Term starts Monday. You've prepared a reading, four worksheets, an assessment brief, and the lesson plan. Three students always lose the printouts in the first week. By half-term, you'll have reprinted them all.
One course pack PDF per student per term solves the lost-paper problem and gives you back hours.
Structure the pack
Standard structure: cover, contents, syllabus overview, week 1 materials, week 2 materials, and so on. Assessment criteria and rubrics at the back. The structure should mirror how you'll teach the term — students can follow along week by week.
Convert each input
Word documents via Word to PDF. Excel data sheets via Excel to PDF. Scanned readings via image to PDF. The course pack is only as polished as its weakest component — get every input to PDF before merging.
Merge and order
Use merge PDF to combine in teaching order. If you need to swap items later (a different reading for week 3), use reorder PDF pages to slot it in. Don't rebuild from scratch every time the schedule shifts.
Distribute electronically
Upload to the school's learning platform or share by secure link. Compress PDF to a size that downloads quickly on a typical home connection — under 20MB is a good target. For students printing at home, the compressed version is still print-quality.
FAQ
How long should a course pack be?
Depends on subject and length of term. For a single-term module, 50-150 pages is typical. Longer is fine if the structure is clear.
Should I update the pack mid-term?
Yes — issue a v2 if materials change significantly. Version the filename clearly so students know which to use.
What about copyright on readings?
Check your school's licensing for course pack readings. Many schools have CLA licences that permit inclusion of published material in course packs.
Should I include answer keys?
Keep teacher and student versions separate. Build two course packs: one for students, one for staff with answers and teaching notes.
One pack per term saves the term. Build the pack in Flint and Monday's first lesson goes smoothly.