The summer has been a blast. All those days poolside, those nights out with family and friends, the vacations, the barbecues, but now it’s time for the proverbial alarm clock to go off. It’s time to go back to work!
While you may yearn to relax up until the very end of the summer, the week before school is an essential time to prepare for the new school year. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to set your plan for success.
Prepare your Classroom
Make sure you are allowed into your classroom (or classrooms) as soon as possible and set it up. The sooner your work environment is in order, the sooner you’ll be in the correct mindset to succeed. This is your time to see to it that your walls are decorated with encouragement and expectations for your new students. Creating a safe learning environment starts right away.
Map out Your Daily Routine
By now, you should know your schedule for the new school year, so now’s the time to figure out how you are going to micromanage your life around it. Carve out time in the afternoon and evenings for planning and grading, as well as your fitness, and your social/family life. If you are taking courses for professional development, make sure to lay it all out and know what you honestly can and can’t do. You don’t want to burn out in the first month of the year… or any month!
Have Your First Three Weeks Planned
Ideally, you’ll have your first 3 months of the year planned, but we all know how hectic the start of a school year can be. If you can have a solid amount of planning started, you’ll be able to ride the waves of the first few weeks with a little more ease.
Learn About Your New Students
Take a look at your rosters for the new year. This is a chance to reach out to colleagues who taught the students the year before and get a scouting report. It will help to go in with an idea of the personalities you’ll be educating before the students even arrive at your door.
What are some of your tried and true practices the week before the school year begins?