine my passion for teaching and being an entrepreneur. I think it's a good mix.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, no, I'm with you there. When I met Tammy, if someone had told me that we'd be working together like we do, I wouldn't have I wouldn't have dreamt of it myself. But I know both of you work full-time, you have you know full lives and pets and all sorts of things going on as well. So, so how do you balance this full-time work as well as trying to, you know, really put yourselves into this entrepreneurial project that you've got going?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, I think as Lorena said, we are we have different strengths and we really help each other with these strengths. So I think we are helping each other to balance this. We are organizing ourselves, having some deadlines, really like taking it seriously, because we we said it started as something for us, but but we are really seeing the the potential of this. So we are yeah, looking into having a structured plan.
SPEAKER_02:I think because we are two also help us having more of like a divided workload with our little business. So, for example, I take care of the all the marketing part, like I do Instagram or try to do Instagram and I do other video things, and then you did this more into okay, let me put all the Excel together, let me put all the information that we need. And I think that's that's very helpful, yeah. Because for me it's a bit overwhelming doing that part while doing the marketing part. I like it, I enjoy it. It gives me that creative moment, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So for sure it's a lot of work, I'm sure you know, working full time, but it's also we are enjoying a lot the process and we are helping each other, so it's fine.
SPEAKER_02:Divide and conquer.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's nice when you have that person that you can rely on, and the work feels like a passion project, so it doesn't really feel like work all the time. So that's relatable with Christine. You know, we've worked on a bunch of things together, and it's always a joy to come together and put our brains together. And so just thinking about you pre-teaching, like I am always interested how people get to certain points. So, have you always been interested in like the organization of things or streamlining or prioritization planning? So, what kind of interest kind of that from you personally and what you've done in the past have lent that lent themselves to what you're doing now?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think like in teaching, if if I if you ask me, I don't I wouldn't say that I'm organized, but then everybody around me would say you are super organized. And I'm like, okay, that's not really the case. I think it's just part of my routine that I don't see it that well. But also with prioritizing, that's something that I struggle with. And with the planner, we also say, okay, this is a way that helps us prioritize with our task and also with our other tasks, not only in school, but also outside of school, because actually I also put there my other appointments and other things that I have to do for other projects. So yeah, organizing was there, but the prioritizing part was missing in me in that sense with teaching in real life.
SPEAKER_01:In my case, I always search for structures that help me stay focused and help me do things in an easier way. So if I feel that a task is not productive, then in general, I try to find a way to make it simpler for me. So as teachers, I think we all have these kind of structures, structures in in the classroom to help us teach happier. So uh so I really needed that. So yeah, I think I have this part of having organization around me. And and yeah, I was missing that, so so we created it.
SPEAKER_04:I have the benefit of knowing you both a little bit, so yeah, I can jump in as well. But I know Judith, you're very interested in like design as well, which I think has been really instrumental. And Lorraine is such a creative person, you know, thinking about colour schemes and like fonts and how things are put together. So I think all of those different skills and strengths have really come together in this project for sure. What advice would you have for other teachers who have an idea or you know, a bit of a passion project, but they don't really know like, is this possible, is it feasible, is it worth my time? What sort of advice would you have for those people?
SPEAKER_02:Maybe it's a bit like a cliche advice, but I would say try and put it online. Like, you know, LinkedIn, I didn't know about LinkedIn, but for me, it's been like a huge platform, an open door that opened to many possibilities. I have contact with teachers around the world and I share ideas, and I met other teachers that are also Spanish, and we could connect and help each other. So I think the advice would be try and post it, like show it to the world and see what people think. And if it doesn't work, then maybe you need to tweak it a little bit and try again. But always try.
SPEAKER_01:And I would say having someone next to you that you can trust and you can feel empowered, because I also have lots of ideas for many projects and hobbies, and we all have lots of things, but really starting kind of like a project or a business idea, doing it alone, having a full-time job, which is teaching, can be quite overwhelming. So if you don't have a partner that you can trust, it's going to be challenging, not impossible, but challenging. So I'm not sure if I would have taken this path if I would be by myself, to be honest.
SPEAKER_03:That's such a valid point to make. Because it can feel scary to try something new yourself, because there's so many components to running a business that are so different from education. And so, like, there's a lot of things to dive into, and like you're finding the things that you're that are bringing you success already, which is great. What would you say? So Christine mentioned that you've got some other plans coming for other IB programs. Are you going to kind of keep your focus within the IB programming or do you envision potential, like whatever kind of people respond to or not?
SPEAKER_01:I think we are open, honestly. We have we are now focused on PYP because it's what we needed and what we know right now. I also have friends that are teachers in other countries, and they are not necessarily doing the PYP program. And they even said, I need I need something like this.
SPEAKER_02:So I think I think now for now, like we want to focus on the IB, kind of kind of kind of have that settled and fix okay, this is looking good, it can work, and then slowly move towards other teachers and other needs. Because what we envision is having a website where you can build your own planner. We put the templates, and every teacher can put what they need. If they need 10 checklists, go ahead and add 10 checklists. If you need six units, four units, depending on what is your school program, you can do it. And at the end, it will be adapted to anyone because every teacher is different, so we cannot create just one planner that accommodates to all of us.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I like that flexibility. That would be a really nice thing to have up and running when you get it going. So tell us a little bit about your how you can use the planner to focus on your priorities. How would a teacher use your planner to really pare down and get focused on what they need to do?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So, for example, how I use it is when I start a unit, we have the inquiry cycle included in the unit. So I always try to go through all the phases. For me, lower years, I do four. So I say, okay, this week I'm gonna do this, that I can put on this part of the planner of the inquiry cycle. And then, okay, what are my priorities this week? Do I want to focus on the learner profile? Do I want to focus on other things and then really track down what I do? And the week after I can always go back to this to this page and say, okay, Lorena, maybe you didn't prioritize because you kind of didn't do anything that was on your list. And I try to reflect because I think reflection is also a big word in our planner, like being able to reflect as a teacher on what you do and how you feel about things you do.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, exactly. And so we have like this parts to plan each unit, right? But we also have at the end learner, well, a student profile where every student have has two pages. And in these two pages, we can write down how they are going with math, with language, but also with the learner profile. So we have space to give information about each unit and about approaches to learning. So we can really sometimes things come into your mind and you write it down in on a piece of paper or on a sticky note. But if you have it over there, it's in the same document, then it's very easy when you are looking into how this child has been doing since the beginning of the year, then you have it in one space. So you can really see the evolution of one child. You can reflect on your planning, but also on the improvements of each kid. You can see how they, if they were enthusiastic about a few units that were more focused on science, and some other units that it's more on social studies, and they are not that engaged, and you can see these patterns because everything is in blocks, organized in one space, that it's very visually accessible.
SPEAKER_02:And it helps you to prioritize what you want. Like we have goals as a teacher that you want to develop. Okay, what do you want to improve or what do you want to grow on? And then it's like, okay, I want to focus on making my teaching more visible with the learner profile. And then I really it really helps me, really helps me look at the learner profile. Okay, what did I do? Oh, Lorena, okay, you didn't do it. Oh, yes, you did it. How did the kids respond it? Am I going in the right way?
SPEAKER_03:How does having that structure support you mentally? So you've mentioned a lot, like it's it's helpful in your practice, but as you know, it's a very reflective profession, right? We are always thinking about this went well, this wasn't so great, these kids are doing great. I need to help them out here. How has that helped just the mental load for you?
SPEAKER_02:I think in life you have many situations, and there are many of them that you cannot control. And we hope that with the planner, we have this little bit of control in your teaching. And then it helps you control and focus easily on what is the target, what is the problem, or what you need to do. So we want to have that control in that in this situation, and we know that other things we cannot control and we let that go, right? We did our part, we did what we could. And if the planner helps us, for us that's already a success.
SPEAKER_01:So, as you said, that many things happen in the life of a teacher. So it's very easy to shift your focus to different challenges that you have. But yeah, if you have a planner that keeps it structured and then helps you have like a little routine with yourself, with the planning and with like the following weeks that are coming, then we hope that this can give you a little bit of calm and help you plan better.
SPEAKER_02:And it has a structure, but it also gives you flexibility.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I always say let's use a pencil because we can erase, like we can always change things. And because you can go back and forth, you can always be flexible on your teaching using that structure that will help you have more control on what you do and how you organize yourself.
SPEAKER_04:Very cool. Unfortunately, we are heading towards needing to wrap up the episode, guys. So we like to end our episodes with a pair-down pointer. So it could be something you've already talked about, something from your professional work or your own life. Just a little tip or hint strategy for our listeners about how to pair things down and get to priorities.
SPEAKER_02:What helps me, to be honest, before I was pretty much looking at the outside, looking at what was happening outside of me. And what is helping me now is just I look what I need. And I focus more on what I need, and then I can give others what they need. If I don't do so, I would say focus on your needs before you want to focus on others' needs, because that will help you be more productive for others in that say, like you will be more helpful to others if you don't take care of yourself.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, for me, I think focusing on priorities means having a structure where I can identify those priorities. So as we said, we have this overwhelming environment in the classroom, in the school in general, and having this structure that I can control, that it's under my control, then helps me even if there is noise and movement and things changing outside, then I can control what I'm doing and switch things based on what's happening outside, right? But but yeah, making sure that I did what Lorena said that if you are in a good place, no, you are focusing on your well-being and you have things under control, then it's going to be easier to prioritize and focus on what matters.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, very connected there. Both talked about that idea of control to help you really get focused. That was really nice. Thank you so much for joining us today. We'll put all of the information about where people can find out about your planner in the show notes so they can check it out and have a look. But thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you so much. This episode is sponsored by Plan Z Education Services, supporting educators with forward-thinking professional learning that puts both student impact and teacher wellness at the center. Driven by a vision to teach less, impact more, they help educators find purpose, prioritize what matters, and simplify their practice. Learn more at planzeducation.com.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for listening to the Minimalist Educator Podcast. Join Christine and Tammy and guests again next time for more conversations about how to simplify and clarify the responsibilities and tasks in your role. If today's episode helped you rethink, reimagine, reduce, or realign something in your practice, share it in a comment or with a colleague. For resources and updates, visit planzeducation.com and subscribe to receive weekly emails. Until next time, keep it simple and stay intentional.
