The thought of back-to-school begins to creep up, and you quickly feel overwhelmed. Your brain starts listing all the things on your to-do list, and it can send you into panic mode. Especially when you are enjoying your summer and take a trip to Target, you stumble upon all of the school supplies. There are some things I have learned throughout the years that have made back-to-school a little less crazy and allowed me to feel prepared while still enjoying my summer because we all deserve to enjoy our summers!
Reflect
Summer is the perfect time to kick back in a lounge chair or lay by the pool, and you can do a bit of self-reflection. Win-win! Take a bit of time and think about the past school year and ask yourself a few questions. After taking some time to answer these questions, you will have a better idea of some changes you can implement, and you can do a bit of research now to prepare you for the upcoming year better.
- What were three of your biggest struggles?
- What worked in your classroom?
- What do you wish you could change in your classroom?
- What did you spend the most time on?
- What should you have focused on more?
Plan the First Week
The first week of school is filled with getting to know you activities, establishing rules and expectations, and going over the classroom procedures. Maybe you already have a few go-to beginning of the year activities, or perhaps you saw a fun new idea. Whatever the case may be, take a few hours this summer and map everything out. When you have lesson plans and everything ready to go for the first week of school, you will feel a little less crazy. Make a list of all the classroom procedures you want to teach and how you will teach them. Have a plan for your morning meetings and what topics you will cover. I always love planning out the books I will read and have them pulled out with post-it notes of some questions I will ask while reading the stories. It’s something simple but saves me a ton of time. Now, I didn’t say the first week will go 100% to plan, does it ever??? But…you’ll feel much more confident that you have a plan!
Organize
Over the years, I have collected alottttttt of stuff, including decorations, resources, and supplies. The amount of things we have as teachers becomes overwhelming, and sometimes we need to do a good purge. The summer is the perfect time to begin to dig through all of your stuff to declutter and get organized for the upcoming school year. And once you have collected all your materials, it can help you figure out what things may be missing that you need to buy.
Reach Out to Students
A really simple way to slowly kick off the school year is to contact your new students and send them a welcome letter or a fun postcard. This is a simple way to let your students know you are excited for the school year, and establishing the relationship with your students and your families early on sets you up for success throughout the school year.
Plan Ahead
Another simple task you can do is head to your district website, grab the calendar and jot down all those important dates. It’s an easy way to prepare you for days off, institute days, or any other significant events that you need to remember. I know that having these days mapped out and at the forefront of my mind gives me a sense of being prepared.
Professional Development
Do a little bit of PD on your own. I am an avid reader and I am always on the hunt for new books for personal or educational reading. Summer is the perfect time to pick up a new book on a topic that you might want to implement in your classroom this year. There are some really great reads out there, and it’s one way to prepare for the school year. I have shared a few books that I really enjoyed reading and am excited to implement some new learned strategies in my classroom this year.
Setting up the Classroom
Some teachers go wild getting their rooms all set up and decorated. Or…you can do this slow and steady. When it comes to getting your classrooms up and ready, it’s a complete preference. As the years have gone by, I spend less time and effort worrying about the bulletin boards and display because I love letting my students create what goes on the walls. Being surrounded by all of their work helps my classroom feel like home to me. Come up with a theme, do a bit of research, and come up with a plan. You can prepare by getting nameplates, labels, and those must-have items printed, laminated, and put up in the classroom.
Last but not least, enjoy your last few days or weeks of summer.
It comes and goes so fast, so soak up those final moments with your family, kids, dogs, or friends.
Do something for yourself.
I hope everyone has a great rest of their summer.
