We all know that the beginning of any school year is crazy. There are more things to do, copy, print, and make than I can count. While I don’t spend a ton of my summer working on school stuff, there are 5 ways to prepare for a new school year that make my life easier.
Disclaimer: If working on school-stuff during the summer isn’t your thing, I totally get it. Do what’s best for you. As I mentioned above, I don’t do a ton for school during the summer, these are just a few things that help me.
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What are the 5 ways I prepare for a new school year?
Fill in Important Dates in My Planner
There’s something special about getting a new planner. For me, it’s a reminder that a new school year is a fresh start, and something I look forward to no matter how great the previous school year was. So what do I fill in?
- Basically, anything I know doesn’t change from year to year like holidays, special occasions, and certain units that I know get taught at a specific time of the year (like Red Ribbon Week).
- This is not when I fill out meetings (I don’t know when they’ll be), or specific lessons, or even things like spring break (the dates change from year to year so I hold off on writing this in).
- Also, if I know I will need time off for already scheduled doctor’s appointments, or weddings, I write those in so I can remember to request time as soon as we get back to school.
If you’re looking for a planner, I’ve been using an Erin Condren Teacher Lesson Planner for the last 7 years and it is absolutely worth every.single.penny.
Gather First Week Copies and File Stuff that I Shoved Random Places
One of the ways I prepare for a new school year is to look through files from the past year, and organize/purge as needed.
I’ve shared the system I use a few times on Instagram, and it’s always a fan favorite. It’s so simple, and something I wish I would have done years ago.
- Grab a milk crate. I grabbed the one you see a few years ago at Target. It was $4, and a steal.
- Grab some hanging files, and label them by the week. I don’t have separate files for each subject, but you could. I have these:
- I put in my master copies (because if I print it once, I don’t want to have to print it year after year) and have them organized by week.
- It makes planning so much easier. I might have to look at the next week, and shift a few things around depending on how they fall each year, but it hasn’t been an issue.
- Seriously…do yourself a favor, and have this ready to go before school starts again.
While I go through files for the whole year, I make sure I’ve got the copies I’ll need for the first week of school labeled with the number of copies I’ll make, so that it’s an easy grab and go to the copier.
Prepare and Organize for Meet the Teacher
Each year, I feel like Meet the Teacher sneaks up so quickly. Spending a little time over the summer to make sure it’s ready to go is time spent.
I’ve been using my editable meet the teacher stations and forms for the last 7 years, and every year, parents and teachers comment how helpful and organized Meet the Teacher is.
Print/Laminate/Cut Behavior Incentives
Because I frequently create new behavior incentives, I don’t have all of them prepped, and honestly, I don’t usually want to do it during the school year.
I use the time I’m binge-watching my favorite Netflix shows to laminate and cut. It’s mindless, but it’s a task I’ll have finished, and won’t have to think about until next summer.
You can read more about how and why I use behavior incentives in my Positive Classroom Management post.
Write Down Ideas on Lists so I don’t Forget Them
I actually start writing ideas, and reflecting on what went well, and what I’d like to change in the spring of the current school year.
I add to the lists whenever a thought about the next school year pops into my head.
This is also where I look during the summer if I decide I want to accomplish something school related.
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