Welcome back to the School Stickers blog! Back to school is approaching, I know, where did the summer go!? To keep your preparation as easy and speedy as possible we’ve created this quick list of essentials for you to keep a check on. You know your role 100x better than we do so we’ve left the planning other teacher specific points out.
Let us know if we’ve missed anything in the comments below and we’ll squeeze it in for future readers!
1. Gather supplies and organise your classroom
- If you’re ordering supplies online make sure you leave plenty of time for them to arrive before the first day of school.
Things you might need:
– Pencils
– Rulers
– Sticky Notes
– Folders
- Decorate your classroom in any style you like. Did you see our recent post about the coolest classroom decorations? Check it out here and let us know how you’re decorating in the comments below.
- Create a seating chart to help familiarise yourself with your students
- A really helpful tip to keep your class on track: create a plan in case you need a substitute teacher. Include class routines, class list, notes for any pupils that need special accommodations and two days worth of lesson plans.
2. Review guides and plan curriculum
- Pick up and review your school calendar, curriculum guides, teacher’s editions and any other course materials.
- Create course overviews for the year and determine resources needed for each unit- this will save you lots of time as the year progresses.
- Develop a planner for your students, letting them know what the year is going to involve.
- Create your first few weeks of daily plans.
3. Decide on your classroom management
- Brainstorm classroom management ideas, such as classroom jobs, homework routines, student roles and time management.
- Develop class rules and stick them to the front of the class where everyone can easily see them. You could save this task for the first day of school and get your pupils to participate in creating class rules (and consequences for breaking them!)
4. Get to know your students and communicate with parents
- Depending on how many students will be in your classroom, you may find it helpful to write a welcome letter to parents and students. You may also choose to include an age-appropriate “about me” sheet that students can fill in and bring with them on the first day of school. You can send nametags for younger students to colour and decorate, or a writing assignment for older students.
- Review your class register(s) and practise pronouncing student names.
- Meet with your school’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) staff to review the Individualised Education Plan (IEP) of SEN students who will be included in your classroom. This should be done prior to the start of the school year.
- Create student name tags to help you put names to faces.
- Write a list of your favourite and most effective icebreakers and “Getting to Know You” games to use during the first week or so.
5. Build your support network
Other teachers will form your support network over the next year so take the time to get to know them! Get friendly in the staffroom, you can call on your teacher friends for advice and help on projects.
You might find you make some lifelong friends along the way!
Starting to get your supplies together and ready to go for the first day back? Check out our back to school page where you’ll find all of the back to school essentials.
Did you know you can make your own classroom rewards using our unique sticker maker? You can design your own stickers, badges, postcards and even marking stamps!