Preparing for the new school term
With the 2020/2021 term now coming to an end, it is time to look to the new term starting after the summer break. The start of a new academic term may feel daunting, but it’s best to prepare before the official return, so not to spend the summer apprehensive.
We’ve put together some tips that will help you reduce stress and be ready for an efficient start to term in September.
Plan ahead
Before you step back into the classroom, take a positive inventory of your strengths, skills and best traits, along with the goals that you are working towards and those that you have already reached. Write them down somewhere accessible so you can reignite your reasons to be optimistic in times of need. Making a realistic timetable of when you will mark work and plan lessons will help to keep you on top of your work throughout the year. You may also find it beneficial to read over and make a mental note of any key term dates and input them onto your calendar.
Prepare your classroom
Now is the time to prep your classroom for the new school year. Classrooms should feel welcoming, safe and inspire students to learn. You should also incorporate students’ achievements and exceptional examples of work. Displays should be updated with fresh course content and be adapted depending on your new students’ age or learning ability.
Share resources and ideas with colleagues
Spend a little time prior to the new term starting to get to know new colleagues, share resources and new ideas. Each teacher has a slightly different teaching style so gaining new ideas and tips is a real advantage. You could create a small folder with teaching ideas, previous lesson plans and cover work.
Check for new starters
Before the new term starts, you should check to see if any new members of staff will be starting. Make a note to introduce yourself. Also, you should note if there are any students brand new to the school starting your class. A little bit of extra guidance here would make your new student(s) feel at ease.
Check for new policies
It’s likely that some new policies or regulations will be coming into place in the new school year. Take time to familiarise yourself with these. This will also give time ahead of the new term for you to ask any questions or clarify points.
Evaluate your Classroom Management System
As with most new school terms, they’ll be different systems to learn. One that could make a huge difference to your school is the Classroom Management System used. A powerful system will allow teachers to take control of the classroom whilst encouraging students to carry on learning.
Thanks to AB Tutor, teachers can keep students engaged. Instead of spending time monitoring student activities, teachers can maintain classroom focus and promote collaborative learning.
We recently released AB Tutor version 9.3.10, our most advanced yet. Schools and colleges are invited to join a free 30 day trial to explore the features.