The Teacher's Top 10 for Back to School

Don't you just get a little giddy when they start putting out  all the new school supplies? They deck the isles with bright yellow and reds and stickers that say ninety- eight cents for glue. Maybe that's just the teacher in me that loves the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and there is no better desk decor than a recycled soup can with a ribbon tied round it and a bushel of new yellow number two pencils within.

Starting the school year is exciting because it always means a new start, a fresh look, a new chance. Both my husband and I are educators and I chuckled the other day when I purchased a calendar notebook and moved the inserts so that the year began with August- as all years do if you're a teacher. August is spelled- organization. It smells of pencil shavings and folders, blank calendars and new lesson plan books.  The local school supply store is budding with excited teachers and shiny new supplies. Teachers and homeschool moms alike are getting organized for the new school year. So let's get out our freshly sharpened brand new no.2 and take inventory to see if you have everything you need this year. Here we go!

1. Get a Positive Outlook.- If we don't have this, we need to stand in the school supply aisle a little longer. No, really, this is essential for a successful school year. Take your calendar or lesson plan book and write in or paste typed phrases throughout the weeks so that you have a little ray of sunshine and motivation when things get gloomy. It will also help you remember that you determined to be positive back in sunny August. 

2. Get Real Expectations. -As teachers we tend to be over the top sometimes with a hat for every possible job. Let's make a decision to focus on one goal this year. It may be- be more organized, have more fun, know your students better, be more helpful to colleagues,  or plan ahead.  Focusing on one thing will allow you to achieve that goal and end your year on a positive note as well.

3. Get Prioritization- Stephen Covey provides a useful organization tool in his book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".  I've recreated it here for you to help you organize and prioritize before you get too far into your school year. If you have a clear focus of what you will allow yourself to be focused on and when, you will minimize your chance of becoming stressed and increase your chance of becoming productively peaceful! Hey, that sounds great! This is something I'm learning to do and it DOES make a difference!

4. Get your Goody Bag Stocked- No joke, as a teacher, sometimes you need a "pick me up". So make sure you use some of your back to school bucks to buy your favorite healthy snacks, candies, water bottles and tea bags, sodas (we call it Coke here in the South) and more to help you get through those days that aren't so peachy.  No matter what comes unglued, I can always have my Dum-Dum sucker which are happily placed in a mason jar on my window sill. ;) 

5. Get Encouragement- Ask your friends and family to write you little notes of encouragement for you to stash when you need a word of cheer to keep you going. (Hey, and you write one for a teacher friend as well. You might start something.) Put up pictures of your family and friends around your classroom. Your students like to know you're human and not some strange back breaking space alien who lives at school all year round. (Yes, that is what they think.)

6. Get a good Planner. - It never ceases to amaze me how hard it is to find the perfect planner. It's like buying the right purse! In case you do not have a planner, I have a couple of styles that might appeal to you via Tools for School Teacher Resources. They are downloadable and you can print them on your own paper. This one is free!

7. Get your first day in order. - The first day is by far the most important day of the year. It's the first impression and will set the stage for a great year or shake you up for a while if it goes array.  So while you're sifting through new faces, papers and other first day stuff, make sure your students are loving what they're doing. Provide plenty of fun time for them and expect very little the first day. Make it easy for them to obey and to love what they are doing! Here are two FREEBIES for you!

8. Get your YEAR in gear. - The more pre-work you have done in getting things ready for the year, the more smoothly your year will go. Having things in place like file folders with seasonal activities and newsletter templates can really help.  Planning your field trips ahead of time and even having a folder for each month will help you feel in control and calm. Here are some newsletter templates to help you out.

9. Get your Escape Days.- No, I do not mean to skip school! I mean days you put on the calendar during breaks or weekends where you plan a date with your hubby or a day out with your friend, a family picnic or a vacation. These are important and seeing them already tentatively planned on your choice planner will give you a little something outside of school to look forward to.

10. Get Some Love. - The most important thing is to care about your students and when you do, they know it! Send them a card and tell them you're glad they're in your class. They are much more likely to be motivated or at least compliant if they respect you and they respect you more often when they know you respect them and value them. Find the good in each one and see what you can inspire. Isn't that why you're teaching after all? :)

Hopefully, you'll have a checklist full of checks the beginning of this school year that you can feel good about! There are a lot of things to do to get your year in gear, so get going! Oh...and here's your first "thank you": Thank you for being an educator; whether or not you see it, you are making a difference! Here's to a wonderful year!