As I write this school is set to begin in a little over four weeks. Even though I know this, I still get annoyed when people ask “when is school starting?”, I always reply “don’t remind me”. Though I love teaching, having some down time in the summer has been nice, and I’m just not ready to go back…yet.
To ease my way back into the groove this week I am going to do some tasks that don’t require too much brain power (aka - NO LESSON PLANNING, and NO GRADING). I will spend one hour max on school this week! Here are the tasks to accomplish this week…
Here’s a quick video with my tips, or skip the video and read the 3 tips!
1. Get the lesson plan book ready to fill out (paper or digital - you choose!). I use a monthly calendar with big dates - first day of school, modified schedules, etc., and a weekly calendar for specific lessons.
I used this Digital Planner from Lessons for Learning on Teacherspayteachers (I purchased for $12.)
2. Fill in dates that you know right now (first day, last day, vacations, etc.). Here are some events to include in your lesson plan book (you may not have these dates yet, but be on the lookout for them as school approaches):
First/last day of school
Teacher workdays
Holidays (no school)
Modified schedules (assemblies, testing, early release, etc.)
Back to School Night
Open House
Grading periods
Standardized Testing Dates
3. Locate or find out how to locate the curriculum (either textbooks, curriculum maps, or email a site or district contact on where to get these materials - other site and district employees may be on vacation and not return your email, so be patient).
*I am aware that doing work during a break is most likely outside of working contracted time. I choose to spend this hour to set up because I know it will save me hours later. :)
