Summer Planning for School

Posted by Kellie Hayden Jun 12, 2008

As I sit writing this blog, I am mentally checking off the items in my pool bag. The sunscreen is getting a little low, and I need to buy some more healthy snacks.

Summer Planning is Less Stressful When Completed in the Sun

However, I am also thinking about next school year too. I love having time to think through issues of the following year in a low stress environment. Here's a short list for newbie teachers of middle and high school students to do over the summer:

• Read books or textbooks that you may want to use in the classroom. It is much easeir to read them on the beach than during the school year when you are trying to juggle grading, family, and over a hundred students.
• Rethink projects you did this year. Look at what worked and what did not. This is a great time to tweak those projects to make them better for next year. I love to think about those items poolside.
• Skim lesson plans and units from last year. Does everything fit together? Could units be moved or deleted? Do new rubrics or assessments need to be created? Are any indicators not being taught?

Remember, summer is a time to relax and refuel for the following year. However, the best school years start when planning begins during the summer, poolside.