Back-to-school tips for teachers: Your go-to guide with fun examples

Summer's flown by, as it always does, and school is about to start back up. Kids are excited to see their friends again, and as usual, many are dreading the first day of school after a long summer. Parents and families are probably a little anxious about their back-to-school schedules: picking up kids from school, buying school supplies, and getting back into a routine.

Like kids and parents, teachers are bound to feel anticipatory stress. If you've been teaching the same kids for multiple years, it does become easier, but there are times when you're meeting an entirely new class. These kids don't know you yet, and you don't know them, so they probably don't know what ticks you off, and you're not sure whether your old jokes will work with the new bunch.

Read this guide to revisit some tricks you might've used in your earlier classes, learn how you can make a great first impression on the kids, and discover how to make their learning experiences more enjoyable.

Back-to-school tips and tricks: First things first

There's no right or wrong way to go about preparing yourself for the new school year. Figure out what works best for you. Below are some ways you can start.

Remind yourself why you're a teacher

Kids like kind, loving, and encouraging teachers. Remind yourself why you became a teacher in the first place: to instill a lifelong joy of learning in kids and help them think for themselves. You'll want to continue to be that teacher who kids respect, are eager to learn from, and find interesting.

Learn your students' names

If you're teaching the same group of kids you taught the previous year, this is probably a little easier. However, for the new kids, you'll have to spend some additional time memorizing everyone's names. Start by learning how to pronounce their names. Reading them aloud helps. If the names are challenging, you can either ask their previous teacher for help or look up the pronunciation online. Kids with foreign or unique names love it if you get their names right on the first try.

When you start school, you can label desks with the students' names or create a seating chart to remind you who sits where. This will change throughout the year as kids begin to sit next to their friends, so be flexible about this as the year progresses. Some teachers like shaking hands with the students when entering the classroom to establish a relationship with them, so consider giving this a try.

Prepare a schedule

Having a schedule to refer to can help you keep things organized. Clearly list the topics you plan on teaching and your approach to each of them. For instance, if you're an English teacher, you'll want to make a list of books you'd like the class to read. Decide on the approach you'd like to take for plays, poetry, and prose. Maybe even choose an accompanying movie you'd like to show the kids. It helps to modify and build on lesson plans from previous years. Keep what worked and adjust the rest.

Have an overall idea and at least two or three weeks of lesson plans handy so you can work on building them as you progress. Things can be a little awkward, clumsy, or challenging with a new group of kids, so take note of how your students respond to lessons and adapt your plans if necessary.

"Kids like kind, loving, and encouraging teachers. Remind yourself why you became a teacher in the first place: to instill a lifelong joy of learning in kids and help them think for themselves."

Plan fun activities

You can make learning a lot more enjoyable by having students participate in fun activities. This helps them retain what they've learned and appreciate the subject more.

Let's say you're teaching history. Instead of relaying the facts, try telling it like it happened, as a story. Get students to do reenactments. Talk about the daily activities of a certain period: the way people spoke, lived, and thought. Of course, all of this should be age-appropriate and suited to students of different learning abilities.

You can use an online planner, notebook, or any other method that works for you to plan activities.

Prioritize your health

Sometimes, no matter how much you do, it's just not enough. Don't be hard on yourself, and avoid the savior complex. Remember that you don't need to have it all figured out, especially if you're a new teacher. The goal is to get students invested in what they're learning, and this comes down to your personality and teaching style.

Here are a few reminders:

Prioritize your physical and mental health and get enough exercise and sleep.
Set yourself a routine and stick to it.
Give yourself occasional treats.
Try not to bring your work home.
Don't reinvent the wheel. Build on resources you already have.
Talk to the school counselor or administrator if you feel stressed or overburdened.

Things will slowly start to fit into place as you progress through the first few weeks.

Tips for improving the learning experience

Below are some helpful tips that you can apply in the first few weeks of school.

Set up the classroom

When school starts back up, you may change rooms or use the same room as the previous year. Either way, you want to make sure you set up your space to make it welcoming, warm, and safe for the students, especially since they'll be spending seven to eight hours a day in the classroom. You can try out different themes based on the grade you're teaching. For example, consider putting up posters with quotes from movies and books on the bulletin board. You can also dedicate a space for students to put up their art throughout the year.

Remember to keep your desk clean and organized. Too much clutter can be overwhelming.

Help students with sensory issues

You might have kids in your class who are more prone to sensory overload or have anxiety-related issues. Here are some tips to help you make the classroom more comfortable for them:

Avoid overly bright or flashy lights, as this can cause sensory overload.
Try to keep noise levels moderate, as a loud classroom can cause some students to feel agitated or distressed and take away from their learning experience.
Make sure the classroom furniture is comfortable and supports good posture.

There are some areas that are easy to overlook or neglect. By paying attention to different stimuli, you can create a better learning experience for all students in your class.

Be patient and supportive

Not every student is the same. While some might understand instructions quickly, others may need more clarity. There are also going to be some students who are more easily distracted than others. The same style of teaching may not work effectively for all your students.

When teaching, remember these three factors: time, patience, and repetition. For instance, if you're teaching math, you might want to repeat the steps taken to reach a solution several times so students understand the flow of logic better. A simple "Do you understand?" may not be effective every time. Instead, ask your students simple questions about how they would reach the solution differently or whether there was a mistake in the step. This helps them learn how to approach a problem.

Make sure you pay extra attention to students who may find it difficult to follow the lessons and are quiet about it. Never belittle or mock your students.

You can use the tips and tricks in the guide to make the back-to-school experience for kids a wonderful and joyous one! Ultimately, you should look to making the classroom a welcome, safe, and warm space for your students where they can enjoy learning.

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