The “Back to School” time can be really stressful and busy for teachers. There are a lot of things we need to do and get done before the students start school. Many times, teachers go back a few days before students to get ready. You may think this time can be used to prepare, but a lot of times this time is used for professional developments and meetings. So, in reality, teachers can’t prepare during this time.

This article is going to focus on the 6 most important things you need to get done before students enter your classroom on the first day of school. As long as you get everything done on this checklist, you should be prepared to start the year! Just focus on the most important things, and save the rest for when you have more time.

I recently wrote an article about 7 ways to prepare for this busy time during the summer. Click here to read it. It is never too late to prepare, even if you didn’t do anything during summer.

So here is my Back to School Checklist:

1. First Days of School PowerPoint

The most important thing that I get ready is my First Days of School PowerPoint. This PowerPoint is my “script” for the first few days of school. It includes every procedure that I teach, in the order that I teach them throughout the days. This saves me so much time and leaves me better prepared for those important first days.

I change the PowerPoint slightly from year to year, but I always make sure it is one of the first things I get done before going back to school.

If you want to check out the PowerPoint I use, click here to view it from on our TPT store!

2. First Week of School Plans

The next thing I try to get ready is my first week or first few days of school lesson plans. This includes all the procedures I am going to teach each day, any activities I will do, and any important events I need to remember, like a school wide assembly.

I keep my first week of school mainly focused around procedures. I slowly add in content once I have taught most procedures. To keep students engaged during this time of teaching procedures, I add in some fun activities. Click here for a list of 10 activities I like to do during the first days of school.

For my lesson plans, I basically keep them to just a list of things I want to do. I won’t have standards or learning objectives, just the simple procedure I want to teach. When I teach procedures, I do model the behavior and have students practice the behavior to make a bigger impact on them.

Whatever you choose to teach the first week of school, having the lesson plans done will help you out a ton! If you want to know more details about my First Days of School, read more here.

3. Copies for the First Week of School

After you write your lesson plans for the first week of school, make any and all copies you will need that first week. I like to make these copies ahead of time just in case there are issues with the copier or there is a huge line of teachers making copies. Having all your papers ready will save you a lot of time that first week.

After making all those copies, make sure you have a way to store the copies neatly. Click here to read how I stay organized throughout the teaching day with all the papers we need during the day!

4. Open House Papers

Another important thing to consider during this busy time is Open House. Some schools have a time when parents and students can come in to see their new teacher and get ready for the first day. I like to have all my papers and room ready before this day. Usually the Open House is the day before school, so hopefully everything is already done by this point!

I like to keep Open House pretty simple. I put important papers that I want the parents to have on their child’s desk. I put name tags on the desks, so students will know where to sit on the first day of school and parents know what papers they need to take. The only papers I give parents is the school handbook, a copy of my weekly newsletter (so they know what to expect every week), an information sheet to fill out on their child (important contact information, their child’s strengths and weaknesses, and anything else they want me to know about their child), and a Parent Handbook. In the Parent Handbook, I like to have a section for my contact information, newsletter/agenda (the procedures I expect from the students and that parents should sign the agenda each night), class motto, homework (the expectations of the homework I will give), classroom rules, classroom management, and our daily schedule. For the classroom rules and classroom management section, I simply copy my PowerPoint slides for this. I just want parents to be aware of what I expect in my classroom and how their child should behave and what will happen if their child does not behave correctly.

Also, if you want to make your own Parent Handbook, I used this product from TPT to help make my own!

During Open House, some teachers also have a small gift for the student or a parent sign up for help or donations. Whatever you want to do for Open House, just make sure you are preparing for it before the actual day and it will save you a lot of stress!

5. Classroom Decorated/Cleaned

Before the new school year starts, I like to have my classroom completely decorated and cleaned and organized for the year. I make sure my classroom is simply decorated for more of a functional space. I like everything I put up to have a purpose. I also like to have my room cleaned and organized. Your classroom will naturally get dirty throughout the year, but starting with an organized space will keep it cleaner longer and easier for you to do small clean ups when necessary.

I recently wrote an article on 6 Tips for a Functional and Organized Classroom Space, click here to check it out!

6. Student Materials Ready Individualized Folders/Books

The last thing I make sure I have ready for the start of the school year is all student materials. I like each student to have a folder for different subject areas and a Work in Progress Folder. I make sure I have this materials ready for the first day and labeled if needed. I also like to put all textbooks in student desks, so I don’t have to take time to pass them out during the first week. This just saves me time. I like to introduce students to the books and will have certain times scheduled to look through the books or pull them out of their desk.

Whatever you need your students to have that first week needs to be laid out or ready to go. This will save you time and make you better prepared to start the year with your new students.

I hope this article will help you out during the stressful and bust “Back to School” time. I make sure I get everything done on this checklist and then relax. I know if these things are done, I am prepared for the year. Everything else can wait!

Make sure you check out our First Days of School PowerPoint here!

Thank you for Continually Learning with us!

Kyle and Sarah