Back To School Tips For Teachers

As we approach the beginning of the new school year, we as teachers are focused on preparations to ensure a smooth transition from holidays to the classroom. After a very challenging 2020, I think we are particularly mindful of how and what we prepare, so that we can feel ready for anything!

Preparing for the school year

Get to know your students.

School files are the first thing I would recommend reading when preparing for the school year. Note down anything you think may be needed, such as birthdays, allergies, asthma or other medical issues, students with specialist reports that indicate adjustments are needed within the classroom, and even siblings & parent names. Put all this information into a table or spreadsheet for easy reference. Read it well. As you all know if you have been following along for a while, connecting with students is so important to learning no matter what age or stage they are at. Getting to know students and showing a genuine interest is a fantastic starting point.

Resources
Choose digital resources. Choose a digital resource that saves you time and helps you focus on adding value rather than spend time in day to day activities. For back to school time, it’s best to take some time and do your research with these resources! I have chosen the sponsor of this post, Matific with this section in mind. Digital resources should be engaging, yes, but also teach in the way you believe to be best for your students. I like that Matific teaches problem solving skills and encourages critical thinking. Planning is also made easy for teachers, especially with their predefined and easily customisable scope and sequences for all curriculums in Australia. Tasks can be assigned with one click for each student or for the class and you can generate custom reports. Each student has their own login and can be monitored individually.

Look at your plans and programs for the term and determine whether any resources may need to be found, purchased or made. I love using rocks with permanent marker letters/numbers/mathematics symbols etc and various loose parts. Sensory materials can also be very useful. Most teachers are probably well aware of the potential use of laminated items;) Open topped boxes/baskets/containers tend to be best for storage and accessibility. Make name rocks, especially for younger grades. They are as simple as writing student

names on rocks with permanent marker. Having a basket of these central to the space means they can quickly grab their rock to place in photos of their work for documentation, for assessments or to send home to parents. Often my students use a name rock just because they have created something and want to capture a photo of it before all the pieces are packed away.

Read your school policies

Especially policies concerning programming! This is not usually an exciting or favourite thing to do, but entirely necessary before beginning planning for the year. Double check for end of year emails that may indicate changes to programming that needs to take place for the coming school year too. Connect with other teachers working on the same grade and stage as you if time has not been allocated for you to do so in the initial staff development days. It's important that colleagues collaborate as this is the most efficient way to plan and can lead to a more balanced outcome. The ideas a team comes up with are usually more creative and considered, not to mention it's more fun than sitting in front of a screen alone. Obviously maintain social distancing during meetings at this point in time. Check in with supervisors if you are at all unsure of anything. If you begin programming and you are questioning yourself it really doesn't hurt to ask someone who is more experienced for advice or to check what you have done so far. Even very experienced teachers know that others with a different viewpoint can bring clarity. Asking for assistance can save time, and can sometimes mean avoiding having to completely redo something. 

Classroom

Prepare the classroom!!!! The absolute favourite bit of preparation for many teachers. We need to start by considering the needs of our students and the very practical aspects of classroom organisation. Where might there be congestion in the space? What do we want to be happening in each part of the space? Does it need to be divided up somehow? Do you have line of sight wherever you are in the space? Classrooms ultimately need to be comfortable, inclusive and reflective of all who share the space, flexible, and have resources that can be easily accessed by teachers and students when needed. Consider carefully all you add to the classroom. Yes, make it light and happy! Add student names to a well chosen type of label with a theme if you wish, to label trays, lockers, cubbies, bag hooks, etc. A 'Welcome to Prep Koalas!' type sign is also lovely. Keep in mind that some students find classrooms to be visually overstimulating and overall your aim to invite students into a shared space that they all grow to feel ownership of. Often this means starting the year with less rather than more classroom decor, then carefully making decisions as to meaningful future classroom decoration additions.

Other

Delete old and unneeded emails and unsubscribe to companies that you do not wish to receive emails from. This will streamline and free up communication channels. If you haven't already done so make files for emails too. 

Organise your desk! Make sure you have everything you need, especially pens, post its and

white board markers. Keep it simple, with only the items you need. Make sure you have a water bottle ready for use and a bag that can carry everything you need to carry to and from school. I find having a laptop case that fits perfectly in my bag really helpful when preparing for the day. 

Ensure the phone in your classroom is connected and works.

Check internet coverage in all areas of you classroom. Check all devices in your classroom

work well and are correctly set up.

Decide on a way to grab student attention that is kind and can consistent. We all like to know what is expected of us and using a consistent method helps student feel comfortable. I have a small bell that I use for this purpose.

Have a large sheet of paper ready to co-construct an essential agreement, or a set of class rules. I like to add their handprints in paint around our essential agreement, but also love when older students sign their names or use fingerprints too.

Connect with other teachers beyond those people you immediately work with, and other school staff (office staff, cleaners, maintenance, executive). Feeling part of the school community and finding yourself happy at the place in which you work is wonderful!  

Rest. Relax. Breathe. And enjoy the excitement that is there at the beginning of the year. Day dreaming about wonderful learning moments and feeling like teacher of the year is most definitely allowed;)

The start of this year is a little different

As a last point, I would encourage us all to consider the challenges that the holiday period may have presented our students. With restrictions, uncertainty, financial implications, and the weariness that all feel when they hear of more Covid related news, our students and their families may have had a difficult, perhaps not-so-restful break away from school. We need to be prepared for more than the usual unsettledness that comes with the start of the year and focus on establishing positive connections with students and families, as well as setting in place a solid and peaceful rhythm for our classes. I hope your preparations bring great success to the year ahead for you and your students!

A big thank you to our sponsor Matific for asking me to write this post. Teachers check out this brilliant resource! Matific now offer the resource to parents who would like their children to use it even if their child's school does not offer it. I am happy to offer a discount code to join up! For 20% off use the code: