5 ways teachers can use summer to prep for the new school year

Even though school might just have closed its doors for summer, the new school year will be here in the blink of an eye! That’s why teachers should use some of their summer holiday to start thinking about the school year ahead, and prepare themselves for the return to school in a way that avoids any last-minute panic.

This article will look at some practical steps that teachers can take to get ready for another year of teaching and learning, while making sure they have enough time to rest and recharge.

How can teachers get ready for the new school year?

Nobody wants to deny teachers a well-deserved break over the summer! But a key part of feeling rested and ready for the new school year is putting in a little groundwork to prepare for it during the holidays. Here are some useful areas teachers can focus on to get ahead for the new school year:

1) End the year in an orderly way:

Before you head out of the school gates for the last time, make sure you’ve ended the current year well. Tidy your desk up, get rid of any clutter and things you can throw away, and file any notes and lesson plans in an orderly fashion. This will help you gain a sense of closure for the current year and start the new school year afresh.

2) Do a little research:

As things start winding down for the year, have a chat with your colleagues and ask them about things that have worked particularly well for them this year. This could involve technology such as tools to help manage workload, classroom management ideas or homework allocation, for example. Log these thoughts in a notebook that you can refer to in the summer holidays and think about ideas you might like to incorporate in your own routine.

3) Evaluate the current year and set new goals:

Take some time to reflect on the year that’s just gone, examining what went well and what could have gone better. Set some goals for the new year for both yourself and your teaching.

4) Disconnect and rest up:

Make sure you dedicate some of your holidays to recharging and ensuring you completely disconnect from work. This could involve an exotic or adventurous holiday, a day at a spa, allocating some time to a hobby you love or reading some books that have been on your list for ages. Time just for you will leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the new year when it rolls around again.

5) Create some back-to-school lessons and activities:

Think about ideas for activities and lessons for the first week back ahead of time. Don’t wait until the final week of the holidays to do this, you’ll feel stressed and rushed. The earlier you get this out of the way the better! Try to think of enough material to last you for the whole of the first week back and remember to include icebreaker activities to help ease students into the new school year.

Would you like to learn more about technology to help you prepare for the new school year? Contact the friendly team at Utility Rentals today.