This post may contain affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small compensation from qualifying purchases. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
Final count down to the end of summer
July 4th has come and gone and now there’s some things I need to be thinking about before I return to school on July 30! Just saying that, and looking at the calendar to see that I have three more weeks before starting the “routine” again, kind of gives me a little anxiety!
What routine? Getting up early, staying up late, barely sitting down in between that time, the need to “schedule” my bathroom breaks, not eating properly due to trying to get all of the little things done on my breaks, trying to compartmentalize “all things school” from “all things family” and feeling overwhelmed! Not to mention unprepared and sometimes a complete failure at all of that multitasking! Whew! Even writing that down makes me want to go crawl back in bed.
No! I can do this! That’s my mantra. Repeat several times!
If you’re a teacher in Arizona reading this, you know all too well that it’s “Count Down” time to 2018/19 school year. It’s time to start thinking about our first days of school! Here’s how I start doing that.
First, let’s break it down into manageable steps: (this is mine for my special needs preschool). Keep in mind it is only for the first few weeks, or first month, of school.
- Decide what stories we will read the first month of school. I start here because story time is a cornerstone of our day. I have so much fun with our stories! More on that later.
- Create a plan around those stories (everything is based around the story and theme)
- Objectives/benchmarks
- Props for story
- Music and movement
- Welcome and rules
- Set up each interest area
- Decide on Small-group activities
- Type lesson plans
- Prepare visuals, props
OK now that I have it written down and have created a checklist I realize I need to add one more very important thing.
- PLAN FAMILY TIME!
❤ I think I need to put #5 to the top of the list because let’s face it, the minute I walk back onto that campus, relaxing time away with family becomes a faded memory. What about weekends, you ask? Ha! My answer would be, “what about laundry, dusting, cleaning, bathing the dogs, grocery shopping, church?” I’m leaving so much off of that list because it’s likely all of those things don’t fit into a weekend and there are things I have to do for school on top of that. Getting away with the family? Just not usually happening on a weekend. Now let’s add this to the list.
Plan for family time on fall break! Winter break! Spring break!
So our new list looks like this:
[ ] plan some family time and fun activities before school starts! Include Fall, Christmas and Spring Break now if possible.
[ ] choose at least 2 stories (we usually read the same story for a minimum of two weeks)
[ ] Write/type objectives
[ ] Search for and decide on visuals, props and activities for story time. (Write them down) create them later.
[ ] List the vocabulary for word wall (Type them up)
[ ] Brainstorm songs (music/movement) to go with the story & beginning of school concepts, welcome- getting to know each other activities.
[ ] Create some fun ways to introduce our schedule (routine) & rules.
[ ] List materials and ideas for major interest areas in the room. Dramatic play, blocks & floor play, science center, writing center, sensory area – touch table, outside
[ ] Brainstorm small groups. (art activity, fine motor activity, story related cognitive activity)
[ ] Plan individual time with each child. (IEP goals, TSG growth)
[ ] List ideas for workboxes, morning activity
[ ] Type lesson plan
[ ] Print visuals, create props, start collecting materials (this can be done when teachers return but many hours that week are spent in meetings)
Just getting this final list down makes me feel better, how about you? I encourage you to make your own list and start checking it off while you can do it leisurely. Break it down 30 minutes to an hour over several days or knock it out in two or three hours in one day. Might not even take that long!
If you are interested in this list print it here.
Remember: “why re-create the wheel when there are so many great ideas out there already?”
