Ever wish you could head into summer already feeling ahead for next school year? We’re sharing five simple but powerful ways to tackle teacher back to school prep before the school year even ends, so you can enjoy your break without that looming to-do list hanging over your head!

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/teacher-back-to-school-prep/

Resources:

• Freebie: End of Year Roadmap
• Guided Discovery of School Tools 
• First Day Pattern Block Activities 
• First Day Lego Activities 
• Looking Ahead, Looking Back Bulletin Board
• Teacher goodie bag ideas
• Peanut Butter Barebells
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 7, The Secret to End of Year Survival
• Episode 62, End of Year Awards: 5 Reasons You Should Rethink This Classroom Tradition
• Episode 188, Ending the School Year Strong: 3 Steps to Help Teachers Thrive in Term 4
• Episode 193, Why Smart Teachers Start Planning for Next Year in May

Mentioned in this episode:

Try the Teacher Approved Club free for 10 days and get one perfectly timed, research-backed strategy each month—plus support from Heidi and Emily to help you actually use it when it matters most. Start your free trial at https://secondstorywindow.net/trial

Get dressed without the stress! Visit https://fashionfixmn.com/secondstorywindow for a special offer featuring a personalized body shape analysis, style quiz, and free closet clean out workbook just for teachers.

This is episode 194 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Window, where we give research based and teacher approved

strategies that make teaching less stressful and more

effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from

each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to

the show.

Hey friends, thanks for joining us today. In today's

episode, we are sharing five smart ways you can prep for back

to school this May, and we'll give you a teacher approved tip

to do something special for your teaching teammates.

Let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick

win that you can try in your classroom right away. Emily,

what is our prompt this week?

This week, why not try a morning meeting remix? Just take

one element of your regular morning meeting routine and give

it an unexpected twist.

I love this idea. It's especially helpful this time of

year when things might be feeling a little bit stale. So

if you usually do a standard greeting, you could try having

your students greet each other with a compliment instead. Or

try adding a quick new activity, nothing that's going to take a

lot of work on your part, but something like a daily joke or a

question of the day, or a would you rather of the day.

Oh, I love it. Small changes like this can really

refresh your routine. It is all about that balance of routine

and novelty that we talk about a lot here that helps keep

students engaged. Your students will love surprises like this in

the middle of a daily routine, and it often just leads to more

engagement during a time when energy is probably flagging.

Plus, it's a no prep activity that still packs a big

impact. Just one small change can make the whole morning feel

fresh again.

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on

the podcast, which you make our day by taking a second to give

us a five star rating and review on Apple podcasts.

So today we are talking about five smart ways to get

ahead on back to school prep while you are still in your

classroom this May. I know some of you might be giving us the

side eye right now, and that is totally justified, but hear us

out. In last week's episode, we talked about why May is actually

the perfect time to start thinking ahead to next year.

It really is. When you're still in the classroom, all

those pain points are crystal clear. You still have your

classroom fully set up, and you can even test things out with

your current students. Plus doing a little bit of planning

now can seriously reduce your back to school panic later and

lighten your summer mental load. And who does not want that?

So today, we're getting super specific with five

actionable things that you can do right now in the month of May

to set yourself up for success when you return in the fall. And

none of these things will take hours after school. These are

quick wins that will pay big dividends when August rolls

around.

All right, let's dive into our first task for smart

back to school prep in May. What's up first, Heidi?

Well, the first thing you can do in May for back to school

is to save your old crayons, your markers and other supplies

to use during the first week of school. This solves a problem

that drives me crazy every year. Students are using their brand

new materials before they know how to care for them properly.

Especially if you have funded these materials yourself, there

is nothing sadder than watching a fresh box of crayons get

demolished within like three days because you haven't had

time to teach crayon procedures yet.

So before you send students home with their supply

boxes at the end of the year, or before you toss out those half

used items, set aside a collection of first week

supplies. So grab the stubby crayons, the markers that still

work but aren't quite as vibrant, or those colored

pencils that are a bit shorter but still have life in them.

Store these in a bin labeled first week supplies, and tuck

them away for August.

When students arrive next year, they can use these good

enough supplies for all of the get to know you activities and

the practice work before you teach your supply procedures and

break out the fun, fresh, pretty new stuff. This saves all of

those new supplies from getting destroyed, and it gives you

something to use until you have time to teach those procedures.

And honestly, this little step takes almost no extra time.

You're just redirecting things you'd probably toss or send home

anyway, but it'll save you so much frustration in those first

days back.

And you might even want to save some supplies that are

in really bad shape, like a couple of dried out glue sticks

or the whiteboard markers that have the tips jammed inside.

Yeah why do kids always do that? But hold on to a few,

because those really beat up supplies are the perfect bad

examples to show when you do your procedure lessons,

especially if you use the Guided Discovery method that we love.

We will put a link to our Guided Discovery for school supplies in

the show notes. If you don't have it, you're gonna want it.

Okay, what's next, Heidi?

Well the second thing you can do to get ready for back to

school is to set up a three bin system before you leave your

classroom in May. This is such a game changer for staying

organized over the summer. Instead of having everything

jumbled together, or worse, scattered between school and

home, or maybe even school and home and your car, you create

three distinct spaces for things.

So bin number one is labeled summer working. This is

for any material you actually plan to work on over the break.

That might be new curriculum to review, books you want to read,

or laminating you need to cut out. If you have goals for

working in the summer, it's helpful to have your resources

in one place.

This is handy because if you have to pack up your room

before summer, like so many of us do, you're probably cramming

stuff into any available space, and that means in the middle of

July, when you need your teacher's manual, you're going

to have to dig it out.

But if that manual is already in your bin, you're good

to go. Just be honest with yourself about how much you're

really going to get done. If you know deep down that you are not

going to touch that vocabulary planning all summer, don't put

it in the summer working bin. It's okay. Just accept it.

Bin number two is classroom setup. These are the

things you'll need right away to set up your room, your favorite

posters, your desk accessories, label maker, bulletin board

supplies, all of that fun stuff.

And sometimes we call this our need first box, because

it has everything in it that you are going to need right away

when you get back to your classroom.

And then bin number three, which might be my

favorite is first week of school. This is everything

you'll need specifically for those opening days. Your first

week lesson plans, name tags, get to know your activities,

your favorite back to school read alouds, those save supplies

that we just talked about, and materials for any special first

aid traditions that you have.

I love this three bin system because it helps you

prioritize. When you return in August, you know exactly what to

unpack first. You're not digging through 15 random boxes trying

to find your lunch schedule or your welcome letter. It also

helps you be realistic about what you're actually going to

accomplish over the summer.

To make this super easy, just grab three storage bins or

even those large reusable shopping bags, label them

clearly and start sorting as you're cleaning up your

classroom these last few weeks. This might take you, what, an

extra 20 minutes now, but it's going to save you hours of

frustration in August.

Okay, Emily, what is next?

Well, our third task for back to school is to prepare as

many permanent displays as possible before you leave in

May. This is one of those work smarter, not harder, tips that

can save you so much time. Look around your classroom right now

and identify which displays stay relatively consistent year to

year, things like your calendar area, alphabet displays, number

lines, classroom rules or values and your subject area reference

charts. If these don't change much, why recreate them every

single year?

If you can leave things up on your walls and bulletin

boards, then absolutely do. Just take down what's related to this

year and leave up the rest. It's so nice if you can keep things

up and already have your display ready for you to add your new

kids names and birthdays and calendar items to next year.

This will vary a lot by school. So if you're not sure

how it is in your building, find out before you do any prep work

for next year. But if you do unfortunately have to take

everything down, you can still work smarter.

Yes, before you take everything down, take photos of

how these areas are set up. You think you'll remember, you will

not remember. Then carefully take down your core displays and

store them flat in labeled folders or large envelopes. You

could even go a step further and prepare new versions of any

displays that are maybe looking a little bit beat up, a fresh

alphabet line or a newly laminated set of calendar pieces

takes just a few minutes now, but can save you precious setup

time in August.

May is the perfect time to evaluate which displays

actually served you well this year and which ones just

collected dust. Be strategic about what you want to keep for

next year. One display that we're particularly fond of is

our looking ahead, looking back, bulletin board.

I love this one so much. It's a special end of year

activity that transitions beautifully into a beginning of

the year display in the fall. So it is a two for one win.

Yeah, this starts with your students reflecting on

their favorite parts of the year. You put their memories up

on your bulletin board or wall to enjoy for the rest of the

year. But then after the year ends, or when you come back in

August, you just switch out the title on the bulletin board. So

now, instead of saying looking back on second grade, it says,

looking ahead to second grade. Now your bulletin board shows

your new students some of the fun moments that await them in

your class. If you're interested in trying this, it's available

in our shop, and of course, we will link to that in the show

notes.

Other displays to consider prepping now are your

job chart, birthday display, class schedule and any behavior

or incentive systems. Just a little time invested now means

these won't be on your August to do list. All right, Emily, what

is next?

The fourth task you can do in May for back to school is

to create a new student SOP, which stands for Standard

Operating Procedure, and do it now, while your routines are

fresh in your mind.

Every teacher knows the mild panic of getting a new

student, especially after those first crucial weeks when you

have already taught all of your new procedures.

And somehow those new students always seem to arrive

at the most inconvenient times, like right before lunch, during

a big class project, or, you know, 30 minutes after you

started the school day.

Oh, always. So the idea here is to create a simple

checklist of everything a new student needs to know and to

have. This becomes your ready to go protocol that you can hand to

a buddy student or a teaching assistant to help them get a new

arrival up to speed.

Your SOP might include things like where to hang

backpacks, how to order lunch, bathroom procedures, how to use

classroom materials, what the signal for attention means, how

center rotations work. You know, all those little things that

make your classroom run smoothly.

And also don't forget the physical items that a new

student needs, a name tag, cubby label, supply box, folder, login

information and so on. Plus, there's all the behind the

scenes stuff of adding the parents to your communication

system and informing any specialty teachers that you've

got a new student coming. So with all of that to manage,

really the best time to create this list is now in May, when

all of your systems are solidified and running smoothly.

Right, because in May, you can clearly see exactly what

makes your classroom tick. It is hard to remember some of these

details once you have been blissfully free of your

classroom for a couple months.

One idea is to make two versions, a simplified one for

students who might be helping a new classmate, and a more

detailed one for the teacher. Once you have your SOP, you can

store it in a visible place, maybe with your sub folder or

taped inside a cupboard door. You could even create a little

welcome folder with all of the essentials that you or your

helper can just grab and go.

Or you could put it into any new student supply packs you

make. This takes maybe 30 minutes to put together now. It

will save you so much stress later.

Plus it ensures new students feel welcomed and get

consistent information, rather than just having to piece things

together as they go along.

And it's one less thing that you have to worry about in

those first few months of school. Your future self will be

so grateful when that new student shows up in mid October.

Okay, Heidi, last task, let's hear it.

Well, our fifth and final back to school task for May is

to create a first day quick win before you leave for summer. I

think this is my favorite tip, because it addresses that back

to school anxiety that sneaks up on even the most experienced

teachers. You know, when the nightmares start, and it's the

first day of school and you have nothing prepared, or you're

trapped and you can't get where you need to be. This strategy is

the antidote to that anxiety.

The idea is simple but powerful. Just prepare one key

element of your first day back now, while you're still in

teacher mode. A great option is to prepare your first morning

arrival task, just something students can start working on

immediately when they walk in.

We love pattern blocks or Legos for your first day arrival

activity. And we have got a couple of resources that you can

use just for this. So we will link to that in the show notes.

You could also prep a favorite read aloud and the

activity that goes with it, or another activity you know you'll

want to do that first day.

Just having one piece fully ready gives you an

incredible peace of mind. When that mid July panic starts to

creep in, you can remind yourself, Hey, I've already

started. I am not starting from zero.

Whatever you choose, make it something that will truly

help that first day run more smoothly. This is also a great

time to jot down any special First Day traditions you want to

continue, or new ones you want to try. Sometimes those details

fade over the summer and we only remember them the night before

school starts.

That's the worst, you're like, I was gonna do that, and

now, yep, no time. So stop that now and get your list going.

Setting up this quick first day when takes minimal effort now,

but provides maximum relief later. It's like sending a

little gift to your future, maybe slightly panicked, August

self. We love helping future you.

So let's recap our five smart tasks for May back to

school prep. Number one, save some of your old supplies so

that you can use them when you're teaching proper

procedures. Number two, create a three bin system to organize

your summer working materials, your classroom setup or need

first essentials and the first week of school must haves.

Number three, prep permanent displays now so they're ready to

hang in August. Number four, create a new student SOP while

your routines are fresh in your mind. And number five, set up a

first day quick win that gives your future self a head start.

None of these strategies should take more than an hour at

the most, but together, they'll save you so many hours of stress

and preparation in August. And if you want more help planning

for next year, don't forget to check out our free end of year

roadmap. It's a digital planning tool that helps you reflect on

what worked this year, what didn't, and what you want to

change for next year.

It's completely free, and you can access it through the

link in our show notes. You can fill it all out at once or

little by little as you have time. And stay tuned for

information soon about our upcoming teacher summer talks

event, which is happening in mid June. It's a free audio summit

with lots of back to school strategies from experienced

teachers designed to fit into your summer schedule without

requiring you to sit in front of a screen for hours.

We are excited to be sharing more details about that

soon, but in the meantime, we would love to hear which of

these five tasks you are going to try. Come join the

conversation in our teacher approved Facebook group.

Now for our teacher approved Tip of the Week, where

we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters

and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is

create welcome back goodie bags for your teacher teammates. Tell

us about this, Heidi.

We all know that first day back for teachers can be

overwhelming. There's so much to do and so little time, and

you're so tired. A small gesture that can make a big difference

is preparing little welcome back treats for your grade level team

or teaching partners.

These don't have to be elaborate or expensive. A simple

paper bag with a few thoughtful items can be such a morale

booster when you're all rushing around trying to get classrooms

ready.

Some things you might want to include are chapstick,

colorful sticky notes, a pack of markers, or some chocolate,

because, you know, chocolate does make everything better.

I love adding a small moisturizing hand sanitizer or

lotion, especially since teachers hands take such a

beating during those first weeks back, and if you can find them

on sale now, it's so much cheaper than buying them in

August, when school supplies are at premium prices.

The key is to make these now while you have a little

time, and then just tuck them away with your first week bin

that we talked about earlier. You can even add a simple

handwritten note saying how excited you are to work together

this year. But just a warning, if you add chocolate, make sure

to keep this bin someplace cool and not in the trunk of your

car.

For sure. What makes this tip special is that it's

focusing on teacher to teacher connections. We spend so much

time preparing for our students, but our colleagues are such an

important part of our daily support system.

Start planning these little welcome bags now when

you're not in a rush and you will be everyone's favorite

teammate when you hand them out during the first hectic work

day. And you know, don't we all want that a little bit?

I always want to be the favorite.

We are not above bribery here. But really it's a simple

gesture that just shows that we are all in this together.

Alright, to wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving

extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra

credit?

I'm giving extra credit to the new peanut butter flavor

of my favorite Barebells protein bars. So I think I've given

extra credit to Barebells before. Barebells are far and

away the yummiest protein bars I've ever tasted, and the peanut

butter flavor is next level. It quickly shot to my favorite

flavor, and it's not too peanut buttery, which I think is a good

thing. It's not like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Yeah, that would be a lot.

But in a good way.

Maybe I have to come steal one and see how I like it.

Yes, you should. What are you giving extra credit to,

Heidi?

Well, I'm giving extra credit to the celebrity British

Bake Off on the Roku channel. So they've done this for years. I

think ever since Great British Bake Off started, they would do

some celebrity episodes as a fundraiser for Red Nose Day. But

we just never got it here in the US. PBS didn't show it. It

didn't show up on Netflix. So I've seen some episodes on

YouTube, but otherwise, it's just really hit or miss what you

could see. But Roku started showing it, and Roku is free. It

does have ads, but I didn't think the ads were too bad, it

was just maybe one mid episode ad. And it was just really fun

to see, you know, people who can't bake try to do like the

similar activities that they do on a regular Bake Off episode.

People have no idea what they're doing, so which is almost more

fun. Do I know all of the celebrities? I do not.

No, a lot of them are very Britain specific

celebrities.

But they're still very entertaining. So if you want

something fun and light to get you through these last few

months of school, definitely check out the celebrity British

Bake Off episodes.

And when you told me about this, I immediately turned

it on and found the James McAvoy episode that I have wanted to

watch for like, what, wasn't that like 2020 or 2021? So I

finally got to watch it. No spoilers, but he did an

excellent job.

He really did. I was surprised at how well he did a

baking.

I know he took it seriously, which I think is fun,

because a lot of times on here, some of them take it super

seriously, and some are just there to be silly. And I like it

when they try really hard, and then if they fail, it's still

great, but I just wanted them to have tried hard before they

fail.

It's kind of like, if you've ever seen people around

the Olympics being like, they should always just have one

regular person in an Olympic event, you can really appreciate

how talented the Olympians are. This is kind of that, if you've

watched the regular Bake Off episodes.

Yes, exactly.

Well, that's it for today's episode. Try out some of these

five smart ways to prep for back to school this May.

And don't forget our teacher approved tip to create

those welcome back goodie bags for your teaching teammates.

It's such a simple way to start the year with positivity and

connection.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

episode.

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye, for now.

Bye.