Preparing for a New School Year

We're Back! We're Back! We're Back in School Again!

As July comes to a close I am reminded of the fact that back to school is just around the corner. One of the great things that my school started a few years ago is a "Back to School Blitz." Before COVID, groups of teachers would pile into cars and travel to the homes of students they were assigned and bring them a treat and ask their feelings about school starting. If the student was new to all the teachers they may ask them what is your favorite thing about school, etc. I have enjoyed the years that I have gotten to participate in this activity. The only year I haven't was the first summer after having my son. I am glad I stayed home that year but I couldn't wait to participate this year.

Now we have the Blitz Drive Thru style. It makes it a bit easier for teachers. 

Maybe your school doesn't have a Back to School Blitz there are still ways to get your classroom, yourself, and home/family prepared and positively anticipating the upcoming school year.

 *This post contains affiliate links but don't worry I love these products and wouldn't recommend them if I had not already used them in my own classroom.

Preparing Your Classroom

When preparing your classroom you need to think about what can be moved and what can't be moved. 

Unmovable

Electrical Outlets

I only have 3 in my classroom. :) There are certain things that have to be plugged in:

• Teacher Desktop Computer
• 12 Student Chrome books
• Classroom Air Purifier (District Mandated)
• Personal Mini Fridge

This year I did something a bit different. It required getting some extension cords however, I am loving it. I moved my personal fridge and the Chromebook station. 

Bulletin Boards

I have three bulletin boards in my classroom. I like to utilize all three so I make sure that furniture is not blocking them. 

Two of my boards are for Whole Brain Teaching: Super Improver® Wall and AlphaHawk Wall. Both of these are easy to set up and then I lock. That is part of gamifying my classroom. To learn more about Whole Brain Teaching visit their website. 

My third board is by my classroom door so it is above my calm down area and classroom mailboxes. I have some great Mindful Breathing Posters from Calm Ahoy Kids. I love having visuals that my students can utilize while they are taking a break. 

Whiteboards and Interactive Boards

Where your interactive board is will play an important role in your classroom set up. Unfortunately, mine is not centered in the classroom but at least there are magnetic whiteboards on either side.  

Since I have an interactive board and a document camera my whiteboards serve more as extra bulletin boards. One has everything to organize our day: Daily Schedule, Calendar, Days in School, and our Focus Wall. The other is half my whole class incentive game: Starries and the other half is behind my desk and I use it to hang clerical items that myself and a substitute would need to have easy access to. 

Permanent Shelving

Thankfully I have a few cabinets in my classroom (more than the other teachers in my hallway) but I have to decide if I am going to use the cabinets and shelves as storage just for me or storage that the students can access as well. 

My teacher cabinet is on wheels which means I could put it anywhere but presently I have it between my door and my student hooks. My student hooks are another part that can't move and helped determine where I put some of my moveable furniture. 

Air Units

So I have the pleasure of having air units that take up floor space. I am also not allowed to put shelving in front of them. The great thing is they are metal so I can use them for magnet center for both literacy and math small group time. 

 Moveable

Teacher Area

This will be my third year in this classroom space and I think I finally have the perfect setup for my teacher area. My goal for my teacher area is for it be easy for me to access but not my students. My must haves in my teacher area:

• Desk with my Computer
• Read Aloud Library
• File Cabinet
• Office Supplies
• File Drawer Cart for my copies

Small Group Area

Okay there are multiple things I need here but my essentials are:

• Horseshoe Table
• Cart for Supplies and Manipulatives
• Shelf for Student Data Binders

I prefer the horseshoe table more than kidney tables because I am a bit vertically challenged and it's hard for me to reach across a kidney table. The cart and shelf are essential because I do a lot of progress monitoring so having each students data binders at easy access is great. I also do most of my work at my small group area so my laminator sits on top of my wooden shelf. I like the 4 drawer cart because it holds a lot and it makes the area look nice and neat.

Student Seating

You may have a choice between tables or desks. I had to work really hard to get my tables and I am still wait for a 4th round table. No matter what you choose for seating you have to decide how you want it arranged around the room. I arrange my tables in a horseshoe like manner around my carpet. If you choose tables you have to decide about supply storage. Read more about that in my Student Accessible Shelving section. 

Whole Group Area

During whole group instruction my students sit at the carpet. So there is a lot of things that are close to my carpet area. 

• Bookshelf with the read alouds for the next 2 weeks to a month. 
• Chromebooks (this is mostly because there is an outlet close by but having it by the carpet makes it easier for the students to access.
• Bench that stores some center tubs and also where I sit during class meetings and read alouds. My bench is actually a piece of shelving that a teacher didn't want and I use it as a bench. I always recommend your first few years teaching and first few in a new grade or building to always check out furniture teachers are getting rid of. Some may be minimalist and purge every year. 

Student Accessible Shelving

I am a bit of a minimalist when it comes to shelving mostly because I use Sterlite 3 drawer carts for the students cubbies to hold all their supplies and that takes up floor space. 

Back to Shelving

• One Shelf is for all the student choice activities for Soft Start time and Indoor Recess. 
• Another Shelf has our privacy offices, lap desks for independent work time, and literacy/math center choices
• Students can also access crates under the coat rack.
• My bench in the front has activities they can choose from as well.

I have worked really hard the past four years in kindergarten to get all my shelving on wheels. Sometimes it took some trading but to me it was worth it because...

1. I can easily move the shelves to clean under and behind. Custodians are not as great as they were when I started teaching. (I wish my custodial husband could move to my building.)
2. If supplies gets behind the shelf we can easily get to it.
3. At the end of the year I just wrap the shelves for the summer deep cleaning and it is one less thing I have to pack. (Here's hoping I don't have to move rooms soon.)

Comment below anything you think I missed in preparing my classroom.

Preparing Yourself

You want to make sure that you start the year giving your class you best. In order to do that prepare your mind, body, and soul.

Mind

Giving your mind rest from school is crucial for summer break even if it is just for a few weeks. I teach summer school so my summer break is really about 4 weeks before I head back to my classroom to start with the setup but I make sure that I do at least a full 7 days unplugged from summer PD, social media, and all things school related. To some reading this that may not be hard but for others like me you have to make assertive step to unplug and reset the mind.

Worrying about the next school year is not going to help you be better prepared. However, I say that to say this. Planning and mapping out your school year either at the end of May or one week in the summer is going to ensure you are less stressed and overwhelmed during the school year. The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek is a great program that I joined over 5 years ago and has really helped me. 

Body

It's important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself physically. Try not to binge too much on your weeks off of school eating junk. I love summer break because I can make myself a veggie scramble almost everyday of the week and I am not able to do that during the school year. Easy steps you can do for healthy eating:

• Support local farmers and buy local produce at a Farmers' Market. This maybe dear to my heart because my parents sell produce every Friday April-September at our local Farmers' market. 
• If you are going to have sugar try to limit it to once a day unless there is a special occasion. I get it: I had a cousin get married this summer and multiple birthday celebrations. You can enjoy the sugar just don't overload.
• Summer is the perfect time to establish a movement routine. Notice I said movement. LOL just a little bit everyday is better than nothing. I use to binge watch during the summer then I would need more visits to my chiropractor. 

Soul

In my opinion in order for me to be able to give my best to my students I must spend time before I head to school in prayer and God's Word. That may seem like a HUGE time commitment and yes it does mean that I get up 40 minutes earlier than usual but I can tell a difference on the days I sleep in. 

Summer is a great time to:

• Start a new study! Teachers in the Word have amazing studies. I have done all of them! 
• I presently have been using The Bible Recap as part of my daily devotions. It's great and I am learning something new almost everyday. That is saying a lot since I have been reading the Bible since I was young, raised in church, and went to a Christian university.
• Start a prayer wall or bulletin board and next to it have a praise wall. I place prayer requests on post-it notes and when they are answered I write the date and move them over to the praise side. I also do this with my Sunday School class and my Wednesday night girls club (1st & 2nd graders). 

Preparing Your Home/Family

Your home and family are precious and dear to you. Protect that sacred space by considering household chores, meal prep, and scheduling. 

Household Chores

I learned almost 10 years ago to not save all your chores for one day a week. There are so many resources of how to split up your chores throughout the week. Here's a specific post on that to inspire you. Also, if you are not the only one in the home make sure that you separate out chores amongst everyone there so that one person isn't doing everything. For example, I start the laundry and put it in the dryer and then my husband does the hard and tedious part of folding the laundry while he watches TV and I put it away. 

I also do not save all my laundry for one or two days. I do one load of laundry every day and spread it out. If I miss a day then I just double up on another day. For more insight on that check out The Organized Housewife. 

Meal Prepping

I don't do any chores on Sunday afternoon except meal prepping my breakfasts and lunches for the week. I also plan my dinners for the following week on Friday before I head to the grocery store on Saturday. Having a dinner menu for the week posted is helpful for my family. 

• Meal Prepping Breakfasts
• Meal Prepping Lunches
• Meal Prepping Dinners

Schedule

Have I mentioned the Pray & Plan Planner by Teach 4 the Heart? Anyway in July I call and schedule as many appointments I as can through December. This include haircuts, etc. Now yearly appointments I schedule a year in advance and I try to do a week or two before the beginning of school. 

I would also recommend not starting your sleep routine for school cold turkey the night before. Give your body a week or two to get use to it. I start my school year sleep routine the same time I start working back in my classroom. 

The important thing to remember is if you start your year off planned and organized you are more likely to not to have stress on top of back to school jitters. 

Have a blessed year!

Sarah ~T is for Teacher Mama~