Summer is about enjoying the little pleasures of life…..sleeping in past 6, sipping coffee leisurely, eating lunch at a real restaurant (as compared to the teachers’ lounge), trading Common Core reading for romance novels. Summer is also the perfect time to conquer some of those pesky classroom projects that have been lingering on your to-do list. Pick one or two that will be most beneficial and alleviate some of the back to school stress. Here’s a few ideas:
1. Organize classroom library: My mom was a reading specialist and I was lucky enough to inherit a large library, but was overwhelmed by quantity and storage options. I purchased dish washing pans from the local dollar store, organized books by topics and then printed labels for the bins. My students continuously put books in the wrong bins, which drives me nuts! I decided to print labels to place on the front of books to help students return books correctly.
2. Purge files: The vast majority of my curriculum is saved on my computer, yet I continue to hold onto unnecessary paper copies. I purged most of my files and was able to consolidate 2 large filing cabinets into one small cabinet that fits perfectly by my desk. Less paperwork, more space is a win-win!
3. Assemble centers: Engaging, differentiated games and materials are imperative for successful, productive center time, yet preparation can be laborious and time-consuming. Purchase a few center game books and prepare centers while catching up on Netflix. (Check out Ebay for great deals on popular center books.)
4. Begin Back to School prep: The beginning of the year can be so daunting–there is always so much to do and such limited time. Tackle a time-intensive project so it’s one less thing to do during back to school craziness. I assemble a class set of Golden Keys to Success construction paper pocket books to store all of their Back to School activities.
While thinking about your summer projects, be sure to check out our Best of Back to School Lesson Plans that includes comprehensive first week lesson plans and 50+ interactive, engaging activities that allows you to maximize summer break and minimize Back to School stress.
To help ease into summer fun, sign up for our FREE Kindle Fire Giveaway here http://tinyurl.com/oehe7z4
