So, school has ended and you have some time to yourself. Finally! The beginning of summer has always brought so many to do lists for me. I always think, “Look at all this time I have! I’m going to get so much done!” And then I usually don’t start said to do list until the end of July and then I’m back in my classroom, setting it up! Today I’m sharing with you 5 ideas teachers can do this summer to prepare for the next school year.
I love using part of my summer to prepare myself physically and mentally for the school year. So, I asked the Missing Tooth Grins email subscribers what they do over the summer to prepare for the next school year. Here are 5 things you can do this summer to help you prepare for the next school year.
Relax!
Relaxing is a very important thing to do this summer! Read a book for pleasure, get a pedicure, sit by the pool, paint, or watch Netflix all day… Whatever you do that is relaxing and enjoyable for you. Make sure to spend some time this summer doing things you enjoy and that fill your glass. This is the most important thing you can do this summer so that you are refreshed in August or September and ready for those fresh faces.
Organize All The Things
For me, I feel like I always end the school year in a disorganized and disoriented state. My brain and my classroom seem to have piles everywhere. When I’m cleaning up my classroom for the summer, I usually shove those piles into my closet and say, “I’ll deal with it in August.” And August me hates me. So, I like to spend some time organizing over the summer. One summer, I organized my classroom library. If you are interested in organizing yours, you can check out this blog post. Other things to organize that was mentioned by the Missing Tooth Grins email subscribers are: supplies, paper files and digital files, and checking on missing pieces from games and centers and replacing them. Organize your math manipulatives with these labels and your classroom library with these labels.
Further Learning
Many teachers mentioned that they do things to further their learning, but that looks different for all teachers. Here are some different ideas teachers mentioned for furthering their learning over the summer: read a professional development book, follow teachers on Instagram and Pinterest, participate in professional development, and take a class.
Review Curriculum
Summer is a great time to review your grade level curriculum and look at the scope and sequence. Many teachers stated that they like to take some time over the summer to look at the scope and sequence and provide a loose outline of activities and lessons to do, especially for the beginning of the school year. Many teachers that change grade levels look at the whole year to get an idea of what they will be teaching since it’s brand new content to them.
Shop Garage Sales
Shopping can be fun, right? Some teachers mentioned they shop garage sales for things for their classroom. They particularly look for books, but did you know sometimes garage sales are posted on Craigslist and you can search “teacher garage sale”? I used to that when I first became a teacher and needed a lot. I remember shopping a retired teacher’s garage sale and finding a whole freezer bag full of dry erase markers! Jackpot! You can also find books or retired teacher sales on Facebook Marketplace (that might be more reliable than Craigslist now? I may have dated myself by saying I looked on Craigslist…).
What are some different things you do over the summer to prepare yourself for the following school year? There is no right answer as long as whatever you do makes you happy! Don’t feel guilty if you didn’t get that done or if you rested too much (there is no such thing). There is no such thing as doing too much of something if it’s what feels right to you.
Heal Your Brain, Body, Heart, & Well-Being
No matter how you choose to spend your summer, the most important thing is to take care of you! Make sure you take care of your brain, body, heart, and well-being this summer so that you are refreshed and ready for action in the fall! To help you organize (I know I need a plan on paper to even take care of myself!), I made you this free little goal sheet for June, July, and August! It has some ideas listed on how to take care of each and a section for you to make your goal as well. Just click here or click the picture to download.
Let me know in the comments what you like to do during the summer!