What I do (and Don’t Do) to get ready for back to school

So you’ve wrapped up another school year and it’s time to relax and enjoy summer.  But before the ice has even melted in that lemonade you’re sipping poolside… thoughts of the upcoming school year have already begun creeping into your head. 

Those thoughts may bring excitement, anxiety or a little bit of both. Maybe you’re already picturing fresh bulletin boards and your new rainbow classroom decor. Or maybe you’re just remembering how tired you were in May and wondering how you’ll do it all again!

Here are some tips for how I personally balance enjoying my summer break while setting myself up for a successful new school year.

What I do first

Before I do any other prep for the new school year, the first thing I do is go through my entire classroom and create three piles: donate, keep, and trash. I’m not worried about restocking, labeling, or even reorganizing at this point. This is about decluttering and getting rid of the things that don’t need to be taking up space in my classroom: old decor that doesn’t match my room, stuffed animals that are past their prime, glue sticks that are dried out, or off-brand products I know I’ll never use (if it’s not an Expo dry erase marker, I don’t want it!).

I keep this process quick and try not to take too long making any one decision. I donate or trash anything I don’t need or no longer love, and I only keep what I know I’ll actually use.

What I ignore until August

Getting rid of the things I don’t need anymore is the first thing I do. The last thing I do is prepping anything for individual students. Even if you get your class list in May or June, I wouldn’t do anything with this information until you’re back for the next year. Class numbers and lists are always changing, and I’ve learned not to waste time making name tags or labeling cubbies or folders too early. If your school has a Meet the Teacher event before the start of school, you may even want to wait until after you meet your students to label certain items. This might be when you find out that Isabella goes by Bella and Patrick goes by his middle name, which is actually Riley. Save yourself from having to reprint, rewrite, and relabel countless items by saving this task for last. You could also implement a number system where students are assigned a number, and this will allow you to start prepping a little earlier.

What I prep over the Summer

While I’m skipping the name tag prep until August, there are still some key things I can do over the summer – just enough to help me feel ready for the school year without sacrificing my well-earned summer break. I made a checklist for myself of things to clean, organize, copy, trash, and do over the summer. (Scroll to the end if you’d like a copy of my complete checklist!) Here are some of the items on my list:

• Clean all tabletops, whiteboards, technology, student cubbies/desks
• Disinfect fabric and manipulatives
• Organize my Google Drive or digital files
• Organize my math & literacy centers for the year
• Make and add labels for supplies, manipulative, containers, etc.
• Make copies of back-to-school forms, ready confetti, readiness assessments, and parent handouts
• Delete old emails and clean out inbox
• Take down old bulletin boards and student-made anchor charts
• Make an Amazon wishlist
• Create or edit a parent’s guide to starting kindergarten
• Repair or replace items
• Take inventory of books

How I use Summer to keep my Sundays free during the first month of school

If you’ve ever experienced that pit-in-your-stomach feeling on Sundays, you’re not alone! The Sunday Scaries are real, especially during the first month of school when you’re trying to establish routines and a positive classroom culture, all while building connections with your new group of students. As a new kindergarten teacher, I often found myself wishing someone could hand me a roadmap for the first 30 days of the school year. Have it be complete with lesson plans, routines, printables, and everything I would need for a successful start to the school year

After a few years of teaching, I had perfected a plan for the first month of kindergarten. Now I share that plan in The K Way: The First 30 Days In K. This course includes everything you need to be successful in your first month of kindergarten: classroom management systems, organization strategies, four weeks of lesson plans and pacing, directions for starting centers, and more than $300 in printable resources.

The First 30 Days in K is a self-paced course, but it’s only offered once a year! Joining the waitlist means you’ll be the first to know when it opens and it’s a smart way to use your summer. Enrolling in The K Way means less stress, fewer last-minute scrambles, and no more Sunday night scares during those critical first weeks of the school year!

If you want a downloadable copy of my complete summer prep checklist, just fill out the form below and keep an eye on your inbox!