It’s the same every year: summer vacation comes to an end all too quickly. Just when you were starting to get used to your ‘teacher on holiday’ lifestyle (which may have involved you starting a new hobby, doing a bit of travelling, or perhaps some volunteer work), August comes along and you suddenly realise that preparations for the new school year need to happen sharpish.
This article will outline just a selection of the things that every teacher will need to check off their list before autumn term starts.
Decorate your Classroom
Pinterest and other classroom décor inspiration sites have made it easier than ever to find amazing classroom decorating ideas that can inspire a revamp of your classroom décor for next term. Sheets of classroom rules, posters, reading nooks, bulletin board displays, and the class calendar are all areas that can be considered for a radical makeover, and your pupils will appreciate the creative and inspiring environment you have tried to create.
Establish the Classroom Rules
You may already have years of experience in classroom management and believe that you have seen every type of pupil personality there is, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do a bit of extra thinking and planning for establishing the new rules for your classroom. Could a new reward system inspire your pupils to make a little extra effort in class? How do you want to approach class discussion exercises? There are tons of teacher-aimed resources that relate specifically to classroom management and tons of different points of view from teachers on what works and what doesn’t. Make some time to refresh your classroom management style and I’m sure the pupils will respond positively.
Find Some Ice-Breaker Activities
Your students are now one year older and the expectations placed upon them are obviously becoming greater. Plus, you may have a couple of new faces joining your ranks, so it’s a good idea to come up with a few ice-breaker activities for the first day. By going around the class and asking everyone to name their favourite subject or book, you get a glimpse of their personalities, motivations, and preferred learning styles. You can use these insights to your advantage and either make students write their thoughts down for you to read later, or you can make your own notes for yourself during the class discussion.
Arrange The Desks
If done correctly, giving your classroom a different layout refreshes the energy in the room and can improve pupil productivity. Think about the following things when considering a new layout for your desks: are you planning on doing a lot of group work this year? If so, consider having clusters of desks rather than rows. How does the sun come in through the windows? Make sure that you account for different times of day; avoid placing desks in the glare of bright sunshine. Can every pupil see the board? You may need to don your specs and try out every seat in the class to check this. What’s your teaching style? Are you a bit of a ‘mover’? If so, check that you can get around every desk easily. Do you need to make special arrangements for pupils with additional needs? All of these things need to be considered, so take the time to get it arranged right.
Find some 5-minute tasks
When your pupils have finished their work and you want to discourage chatter whilst the others are still working, find some quick and easy activities for them to do. Before the school year starts, you may want to gather a folder together of worksheets and printables , or you may even want to check out some games online that you’re happy to let them play in between lessons. This Teaching Resources curation list is filled with quick activities like this and is suited to primary school-aged pupils.
Find your Supplementary Resources
Make your lessons in 2014 more interactive and exciting by utilizing the latest smart-tablet technology and scour the web for the best educational apps around. Or think of ways in which you can ‘mix it up’ a bit in your lessons and incorporate sound, visual slides, and even social networking sites to keep your pupils engaged. Consider things like setting up a class blog or class Pinterest account and invite your pupils to read and contribute. The emergence of technology in education is becoming increasingly commonplace, so make sure that your pupils are ahead of the curve and confident in expressing themselves through an online medium
Of course there’s much more that teachers need to plan before the new term starts, but the suggestions listed above should make for good starting points. If you can think of any more suggestions, please share your tips in the comment section below.
