Whether it’s your 1st or your 21st year teaching, back-to-school time typically brings about feelings of both anticipation and nervousness. Starting the year off strong is so important for setting a positive tone to carry through the rest of the year. A solid organized start helps to build a positive classroom culture, establish routines, and create trust within relationships with students and families.
You might be thinking, "ok, but how do I actually do that?" No worries! Keep reading and I'll offer some tips to get you headed in the right direction as well as a helpful checklist.
TIP #1 DECORATE WITH PURPOSE
Of course you want your classroom decor to be attractive, but don't lose sight of the reason why you are there. It's a place of learning. Don't go overboard spending a lot of time and money to decorate around a big theme. Instead, choose a color palette or a color family to create a cohesive space. Personally, I like to use muted colors because they are calming to me. Maybe you like brighter colors to wake everyone up? Choose what works best in your classroom but be consistent.
TIP #2 LEAVE SPACE FOR STUDENT WORK
Show your students that you appreciate their effort! Display their work proudly. (Don't display actual grades or corrections on work.) Students can take pride in their own work as well as learn from the work of others.
TIP #3 USE LEARNING DECOR
- Post a daily word/brainteaser/idiom, etc.
- Maps
- Anchor charts
- Biography posters
- Timelines
- Reference sheets
TIP #4 ROUTINES, ROUTINES, ROUTINES
Clearly communicate the rules and procedures to students from day one, so your entire class is on the same page. Continue to actively review routines and expectations throughout the first week or two. Taking time to teach routines at the start of the school year will allow your classroom to run more effectively all year long. Post the daily schedule where students can easily refer to it. Also, designate a spot to post their daily bell work / morning work so they know where to look without asking you what they should be doing each and every morning upon arrival.
Some additional things to think about include:
- What will students do when they first enter the classroom in the morning?
- Where will they put their things?
- Where will they turn in assignments?
- How do they line up to transition to another classroom/lunch/recess?
- What is the bathroom policy/procedure?
- How will small group rotations work?
- Laptop usage and storage?
- Will graded work be sent home once a week? Anything signed and returned?
- Pack up/dismissal procedure?
- Homework policy?
TIP #5 PARENT COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Be ready to provide information to parents at Open House/BTS Night. How will you continue to communicate with the parents/guardians as a whole? Weekly newsletters? Paper or digital? Any sites or apps (Google classroom, Class Dojo, etc.)?
