Summer break is just about over, and school is just around the corner. Teachers may not be ready, and their students probably aren’t either. However, it is best to start preparing for the inevitable and getting ready to return to the classroom. If teachers are being honest, this is probably not something that most of them exactly look forward to, but it doesn’t have to be a painful experience.
What are some actions teachers can do right now to prepare themselves for the start of school?
1. Start waking up early now
Depending on the start of your school’s required onboarding or beginning of the year professional development, you may be forced to do this anyway. It is highly recommended to start waking up earlier and adjusting your body to the shock of a daily school schedule. We tell students to do this, and there is a reason for that. You can’t perform well when you are tired, and your body is not ready. The easiest way to avoid that is to gradually adjust yourself now before your class schedule forces you to.
2. Lesson plan
The biggest headache for a lot of teachers is academic planning with most complaining they have no time. So, it only makes sense to start planning now to avoid the time crunch that comes along with the daily hustle of school. It’s also just a best practice for making rigorous and aligned lessons.
3. Prepare around problems you had last year
Remember that task that you hated last year that you wanted to fix but never had time to? You have time now so fix it. Maybe this is the arrangement of furniture in your class. Maybe it is the organization of your bookshelf. Maybe it’s the format of your long-term plan. Whatever it is, change it now so it doesn’t cause you a major headache down the line when you don’t have the time or energy to change it.
4. Shop smart
You probably have school supplies to buy. Do yourself a favor and shop smart. Teachers don’t get paid enough to shop with reckless abandonment.
Buy in bulk at places like Costco, Sam’s Club, or Aldi. You may pay more now, but it will save you a ton of money down the line.
Start at thrift stores for your books. It’s way cheaper and the kids are just going to mess them up anyway.
Find out how your school’s reimbursement program works. Keep your receipts for both your school reimbursement process and your own personal tax deduction.
5. Enjoy the rest of your break
Obviously, most of this information centers around preparing for the start of school, and you should. However, don’t forget to enjoy the last few days of your break. Making sure you are ready to go back to work isn’t the same as going back a week early. Start getting yourself in the mindset while still allowing yourself to do the activities you won’t be able to do during the school year.