Being a teacher comes with a lot of responsibility. Some of the many tasks of a teacher are educating her students, setting up the classroom before the first day of school, preparing homework, and responding to students’ questions and comments. Of course, the beginning of every school year comes with meeting new students, learning new names, decorating the classroom, planning the learning curriculum etc. In this article, we’ll go through some back to school tips for teachers. You might stumble upon some tips that can help make the preparation a little easier on your side.
Students Names
It might sound easy, but learning your students’ names can often be a challenge for many teachers. There’s always that teacher who says, ‘She’s good with names.’ However, there’s also the other one who can’t get anyone’s name straight for the first few months of the school year.
A great tip for learning the students’ names is to have assigned seats for everyone. This helps you identify the seat with the name. Additionally, make sure you set a name tag on every student’s desk beforehand atleast for the first week of school. This way, on the first day of school, everyone can easily find their seat, and you have a great cheat sheet at eye level.
Lesson Plan in Advance
Prepare a rough draft of your lesson plan for the first week of school. Although it is subject to change, you will still have a direction in which you are headed. Being prepared before you meet your students and begin the curriculum is one of the most important back to school tips for teachers we can give.
Overall Classroom Environment
The first week of being in the classroom sets the tone for the rest of the year. It’s very similar to a first impression. If the teacher sets a positive tone and clear expectations of classroom behaviour, expectations, the daily schedule, when class starts, etc., that is what will go for the rest of the year. Make sure to jot down your rules and expectations of the students and repeat them throughout the first week of school.
Classroom Decoration
Think of yourself as a student entering your classroom on the first day of school. Make it an exciting, colourful, warm and welcoming atmosphere. Add images and banners, and go the extra mile to give your students the welcome they deserve.
Check out our Back to School Tips Article.
Interaction With Parents
Parents are concerned about how their child is doing at school. Reach out to the parents early on and share a word or two about how their child is doing. Whether you send a message or phone call, the parents will trust you and know that you care for their child’s well-being.
Get the Little Tasks Out of The Way
Try to get the little things out of the way, whether it be making copies of worksheets, sharpening those spare pencils in the drawer, collecting books for the classroom, or organizing your desk drawers; these are small tasks that you can get out of the way before the school year starts. Although you think you may have time later, why not get it done beforehand?
Have Some Icebreaker Activities on Hand
The first few days of the school year can be stressful and awkward for students. Having some icebreaker activities on hand can change the whole vibe of the classroom. In general, have an educational activity or game planned for the first few days of the school year just to get the students out of their summer holiday mindset and back into the learning and educational mindset.
Plan for a Sub
Have a binder ready for when you need to use a substitute. Although we all hope we won’t be in that situation, it sometimes happens that we fall sick and can’t make it to the classroom. Once you have a binder ready for that day, you don’t have to stress about preparing it when you’re sick.
Interact With Your Colleagues
Maybe your fellow teachers have some tips that can help you. Be friendly with your colleagues, and don’t look at it as competition; you’re all in this together. Remember that all teachers have the same goal: to educate their students to the best of their ability.
Conclusion – Back to School Tips for Teachers
The start of a new school year is challenging for everyone involved. Throughout this article, we discussed some tips and tricks that can lead you to a stress-free year. The many responsibilities of a teacher can get overwhelming, and many of our back to school tips can be a big help. We discussed things like having a sub binder ready, being prepared with some icebreaker activities, preparing lesson plans in advance and setting the tone for your classroom. The first few weeks are a critical time for your students. They will take time to wash off those summer vibes and return to learning mode. Be patient with them and aim to make this year the best one yet.
How do I prepare to go back to school as a teacher?
Some of the few things you can do to prepare for back to school as a teacher are to prepare your lesson plan, decorate the classroom, have copies of worksheets and homework pamphlets ready, and lastly, have some icebreaker activities prepared to whip out when needed.
Why should teachers plan ahead of time?
Planning means the teacher can enter the classroom prepared to teach the material. There’s no need for her to scramble around thinking of what new concepts she will be teaching today. Everything is prepared from the day before, and her head is clear to start sharing the material.
What are some icebreaker game ideas?
There are many icebreaker game ideas. Bingo with getting to know you questions is a popular one. A classmate scavenger hunt will usually get everyone on their feet. Another favourite is Two Truths and a Lie, which is generally a big hit.
