Hi Friends!
My
school year is now OVER! Woo Hoo! Well….except for that pesky
teacher planning day on Tuesday. But
then, I’m home free!
Whether
you are new to teaching or just looking for some great ways to pack up with a
plan, I wanted to share a few things I do that make my life so much easier when
we head back to school in late summer (never Fall, huh?).
Recover
your bulletin boards.
Imagine
your packed up room: stacks of boxes off of the floor, items hidden in nooks
and crannies, etc. And all you REALLY
want to do is make your room cute.
So,
when we pack up for the year, the very first thing I do is strip my bulletin
boards and put up fresh paper. Sometimes
I spring for the fadeless paper at the local school supply store, but I mostly
use fabric!. Whatever you choose,
recover your boards & add your favorite border. If you KNOW how you are dedicating the
space-go ahead and add your headers and such.
THEN,
I put a layer of cheap plastic table coverings over the wall. It protects the color, keeps out the dust,
and it is ready to roll when you walk in. Peel off the layers and you
immediately have a fresh looking room.
Prep
for Orientation
Do
you have one of your days of planning dedicated to a Parent Orientation? We
sure do-usually the last day of our pre-planning days. And usually all of those days beforehand were
spent in meetings and training. AAAH!
Don’t let panic set in during those days. Make those copies NOW! I usually wait for the welcome letter to be
copied: you never know who on your team might move over the summer. You CAN copy the generic things that are
important for your parents: a parent questionnaire, classroom policies, etc.
I
also like to use the last few days of school to have my kids fill out a fun
booklet for NEXT year’s students! It
keeps my kids busy in a fun way on the last few days of school AND it is a nice
welcome for mu future kidlets. A bag of
goldfish saying "You are O-Fish-ally a 3rd Grader" and the booklet is a homerun!
And school hasn’t even started yet!
Copy
for the first few days & weeks
The
beginning of school is the perfect time to start with your classroom
routines. If your curriculum isn’t being
updated…make those copies now!
Morning
Work
First
Reading Test
First
Math Test
Spelling
Inventory Checks
3rd
Day of 3rd Grade Booklet
Any
Open House crafty things you like to display-do these on the first few days
when you have down time
Put
them all together in one place and you won’t be waiting in line at the copier
or frustrated when it jams and you’re waiting for the copier dude to come fix
it!
Bring
your “To-Go” bag
Have
any summer projects that you want to work on?
Laminated task cards? Rework your basal with a different approach?
Folders to prep for your students?
As I
pack things away, I have my biggest Thirty-One tote waiting nearby. As I put away my manuals and such, I will put
anything I want to take home in the tote.
Sheet protectors and binders to organize units, labels to print over the
summer, pocket folders that I’ve already laminated, etc. There is nothing worse than wanting something
that is packed away! Even if you can get
back into your room—where the heck did I put
it? Will I get to everything? Probably
not. But at least I know where my
supplies are and I have a place to put the things that I complete over the
course of the summer, too.
Pack
that ONE special box
Think
ahead-what will you need first? Stapler? Pens? Mahvelous Tape? Screwdriver?
Put
all of those essential supplies together in one place: a certain shelf, a labeled box, a dedicated
cabinet. When you walk in that first
day, it will be great to grab those essential elements right off the bat. No matter where you start in recreating your
classroom-you will have whatever you might need. I learned THAT one the hard way…lots of opened boxes. CHAOS!!
I
hope that helps you a bit as your school year winds down. I know my neck of the woods ends a bit
early and hoping this will ease that transition from school year-to summer-to
back-to-school!
