6 Back to School Tips

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I wanted to share with you a few back to school tips now that July is winding down.  I also wanted to help every teacher from going CRAZY.  I’m going to get BRUTALLY honest here, so bare with me 🙂

1.  STAY AWAY from Dollar Tree and Target Dollar Spot.  SERIOUSLY.  Sometimes teachers can be a little school supply crazy.  Now, do I mean NEVER go shopping there? Of course not!  These are my go to spots for getting things I NEED.  Key word, NEED.  My advice here is to know what you are looking for before you go.  If you go through the aisles “just to look” you will be 100$ poorer in about 30 seconds.  Make a list, stick to it, and splurge on only the necessary items you really do need!

2.  Think BIG picture.  Don’t focus on the little things first.  Sometimes we can get caught up in the cute folder covers or the teacher toolbox trend.  Not that these things are not important, they are just not priority.  Start with the main ideas for your classroom.  Think about the big things like: floor plan, furniture, daily schedule, student visual supports and much more.  Once you have the overall floor plan, you can move on to the little things that DO matter.

3.  CHUNK IT UP.  Now that you’ve got the “big picture” taken care of, start to chunk it up.  You can go about your classroom set up in many ways.  My advice is to make a list, chunk it up, and tackle each section at a time.  Complete each item before moving on to the next.  Sometimes it can give you unnecessary stress if you have 20 million things half finished.  Finish things, and MOVE on.

4.  DON’T BUY EVERYTHING ON TPT.  That might be bad marketing on my end since I am a seller on TpT.  But I cringe when I see new teachers buy everything they like before they even meet their students.  Focus on the core things first such as visual supports, behavior management and communication needs.  Get to know your students in person, not just by their IEP.  Once you meet them- you will have such a better understanding for their needs.  This will help with your planning and shopping too!

5.  Make sure you LOOK READY, even if you are not!  Now, I don’t want you to go into your first day of school unprepared.  By no means do I want you to slack off.  But what I really mean is, start your day off looking presentable.  Be calm, confident and honest when meeting parents for the first time.  Make the parents feel like their child has a home in your classroom.  Every parent wants their child to feel safe.  Lastly, make sure you have all of your parent paperwork ready to go home.  Every parent wants to believe they have an organized teacher, so prioritize THAT.

6.  Manage your TIME wisely.  It is so important to prioritize your time to meet the needs of your kiddos.  The first day of school is right around the corner.  There will never be enough time to get everything done.  Prioritize and manage your time down the second.

If you follow these 6 tips, I KNOW you will be ready for when those kids walk in on their first day!

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