August Dreams (September Realities) Back to School [S5 E110]

back-to-school

Listen to the full episode below:

Welcome to the back-to-school season! We talked a lot this summer about doing things at your own pace and doing PD and other school stuff on your time. We’re guessing that if you're listening, you are ready for this. 

The end of summer can be confusing because it’s often a shock to your system, while also bringing waves of overwhelming excitement. As teachers, it just might be in our DNA to have some sort of giddy excitement when those back to school supplies show up at Target! Not long after, all of these new ideas start rolling into our brain and we feel that itch to get back in teacher mode.

For us, we tend to start getting dreamy around late July. Our dreams often include things that make us feel refreshed in our classroom, like switching up the design and decor of our classroom. Or maybe it’s a new organizational hack or classroom management system that we want to try out.

As wonderful as it is to want to start all over, it can also be dangerous. We often fall into the trap of thinking that this new idea will be the quick fix we’ve been waiting for. However, we want to put things in place that we will be able to maintain long-term and fuel our enthusiasm for teaching.

That’s why in this episode, we’re going to give you a checklist of things that might balance out the ways in which you direct your energy in August. 

We still want you to bring all that energy and enthusiasm. Don’t let that fire burn out my friends! However, there are things that should be at the top of mind that should be established, or reestablished, before starting a new year. These are things that will help to set you up for a successful year ahead. 

If these are taken care of, then you can get into the big shiny objects and fun projects that excite you. 

Are you ready? Here’s our advice:

  1. Have a turn-in and pass-back process that is really well articulated (this will hold you and your students accountable!)

  2. Give assessments right away to get students familiar with rubrics and other grading policies 

  3. Have a plan for parent/guardian communication

  4. Figure out your organization system for communicating with students that have IEPs or 504s, as well as EL students (be sure you are familiar with their learning goals)

  5. Set up an environment that you want your students to experience when they come into the classroom

  6. Have a system that prepares you for the fluctuation of your student roster 

  7. Be ready for people to contest books on your list (or in your library), and your overall content in general

Take it from us, having these things in place will pay off. If you have anything to add to that list, will you send it our way on Instagram @bravenewteaching? Let us know if there’s something we missed or something that really resonated with you. We would love to share it with the rest of our community!

Topics Covered:

  • The idealization of August vs. the reality

  • Things that make us feel refreshed when we begin a new school year

  • Being realistic about the overwhelm that will hit in September

  • Going into the year with an experimental attitude

  • Our top procedures to have on your radar before your students return in the fall

  • Why it’s so important to have a solid plan for parent/guardian communication

  • What you can do if there’s a parent contention against any of your content

Resources:

Related Episodes:

More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Amanda Cardenasinspiration, advice, community, planning