The Best of the Back to School Round Up

By the end of last school year, I was completely burnt out.  Very unlike my "usual self", I made the conscious choice to NOT spend my extra time during summer to plan, go to workshops or conferences, read educational books or even think about school. I read books for pleasure, traveled, and spent lots of time with friends and family.  The summer flew by;  and I started YEAR 37 (egads!) last week with a renewed energy and excitement for teaching!!

If you're having a hard time trying to get back into the swing of things, not to worry; I've done it for you! Here is a roundup of tried & true thoughts, ideas, and activities for going back to school! Click on the pictures or on the links to read more.

What is it that makes summer such a sweet time of year? It's that feeling of relaxation and lazy days. . . now that's hard to do when there are lessons to plan and papers to grade, but. . . HERE are 3 tried & true tips to keep that summer feeling!

These 3 tried & true tips to start the school year off right might not be what you are expecting! No prep, no cost; social emotional learning (SEL) at its best! Spending precious class time on non-curricular activities seems counter-intuitive. But developing trust within the classroom and fostering relationships is well worth the time spent and critical to a smooth school year. Here are three tried & true activities to build community and foster connections amongst students (and teacher)!

I LOVE picture books! I've read them to all ages and grades (& to adults!) Picture books can elicit deep discussions, set the tone and classroom culture, plus they're so much fun!  Here are three tried & true picture books to begin the new school year.

Keeping my students' families informed of class events, upcoming assignments & deadlines, school activities, as well as student behavior, is a top priority. Since I tend to be a little bit of a control freak like things organized, I'm proactive (& I don't like excuses); giving plenty of advance notice and reminders to my families.  Here are my top three tried & true  QUICK parent communication musts.I don't know about you, but the worst part about being back in school for me is having to worry about breakfasts and lunches again. I'm a big fan of meal prepping so I don't have to think in the mornings; just grab and go! Here are three tried & true quick & healthy breakfasts on the go!

I hope these tried & true tips help you to have a smooth start to your school year! Click on the links below for more terrific teaching ideas!

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