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Start of a New School Year Teacher Checklist
20 May, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- The importance of a back to school teacher checklist.
- The best ways to start the new school year.
- Where the latest Teacher jobs are and how to apply for them.
It’s that time of year again, back to school! The summer holidays are over and it’s time for Teachers to get ready for the new school year. The first few weeks of school can be stressful and nerve wracking for Teachers and students, so it's important to ensure a smooth, productive and efficient start to the academic term.
A checklist can be a great way of ensuring that Teachers are organised, aware and up to date with everything that the class will need over the coming months.
The importance of a Teacher checklist
Teachers are known for being busy, juggling multiple tasks and being responsible for the academic success and wellbeing of their pupils. With so many jobs and responsibilities to juggle, it’s crucial to be organised and keep track of everything.
As the old saying goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail! Following a checklist enables Teachers to make sure they have everything they need for the new school year.
All of this can help with wellbeing, reduce stress and prepare you for a successful and rewarding school year.
New school year Teacher checklist
A new school year Teacher checklist includes:
- Prepare the classroom.
- Decorate and keep up to date with displays.
- Get to know your pupils.
- Establish classroom routine.
- Plan your lessons.
- Get your resources ready.
- Get everything ready the night before.
- Catch up with any changes or new school procedures.
Prepare the classroom
This should be at the top of your back to school checklist as you want your students to set foot in the classroom and immediately feel welcomed and ready to start learning as soon as possible.
The classroom will be your second home for the academic year, so it's important that you make it your own, and create an environment that is safe, comfortable and friendly for your students.
Some pupils can be nervous and don’t like change, and with a new classroom and Teacher it’s important that you prepare the classroom for their arrival and for yourself to feel comfortable and confident.
Make your classroom ready by organising your desk and ensuring that you have enough equipment, stationary and tools for your pupils. You could also prepare by labelling shelves and drawers so everything is easy to find and so that your students can find their way around the classroom without any obstacles.
This also ensures that your classroom stays tidy and neat for longer and teaches students to be respectful of their environment and equipment.
Decorate and keep up to date with displays
Creating the right environment for learning is crucial, and that includes making the classroom visually appealing and engaging for your class.
Decorate the classroom with colourful displays, timetables and posters that are informative, engaging and effective.
Ensure that your classroom is unique to you and your class. Ideas include a birthday calendar on the wall and changing displays and charts throughout the year with different themes and seasons.
Get to know your pupils
Find out as much as you can about your pupils so that you are aware of any requirements or needs and the best way to communicate with the class.
No doubt some pupils will be nervous about a new Teacher and want to know more about you. Think of some fun and different icebreaker activities to discover more about the class and things they have in common, or unique traits and facts.
Maybe put some name cards at their desks and other personal touches to make your pupils feel welcomed while also helping you get to know them.
Create opportunities to get to know your pupils and ease some of the pressure of meeting new people and getting used to a new environment and school year.
Establish classroom routine
It is essential that Teachers determine the rules and routines of the classroom and set some realistic goals and high expectations. Give your pupils a greater sense of responsibility by implementing rules that ensure the classroom runs smoothly throughout the school year.
Establish a start and end of day routine with an alternating rota of classroom jobs e.g. put books away, stack chairs etc.
A fair system which alternates responsibilities for pupils can help students get to know each other, form friendships and set them up for a successful school year.
Set expectations
It is crucial for Teachers to set clear expectations and goals for each student and the best time to do this is at the start of term. Teachers' back to school checklists should include a list of expectations in terms of a homework policy, end of year goals and standards.
Sit down with your pupils and take the time to express your expectations for the year. This might be a set of rules, a board or chart with things to keep in mind, as long as your expectations are known or even displayed somewhere in the classroom so that students can see them and be reminded of their importance.
You want to be firm and fair at the start and as the term progresses and you get to know your students, you can make some changes.
Plan your lessons
As you know, it is important that Teachers plan their lessons for each subject in advance. This level of organisation, allows Teachers to prepare the class for the upcoming schedule for the year ahead.
Pre-prepared lesson plans for the first few weeks of school gives Teachers the opportunity to get to know their pupils without the worry of planning. Having detailed lesson plans that are prepared weeks in advance is essential, especially if your class progresses ahead of schedule and you find yourself overwhelmed by the workload or needing to create lesson plans.
Get your resources ready
Once your classroom is ready with a good layout and design, do yourself a favour and make sure you have the right resources at the ready and print out or order the essential plans, notes, resources, etc.
The last thing you want is to be stressed and worried about resources during your first week back to school after the summer holidays. Why not create your own back to school checklist for students and parents to make your life easier? Think about what you need to be effective as a Teacher and what students need to learn and thrive.
Get everything ready the night before
This might be easier said than done but Teachers can benefit personally and professionally from preparing their lessons, clothes and lunch the night before work. A well-planned day helps teachers start the day on a positive note.
Being prepared ahead of time can help Teachers to keep calm and focussed should any unforeseen circumstances arise.
Catch up with any changes or new school procedures
On your back to school Teacher checklist, it is important that you have a reminder of some sort to make you aware of any changes or new school procedures. Communicate with your peers and fellow teaching professionals in order to stay active, social and up to date with any changes in school procedures.
Teaching jobs
If you’re searching for your next teaching job, why not take a look at the latest teaching vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Recruit teaching staff
As a specialist education recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their temporary, permanent and temp-perm staffing needs.
We currently work with hundreds of schools and have exclusive access to some of the best Teachers and Teaching Assistants in the North West.
If you’re struggling to fill a teaching vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher
Secondary schools - Liam Jones
SEND schools - Jamie Heath
Meet Jamie Heath
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West.
We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way.
We operate in two sectors:
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