Top 10 Back To School Ready Tips!

It’s almost back to school time, profes! If you want to avoid the back to school chaos, here are my top 10 tips for being back to school ready!

Before School Starts

In no particular order, here are some things you can do ahead of time that really help get the new school year off to a good start! Being back to school ready starts here!

Reset your sleep habits! Make sure you are well-rested and start adjusting your bed time to get closer to school sleep and wake-up times. (I feel like this is especially important the older you get. I’m not OLD old, but I’m old enough to notice a difference in my energy level!
Schedule a visit or 2 with those friends you don’t usually see during the school year. I hope I’m not the only one that has these friends… they’re true gems! When you get together, it’s like no time has passed! But in the crazy of the school year, you may not see each other often.
Take the time to pick out your outfits for the first week or 2 of school. This seems like such a silly thing, but if your school clothes have been stored, or not looked at in a while, take them out! See what fits, what you feel confident wearing. Get everything ready to wear makes your mornings easier and lets you start your first days of the new school year feeling strong! (I have a tradition. I buy a new first day of school dress every year! I saved my first one- it will now be 26 years old. And no- I cannot still wear it! : (
Try to schedule a few appointments before school starts. Get your teeth cleaned or your eyes checked, and eliminate the stress of trying to fit those in during the first weeks of school.
If you are the detail-manager of the family, another thing that really helps me free up some head space is taking care of any gifts and cards that will be needed during the first month of school. Birthdays or other special events happen every month. But having those things bought, wrapped, addressed, etc. before school starts takes something off that mental list that I always have going!
Plan a last hurrah! For some, it’s a date night with their partner. For others it might be a girls trip, or a late night out. Maybe it’s a treat, like getting your nails done, a massage or a new outfit or purse. But make time to celebrate yourself! Teachers work hard and give 110%. Give yourself a treat! This helps me mentally feel back to school ready!
This one is important for the ones that come after…. Set up a time to meet up with your work besties! If you haven’t seen them over the summer, invite them for a catch up date! There is always so much to talk about! But better in a social situation than when you’re trying to get your work done at school.
Ughh- I wish this was not the case, but it just is. And I have made peace with it because doing this brings me so much more peace later. Make plans to go into school before your first day. Decorate your classroom. I have done this every which way. Alone, with my children, with my husband and even asking student helpers to come in. The key is to streamline as much as possible, especially if this part doesn’t bring you great joy. I put things away at the end of the year in groups, so all the stuff that goes in the front of the room is together. I make a new bulletin board and cover it over with newspaper or something else, so all I need to do is take the covering off. But having my room organized and ready before students arrive is a must for a calm start for me.
Another one I wish was not true, but just is…. In addition to setting up your room before school starts, I am a HUGE advocate of having 2 weeks worth of lesson plans ready to go. After I set up my room, I come back the next day. I close my door. (I already had that meet up with colleagues, so I don’t feel the pull to go chat and say hello to everyone!) I write my plans for the first 2 weeks of school on a Google Doc. And I make sure everything I need for week 1 is created, posted and copied. There’s no bigger time suck than being 5 deep in the copy line and person 4 jams it! So many other “to do’s” come up during the first weeks of school… having everything I need to teach ready to go is a non-negotiable for my back to school ready plan!
Last but not least…. Open House Night… or Meet the Teacher Night, or whatever your district calls it…. I dread this night. But some of the angst is taken away when I make time to get my presentation ready ahead of time. I now use a template that I change the detail for each year. It took me some time the first time I created it, but now it takes me 10-15 minutes to change up when I’m available for extra help and any other details. When that night sneaks up on me- I don’t need to panic. I know my presentation is ready to go!

Back To School Ready Doesn’t Have To Be So Horrible!

I hope some of these tips are things you can see yourself working into your end of summer plan! Educators play such a critical role in the lives of the children they teach. It’s important work. But it can be draining and stressful. Having systems in place to combat some of the pressure points can make being back to school ready a snap! Have a great year!