How to Get Your Classroom Ready for Next Year

You might be wondering if I am totally crazy. After all, it is only June and summer has just begun, so WHY should I be thinking about getting my classroom ready for next year? Yes, we all need to take time to unwind, relax and enjoy our break, but if you want to have a smooth transition when it's time to go back to school, starting your preparations early is key! Instead of stressing out at the last minute, you can start doing little things now that will make your life so much easier come August!

This month, I wanted to write a round up post highlighting some of my favorite tips from other teachers to help us all have an easier time getting our classrooms ready for next year.

Jamie, from Diary of a Not So Wimpy Teacher, talks about how she prepares for next year BEFORE summer break! Her tip about parent volunteers is brilliant. Even if you don't have your class list yet, there's lots of things you can do now to prepare for fall!

Dorothy's post, from Prep In Your Step, is actually geared towards helping students prep for back to school, but a lot of her advice is helpful, and she covers the importance of not only physical preparations but also mental preparations. It's important that we remember self-care all year long!

Sometimes you just have to be realistic and know that not everything will be perfect, and some things may have to be put off in the short term. Teaching With a Mountain View shares a realistic look at what must be done and what can wait. A perfect post for dealing with overwhelm!

Jessica, from What I Have Learned, has some great tips on planning all the nitty gritty aspects of curriculum, units and even daily lesson plans. She makes it look so easy! Very well organized, and she has a great website she uses to make all those beautifully organized plans.

Last, but certainly not least, is my friend Jackie from Room 213. She goes a step further by talking about planning for the end of NEXT year. By planning way in advance, you gain the advantage of time. You'll know exactly what to expect next May, and you'll be sure you have all the crucial curriculum out of the way before the kids eyes start to gaze longingly out the window at the sunshine. Her suggestion of planning backwards is a great strategy that will help you not only at the beginning of next year, but the end as well!

What's your favorite tip to get your classroom ready for next year?

8

End of the Year Survival Kit for Teachers

WE MADE IT! The end of the year is finally here. Almost. This time of year is often stressful for teachers, and tedious for students. There is so much to do and the clock is ticking! Teachers all over the country are scrambling to complete their requirements, and find filler activities when there's extra time or trying desperately to keep their students attention during the last few days of school. I wanted to do a round up of some of the best posts I've seen with ideas on how to survive the end of the year!

First off, 2 Peas and a Dog has a great post about survival tips for teachers for the end of the year. Kristy has tips for students of all ages in this post so there is something for teachers of all grades! The ideas here are sure to keep students' attention even in the last couple days of school.

Laura from Corkboard Connections shared an amazing post last year featuring 20 Creative Ways to Encourage Good Behavior at the End of the Year. These tips can be catered to nearly any grade level. She collected some awesome ideas from a large variety of teachers from all over. Definitely some awesome ideas here that I would not have thought of. You'll certainly want to check that one out!

Upper Elementary Snapshots featured a post from Kristin at One Stop Teacher Shop and she shared the 5 things teachers must do at the end of the school year. Often we get so caught up in the whirlwind of activity that we forget to pause and reflect. She touches a little on preparing for next year which is a great segue into the next article I wanted to share...

Jamie also covered 5 things teachers should prep before summer break, but she did hers from a slightly different angle. Her post is geared a little towards elementary teachers; saying that, a lot of the suggestions carry over to middle and high school classrooms as well!

Finally, Managing and Motivating Math Minds shared 8 Mistakes Teachers Make at the End of the Year. This post is chock full of good stuff! Sometimes we become lax in our final days of the school year, but Kacie shares why it is important to stay strong and don't let the students take over! Her tip about having students do their part to help pack up is genius! Help them burn off all that extra energy! :)

Of course, there's also my post from last year from the Secondary ELA Blog Hop. In it, I talk about looking ahead to next year. A little planning ahead can make your back-to school season so much easier. At the bottom of that post, you'll find a link up with some other great secondary ELA teachers who share their ideas about looking ahead to the new year!

What other end of the year teacher tips do you have to share?

14