Preparing for the New School Year

Posted by Kellie Hayden Aug 11, 2008

For many teachers right now, our brains are a whirlwind of ideas and worry about what we need to do. Here are a few tips to keep you sane:

Be Prepared by Learning New Ideas & Helping Others

To learn about interesting ideas, attend good professional development workshops. This can happen in summer or during the school year. For seasoned teachers, try to become a teacher leader. Good teachers need to stay in the classroom, and young teachers need good mentors.

Be Prepared for the Open House

Right before students arrive early on the first day of school, school districts generally have an open house. These events can be pleasant or they can be painful. Try to have a successful one by organizing the room to be informative and neat. Parents can learn quite a bit by browsing bulletin boards, wall displays, table displays, and posters in your room. Make sure they are taking away positive ideas.

Be Prepared for Rowdy Students

Generally, middle school students give their new teachers about a week of a "honey moon period;" they behave. After about a week, they become comfortable and some become disruptive. In addition to posting classroom rules, have a ton of classroom management strategies ready. This is best way to avoid sending a stream of students down to the principal's office. Keep those disruptive students talking in classroom discussions instead of making you crazy.

So, in order to have a great beginning to the school year, be prepared. It keeps you sane and happy.