4 Ways to Prepare for Back to School Before Summer Break

By the end of the school year, many teachers are ready for a break. They’re ready to take down the bulletin boards, throw out the old markers, and head into a relaxing summer. 

But before you run out into the sunshine, you might want to take a little bit of time to prepare for back to school that Future You will be thankful for. 

Next Year School Prep. 

I know what you’re thinking: “It’s time for a break. School prep can wait!” 

However, as much as we don’t want to think about summer ending, before you know it, the end of summer is here, you’re back at school the next week, and you’re dreading all of the prep you have to do before the kids start roaming the halls. 

Trust me, Future You will be so thankful that you took the time to wrap up the year with the next year in mind. Doing a bit of prep now will make next year seem way less chaotic – and you might feel more excited about it! 

This blog post shares how you can prep for the next school year as you head toward the end of your current year. These are all doable things that you can do now to set yourself up for success in the future. 

4 Ways to Prepare for Back to School Before Summer Break

Tip #1: Classroom Organization

After getting students to clean out their desks and lockers, your classroom might look like a tornado blew through. This is the perfect time to purge and declutter by throwing away or recycling broken supplies, tossing outdated materials and dried-out markers, and gathering up any personal supplies you may need to replenish for the next year.

This is also a great time to get your cabinets and drawers organized. If you are changing classrooms or need to take all of your supplies out of the room by the end of the year, create dedicated boxes for different items, like curriculum materials in one box, extra supplies that can be reused in another, and a miscellaneous box if you’re unsure. 

If you have essentials that you know you’ll need right away in the fall, put together a box that will make them easy to find. This could include sticky notes, whiteboard markers, sticky tack for your classroom decor, or some disinfecting wipes. You could also throw in a running list of things you know you’ll need to get over the summer. 

Your classroom might also have items on the bulletin boards or displays still set up. If you have items you want to reuse, like posters or decor, or student samples you want to keep, make sure you save them somewhere where they won’t get ruined or lost.

You could also save student work digitally in the cloud or on a zip drive. Add any photos you’ll want to reference later, any lesson plans you might have on your desktop, etc. 

Tip #2: Plan Ahead

Think about what worked in your classroom. Were there activities, routines, or resources that were particularly effective? Make sure you make a note of them. The same goes for things that were not effective. If you find that it’s helpful, put together a teaching binder where you can keep notes for each subject you teach. Learn more about The Importance of End of the Year Teacher Reflections.

You will also want to look at any year-long assignments that worked with your class, especially the ones that are great for the beginning of the year, that help students get familiar with routine and format so they can develop more independence as learners. 

This might include reading assignments like genre-based book reports, a book unboxing assignment, or a flatlay assignment. 

Article of the Week

You might also want to use Article of the Week resources that can engage students right away, like a School Uniforms Non-Fiction Article or a Smart Phone Addiction Non-Fiction Article. 

The basic concept of an Article of the Week is for teachers to assign students a non-fiction article each week to read and then provide time for students to develop a well-written response. Each article needs at least two critical thinking response questions. This provides students with a choice on which question they want to write a response for. 

In my years of teaching, this was the best strategy that I consistently saw growth from my students in their reading, writing, and oral discussion skills. This strategy helps students develop their own opinions after reading the text and examining the issues presented. You can learn more about my Article of the Week program here: Article of the Week Lesson Ideas for Middle and High School Students.

First Week Back

Sketch out the first week of school by planning icebreakers and team-building activities. Grab a complete package for the first week of school with this Back to School ELA Mega Bundle. This bundle includes more than 17 resources that are sure to get you on track as soon as you step into the classroom on the first day. 

I try never to leave at the end of the school year without having my first-day photocopies completed or at least easily accessible in a folder. Basic items like student information and interest forms, reading and writing surveys and Back to School Bingo. These are items I use every year, and I know will be useful for the first day as I am trying to get to know my students.

Long Range Plans

Don’t forget about your long-range plans! I’ve put together complete plans for middle school teachers that will help with planning for every month of the school year. Click the image below to grab yours to make planning a breeze. 

This is a fantastic time of year to tweak your long-range plans while the year is still fresh in your mind. Long-range plans can also help you plan out bulletin board themes for each month or have an idea of when certain holidays fall, so you’re not panicked when they come up. 

Tip #3: Professional Development

What would you like to improve on for the next year? 

The teaching profession is constantly evolving, and the end of the school year is a great time to reflect on what you’d like to improve on for the next year or explore the next year. 

I’ve put together a list of professional development books for ELA teachers that would be fantastic to check out over the summer break: 15 Interesting Professional Development Books for English Teachers. You can also check out professional development podcasts here: Interesting Teacher Professional Development Podcasts.

I’ve also put together a few professional development workshops, including this free How to Use Podcasts in the Classroom, which helps teachers with using this popular medium in the classroom. If you’re an English teacher, you can also check out Lit Launch, my middle school reading professional development online workshop, which will help you transform your middle school reading program.

The end of the year is also a great time to gather student feedback. Consider having your students write a report card for you in which they give you descriptive feedback on their year in the classroom. 

You can ask questions such as:

• What did your students love this year? 
• Were there any assignments they still talk about? 
• Is there anything they’d change in the classroom? 

Learn more about this process here: Report Cards for the Teacher.

Tip #4: For Your Future Self

Lastly, you can prepare for back to school before summer by taking some time to write yourself a note with reminders or words of encouragement. It’s easy to step into the classroom on that first day and feel overwhelmed, but your Past Self might just leave a little something to remind you that you’ve got this. 

You might also want to make a list of accomplishments while they’re fresh in your mind that you can reread in August before heading back into the classroom. 

• What were the highlights of the year? 
• Were there any outstanding students who showed you why you became a teacher? 
• Was there something funny that happened in the classroom that you’ll want to remember? 

The end of the year is a great time for teacher reflections, and they just might encourage you to reflect more throughout the year. 

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