Unsolicited Back to School Advice #EdChat

Unsolicited Back to School Advice

Created with DALL-E

It is that time of year again where teachers all over the country are getting ready to head back to their classrooms. Some are heading to their very first classroom. It can be a scary time for new and veteran teachers. There might be new admin in place, a new curriculum, might be rolling out, or a host of other things that can up the anxiety level. With all of that in mind, I thought I would share some unsolicited advice that might help any teacher get through the back to school butterflies. 

1. Focus on what you can control

The most important thing when it comes to back to school jitters is focusing on what you can control. You cannot control the new admin, or the new procedures in place for dealing with tardy students, or the broken stall in the bathroom from last year that is still not fixed despite multiple work orders having been submitted. You can control the way your classroom looks, the welcoming environment that students feel when they walk through the doorway. You can control the bulletin boards, and flexible seating. You can control how you greet the students at the door for each class. There are so many things you cannot control that can drive anxiety levels, up, but, there are so many thinks you do control in your classroom that help create an amazing learning experience for your students. Focusing on those will help kick the year off in the right direction. 

2. Note important school dates on your calendar

Hopefully your school releases a calendar that has all of the important dates marked. These should be school breaks, PD days, testing dates, etc. Mark these down in your calendar or plan-book (Do people still use teacher planners?) so you are not surprised later on when a lesson needs to be cut short or interrupted by a week of testing. This is also nice if you plan to take some of your personal days and you need to plan around school events. Make sure to check your school policy on using personal/sick days. If you are in a school that has a use them or lose them policy, keep that in mind throughout the year. Mental health is important and you need to make sure you use your days to support physical AND mental health issues. If you can help yourself, how will you be able to help others? Mark all of the important dates in your calendar so you will not be shocked later in the year. 

3. If your new, find out who does what and write it down

Being new to a building is tough for lots of reasons. You are hit over the head with the new teacher training and you can easily be overwhelmed with all of the new information being tossed your way. If you are not give a list of names with phone numbers, emails, and jobs, it is important to create your own. You should create a quick cheat sheet that has the name, numbers, and emails of the people in charge of various parts of the school. Administrators, office assistants, maintenance, school counselor, school nurse, etc. Anybody that you might need to call quickly or email. Most importantly, ask a veteran teacher how to get certain things done. Sometimes there are proper channels of getting things done and there are ways to get things done quickly. You only learn these things through experience, so connect with those who have it so you can learn it. I learned that one of the office assistants loved pumpernickel bagels. Whenever I got bagels for class or for the department, I would get one for her and drop it off at her desk. My forms were always processed quickly when dropped off throughout the year. Sometimes a little grease can get the wheels moving. I learned that from a veteran teacher after a couple of years. 

4. If you are a returning veteran teacher, keep an eye out for the newbies

There are going to be some bright eyed teachers stepping into the building for the first time with lots of crazy ideas of what teaching is going to look like for them. It is important to adopt these younglings and help guide them through the process so they do not burn out and you are forced to start the hiring process all over again. Provide them with the wisdom you wish you received as a new teacher or did receive thanks to an awesome veteran teacher. You might be thinking, "Am I a veteran teacher" and the answer is probably yes. It seems to have happened over night, but you are a veteran teacher now. I usually say if you can make it past the 5 year mark, you finally understand that you don't know everything and can start to learn and share with those around you. Find those teachers that need the support and help them be successful. 

5. Focus on growth

The last thing I want to share is the value of embracing the mistakes you are going to make. They are going to happen and you need to be ok with that. More specifically, learn from the mistakes and look to be better next time. Connect with a veteran teacher and talk about the mistake. Focus on growth this year. Whether you are new or a returning vet, by focusing on growth, you can be better. That is what we want for our students, so we should model that for ourselves. Every single teacher is on their own personal journey that makes them who they are in the classroom and as a person. If everyone is focused on growth and helping those around us with their growth, we can all be better in ways that make the entire school better for everyone. 

I know you did not ask for this advice and there are plenty of other things I could share with you, but I wanted to keep this short and sweet and let you explore the different ways to manage the back to school butterflies. Teaching can be tough, but it has an amazing community that is ready to support any teacher looking for help. Never be afraid to say, "I don't know" as long as it is followed up with, "but let's find out". You've got this, so go an make the 2024/2025 school year the best one yet.