Back to School Prep
So, it’s the end of your current school year and you’re already thinking about next year. That means you are trying to keep your life organized, and you are my kind of people. I’m a firm believer in summer time. I refuse to step foot into my school building in July – I simply won’t do it. I plan as much as I can the year before so that I can relax all summer. Here are my tips for back to school prep for next year, while you’re still in the school building this year.
Cleaning Supplies
The first thing you’ll want to do (if you’re anything like me) is clean your classroom. A lot of dust settles over the summer, especially if your classroom has been dormant. I save all my leftover cleaning supplies from this year in a box (usually an old copy paper box). The box usually has some Lysol wipes for door handles and light switches. There’s Clorox spray for table tops, and some Swiffer Dusters for the book cases. I’ve been known to bring my handheld vacuum (which I love for the stairs at home and my car). Maybe that’s a little extra – I don’t care.
Back to School Prep for your Syllabus
What screams back to school prep, more than printing out around 100 copies of the syllabus? I’m not sure that anything does. I usually have about 80 students a school year, but I usually don’t know exactly. So I always print a few extra. I also anticipate many of my students will lose their copy (which I make parents read and sign), so I have a few extras for that too. I
Safety Contract and Lab Safety for Back to School Prep
I’m a chemistry teacher so my back to school prep always involves my lab safety contract. It’s totally something I need during the first week of school. I used to use the one from Flinn Scientific when I was at my old school (where I was teaching in a retired art classroom). But now I use the one provided by my district. Considering there can potentially be legal issues regarding lab safety, I suggest you get your safety contract okayed by your school principal or district, if they don’t provide you with one. I am also required to keep a record of the labs that my students complete throughout the year. I set up the cover sheets for their lab folders at this time too.
Interactive Notebook
On the first day of school, I tell my kids to get a composition book to be their interactive notebook. I always buy a few during back to school time, when I can get them for 25 cents . There’s always a kid or two who has a hard time getting the supplies for any number of reasons.
For my back to school prep, I print out, chop up, and order my glossary. It’s about 10 pages per kid, and I hate to be “that guy” using all the paper, and hogging the copy machine during the first week. I also print my “How to Study” pages as well as my table of contents. Lastly, I make sure to order glue sticks in June and leave them in the school building over the summer. Luckily my building doesn’t get so hot that I’d be afraid of them melting or cooking. (The Elmer’s Resticks that I’ve linked are the best glue stick for INBs. They don’t crinkle the pages like some others I’ve tried. )
Picture Books at Back to School Time
This may sound weird, but at the beginning of each quarter I read my high school students a book about Growth Mindset. I think it’s good to remind them of the expectations I have for them. My goal is to teach them to think outside the box, solve problems, and grow into adults that I can be proud of. Chemistry is my means of doing that. By taking 20 minutes, 4 times a year, I give them a reminder that they can do anything they put their mind to. And they can dream big and overcome fears, all because that is how their brains are programmed.
For that reason, the first book I read is Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JoAnn Deak. I love that this book gives them the science of the parts of the brain, and teaches them about practice, failure and growth. For my back to school prep, I make sure that this book is stored in a place that is super easy to find, and I don’t need to dig through all of my things to find it. I also give a reflective worksheet with this book, and make sure the copies are ready for back to school.
My Favorite Back to School Prep: Class and Teacher Reviews
I like to give my students as many opportunities as I can to “practice” being adults. I actually call my students “adults in training.” Something I like to do is give them a chance to anonymously evaluate me and my class, just like you’d be able to do as a college student. It’s a great reflective piece for them, but my FAVORITE part is the page I give them called “How to Survive Chemistry with Mrs. Reavy.” They get to fill it out, and I see the class from their perspective. I save these and show them to the kids I’ll have next year. As part of my back to school prep, I’ll laminate them (to immortalize them of course) and put them in a folder so they’re super easy to access next year.
Get a copy of my End of the Year Back to School Checklist Here!
