I have no gift for subterfuge. In a former life, I coached debate, and when students made a poor argument, I always had to hide my face behind a ballot. During the height of the pandemic, I often appreciated my face mask because it hid shades of astonishment, disbelief, and amusement.
Because I can’t keep them quiet any longer, I have to share these back-to-school secrets. The start of a new school year is uncertain, energizing, and overwhelming. You’d think that after ten years, the beginning of the year would be less exciting. But I get back-to-school butterflies every year anyway.
While I can’t take away some of the back-to-school stress, I can share these back-to-school secrets. I hope these back-to-school secrets help make the start of your school year one to remember!
A Back-to-School Message
A back-to-school message from Moore-English.com
Are You Making These Seating Chart Mistakes?
Around the third week of the school year, I will hear from teachers struggling with classroom management. During the third week, students will probably begin to test your classroom management. So it is important to maintain consistent expectations. The classroom belongs to the students, but teachers make sure the classroom environment invites learning. That’s where seating charts come in! When teachers approach me with classroom management concerns, I almost always ask about their seating chart. From these conversations, I have put together a list of 5 seating chart mistakes. Seating Chart Mistakes Not using a seating chart. A seating chart
Planning Successful First Weeks in Secondary
Back to school is a special time of the school year, but it requires a lot of planning. As a teacher, it’s important to make plans for your first day of school in the elementary, middle school, and secondary classrooms. These steps include designing a syllabus, developing a seating chart, greeting students at the door, picking classroom procedures, and doing everything else to begin building classroom community.
3 Alternatives to the Traditional Syllabus Day
The traditional syllabus is a staple in may high school classrooms. While the syllabus may seem outdated to some, it’s a requirement at my school. For that reason, I try to make the syllabus as meaningful and useful as possible. In one page (no more), I include details about contacting me, the grading schedule, grading scale, late/absent/retake policies, and the course description. Many of these categories are requirements outlined by my administration. (Read more about syllabus design and grab a free copy of my syllabus template.) Once the syllabus is complete, it’s time to decide how to unveil the document.
The Best Back-to-School Stations for Busy Teachers
Stations are my absolute favorite activity for the first day of school! Last year, the pandemic forced me to be flexible with the first day, so I’m really looking forward to getting back to stations this year! I have lots of options for stations. As we get closer to the first day of school, I will narrow down my choices and decide which stations to use in which class. Today, I want to share my stations options for the first day of school! Back-to-School Stations for Classroom Community At the beginning of the school year, possibility is everywhere. I always
Unique Activities for Back-to-School Season
The first day of school gets a lots of emphasis (and for good reason, the first day of school is pure adrenaline for everyone!). However, it’s also important to think about what students will be doing during the first week of school. On the one hand, teachers don’t want to dive into content too quickly. On the other hand, teachers also want to keep students engaged in the kinds of activities that help students build community and learn classroom procedures. For these reasons, I wanted to share some unique activities for back to school season! Syllabus Activities for Back-to-School Season
Everything You Need for a Back-to-School Technology Checklist
Oftentimes, when I think about back-to-school, I think about seating charts and first-day stations. More and more, though, I’ve realized that my most important back-to-school tasks happen on the computer! At times, it gets overwhelming to think about all the digital tasks teachers have to manage before students arrive. To help manage that feeling, I have put together this Technology Checklist that I wanted to share with you! Getting Organized When I start to make my Technology Checklist, I start by brain dumping all my ideas on a sheet of scratch paper. It’s amazing how often I revisit that scratch
Everything You Need to Prepare for Back to School
Sometimes it’s tricky to keep track of everything you have to accomplish before students arrive on the first day of school! Think about all the chores you need to accomplish to prepare for back to school: plan for the unexpected order and organize supplies determine classroom procedures decide on back-to-school activities As i was brainstorming all the tasks I wanted to accomplish, I decided I would share them with you that way we can all get out ducks in a row. Plan for the Unexpected I know this seems like a strange suggestion, but it’s important to prepare for back
19 Must-Read Posts for a Successful Back-to-School Season
Back-to-school season is one of the most stressful and exciting times of the year! For teachers, back-to-school season is like the holidays and the Super Bowl combined! There’s so much to get ready, so much to plan, and so many possibilities. Teachers are getting ready to meet new students, start fresh, and make new memories. Since there’s so much happening at the start of the year, I wanted to round up the 19 most-helpful posts about back-to-school season! Putting all these resources in one place has inspired me, helped me organize my thoughts, and put together a game plan for
Why Students Should Write from Day One
The first week of school is a busy time–learning procedures, establishing expectations, building relationships–but it is also important to use this time to get a writing sample from students. While writing from a portfolio or from last year’s teacher is helpful, it is even more important to get a recent writing sample from students so you can determine where they are right now. Here are some of my favorite writing activities for back to school! What Do You Want Student Writing to Reveal? First, decide what you want to get from student writing: a sense of their personality and voice?
Successfully Planning the First 3 Days of School
Back to school is one of the most stressful and wonderful times of the year. Check out how this secondary ELA teachers kicks things off!
Back-to-School Secrets
Since I have no talent for keeping secrets, I also want to share some of my favorite resources for making the start of the school year special:
In the poem “Courage,” Anne Sexton discusses old age and the seasons of life. As the speaker approaches death, they compare their final spring to a sword. I hope these back-to-school secrets help you feel more confident so you can put your sword down (not to die, but to thrive in the upcoming year). Help other teachers also destress by sharing these secrets with your teacher friends!
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