Preparing for Next Year During the Summer
1. Get Organized
Summer is a great time to throw out the old. My rule is, if you haven't used it in a year, throw it out! Education is constantly changing and that means that you are constantly collecting new teaching tools. If the fear of "maybe" needing it in the future hits you, then take a picture and upload it to a jump drive. This will help to keep your paper load or clutter down.
Summer is also a great time to start labeling binders, folders, or tubs for next year's groups. Labeling your teaching resources, classroom library, and centers is an efficient way to help teachers stay on track all year long.
2. Prepare a Schedule
Being well-planned is crucial to a year's success. Summer is a great time to collaborate with your team or other staff members about next year's schedule. Layout times for core instruction, RTI, enrichment, and blocks of time for genius hour, wonder Wednesdays. This will help you when you are setting up your classroom for next year's students.
Scheduling your units of study is also important during this time! Grab your scope and sequence or curriculum guide and map out where your students are going this next year. Plan for genre studies, major projects, and assessments. It's important to have a road map lined out before the first day of school. You and your students will have a clear vision of what they will be learning this year! Do you have a high wall in your classroom? This is a great place to place a "road map" for the year. I put up a road and labeled it with the months of the year. Then put the unit names along the way. This also reminded me (and the students) to make linkages between units. It's a great way to stay on track all year long.
3. Build a List of Critical Expectations
Map out your classroom management plan ahead of time. Write out classroom expectations that the class will be able to easily follow starting on day one. More than 5 rules or expectations can be daunting to anyone, so make sure you have 3-5 simple expectations. All of the expectations should have the outcome of building a successful learning community. Some examples might be:
1. Students are Respectful
2. Students are Honest
3. Students Make Responsible Choices
4. Students are Punctual
5. Students Always Try Their Best
4. Draw a Blueprint of Your Classroom
Before setting up your classroom for next year, draw a blueprint of how you envision your classroom being laid out. Plan for areas like:
- Whole Group Meeting Area
- Small Group Meeting Area
- Classroom Library
- Student Work Areas
- Centers
- Teacher Work Area
- Storage
This will help you stay on track and plan for your most important spaces!
For more information on starting the school next year off strong, join us this June for The First 25 days of ELAR or The First 25 Days of Math!