The secret to a calmer, less stressful back-to-school season isn’t working harder. It’s working earlier. A little preparation now means you’ll spend those precious first weeks building relationships instead of frantically searching for a stapler or making copies at 7:45 a.m. Let’s make life easier for Future You with Back-to-School Classroom Prep: 12 Things to Do Before Students Arrive

Don’t wait until students are asking, “Where does this book go?” Spend a little time now labeling your classroom library by genre, level, author, or topic. Add CLASSROOM LABELS to shelves and baskets so students can independently return books where they belong. Your future self will thank you when your library still looks organized in October instead of looking like a tornado visited the fiction section.

Students LOVE having responsibilities. Having CLASSROOM TEAM JOBS ready gives students ownership while making your daily routines run much more smoothly. Be a team and always have someone to do the job, even if someone is absent!

Think about jobs like: Library Team, Supplies Team, Floor Team, Pencil Team, Cafe Team, Chairs Team, Teacher Assistant, Clean Team, Board Team, Geek Squad, Cubbies Team, Line Leader, Sanitation Crew, Vacation!!!!! Everyone needs a vacation now and then!

The first week flies by faster than recess. Rather than scrambling to figure out what to teach each day, have your plans ready before students walk through the door. I have FREE FIRST WEEK LESSON PLANS that can help take the guesswork out of those busy first days.

Focus on: Building classroom community, Teaching routines, Practicing procedures, Getting to know your students, Fun back-to-school activities, Basic Skills

MEET THE TEACHER Night sets the tone for the entire year. Have everything printed, organized, and ready to go. Parents appreciate being organized, and you’ll collect important information before school officially begins. Think of:  Parent surveys, Student information forms, Supply lists, Welcome letter, “About the Teacher” page

Because who doesn’t love a fun surprise? Simple welcome BACK-TO-SCHOOL TREAT BAG TOPPERS make students feel special before they even sit at their desks. Add an adorable treat bag label, fill a snack bag with a small surprise, and you’re done.

Bonus: They make Meet the Teacher night even more memorable.

Nothing creates chaos faster than trying to assemble centers while twenty-five students ask you questions. Prep now by laminating activities, cutting pieces, organizing tubs, labeling bins, printing recording sheets, and creating directions students can follow independently. You’ll thank yourself later.

A stocked writing center encourages students to write independently. When everything is organized and easy to find, students become much more independent writers. Before school starts, make sure you have writing checklists, writing paper, graphic organizers, writing prompts, student reference, rubrics, and writing process posters. (These are included in our STEP-BY-STEP WRITING FOR GRADES 1-8. And also in our 3-component writing system of ROCKSTAR WRITERS®!

You don’t need every lesson planned from August through May…But having a big-picture roadmap is a game changer. Spend a little time creating your long-term plans or pacing guide so you know where you’re headed each month. It makes weekly planning faster, helps you stay on track with standards, and prevents that “Wait…how is it already November?” feeling.

Need a place to start? I have a FREE ELA LONG-TERM PACING GUIDE FOR GRADES 4-5 to help you organize your entire year before students even walk through the door.

Positive reinforcement works best when it’s ready to go. Instead of searching for rewards during a busy day, prepare them now. Having these ready makes it easy to recognize students doing the right thing from Day One. SEE ALL OUR POSITIVE RESOURCES. Think about:

• Positive notes home
• Student rewards
• Certificates
• Classroom coupons
• Encouragement cards

This sounds obvious…until you suddenly realize you’re out of crayons during the first art activity. Check your SUPPLY stash now. Do you have enough?

• Paper
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Glue sticks
• Markers
• Dry erase markers
• Scissors
• Sticky notes

A quick inventory today prevents emergency supply runs later.

One of my favorite organizational hacks is using MONDAY-FRIDAY BINS. Place copies, activities, and materials for each day into the correct bin before the week even starts. Instead of wondering, “Now where did I put Tuesday’s math pages?”…you simply grab the Tuesday bin. It’s like giving yourself a daily gift.

This tiny task saves an incredible amount of time. Give each student a number. They place this number on worksheets, notebooks, books, everything! Then, number your student MAIL SLOTS instead of relying only on names. Why? Because names change. Students move. New students arrive. Numbers stay consistent and make classroom organization much easier.

Instead of changing bulletin boards every month in a panic, plan them now! One of my favorite ideas is creating a bulletin board that grows with your students throughout the year. A MONTHLY CHARACTER-BUILDING BULLETIN BOARD keeps your classroom looking fresh while reinforcing important life skills like kindness, responsibility, perseverance, respect, and empathy. Print, laminate, and organize each month’s pieces before school starts. Store them in labeled folders or envelopes, so all you have to do is swap them out.

Your bulletin boards will always look current, and you won’t be climbing on a chair with a stapler at 6:45 on Monday morning! And if you need ANCHOR CHARTS, I’ve got you covered!