Back to School | Curriki Library

Advice for the New Teacher

August 1, 2018 by lhamm

By Lani deGuia, Guest Blogger and Curriki Member

With a new school year just around the corner, veteran teachers are mentally preparing for how to jump back into your teaching routine. But for new teachers, there is no familiar routine to jump into. They are novices at writing and implementing lesson plans, managing a classroom, and partnering with parents.

Source: Unsplash

However, this group should not be taken lightly. Research shows that teachers with 10 or fewer years’ experience now constitute more than half the teaching force. In other words, new teachers are the new majority!

So at Curriki, we feel an obligation to give you as much support as possible. Here are a few important tips to help new teachers start off their first year in the profession strong.

Manage Your Expectations

Understand that teachers have to wear many hats and juggle multiple responsibilities simultaneously. Each day, they facilitate a customized experience for students while managing everything behind the scenes.

So it is impossible as a new teacher to be a master at everything right out of the gate. Writing effective lesson plans, delivering dynamic and engaging instruction, operating the interactive whiteboard with ease, making significant contributions to team meetings, and having a positive and productive partnership with parents are just a few examples of job duties that will all improve over time.

These things improve with practice and experience. What is more important than expecting perfection is to understand the character traits and mindset necessary to be a great teacher. The 11 Habits of a Highly Effective Teacher highlight these attributes that will support your success and longevity as a teacher including having positivity, being open-minded, and embracing change.

Build a Library of Practical Tips and Shortcuts

Adopt the mindset that there are multiple strategies and ways to do things as a teacher. Your job as a new teacher is to curate, implement, and reflect on strategies to see what works best for you and your students.

The U.S. Department of Education has a survival guide that covers the gamut on teacher essentials, including discipline and making parents allies. Need more ideas on classroom management?

Educator Mia MacMeekin has created an infographic with 27 classroom management ideas perfect to use as a reference card.

Connect with Seasoned Colleagues

Source: Unsplash

Anyone beyond their first year of teaching can offer potentially beneficial advice for the new teacher. Seek out teachers who inspire you, teach similar content areas, and/or appear to have a teaching style you admire. Some may have one idea that interests you, while another may have a hundred. If they are willing to share, don’t hesitate to pick their experienced brains on anything from instruction, discipline, juggling responsibilities, or even managing self-doubt.

Educator Dr. Justin Tarte offers 10 Things I Wish Every New Teacher Knew, which draws upon his years of experience as a teacher and administrator.

Make Reflection a Part of Your Day

When the day and/or week is over, don’t forget to take a step back to see what worked for you and what didn’t work. It’s never too late to improve and make change with what you are doing. Reflection is also a time for you to congratulate yourself on the gains of the day. Positive reinforcement is motivating! Here are Ten Tips To Help New Teachers Reflect On Their Practice.

Practice Self-Care

The life of a teacher can be exhausting in general. For new teachers, the toll can be even more impactful. Don’t forget to make considerations for work-life balance. Here are 10 Stress-Busting Tips for Teachers. Want to stay ahead of the curve of keeping a centered and positive foot forward? Learn how to practice mindfulness to keep things in perspective.

Remember Why You Became a Teacher

Finally, with all the highs and lows of the first day, first week, and throughout the first year of teaching, don’t forget the reasons why you chose the teaching profession. Your journey to get to this point was full of anticipation and hope for what you can do for students each day. Watch this TED Talk Every Kid Needs a Champion to remind you of how you have the amazing opportunity to change children’s lives for the better!

Will this fall be your first time the classroom? What is the best advice you’ve been given? What are you most excited about for this year? Share!

At Curriki, we wish you the best on this exciting new chapter!

Lani deGuia is a Norfolk, VA-based Educational Consultant with experience writing and developing curriculum and managing school technology.

Sign up for Curriki’s enewsletter!

Follow Curriki on YouTube — we have a number of fascinating, educational new videos!

Countdown to the First Day of School

July 18, 2018 by lhamm

By Lani deGuia, Guest Blogger and Curriki Member

Summer is in full bloom and you probably have finally settled into “wind down” mode. Some teachers are determined not to think about the next school year until they set foot through the school’s doors. Others might find it advantageous to take a few moments of their summer to gradually plan.

Source: Pixabay

Here is a checklist if you fall into the latter category of educators. It could save you from anxiety and afford you time to focus on how you want to deliver the best school year for your students. We’ve drafted a countdown list of “to-do’s” to help prepare effectively and painlessly!

One Month Before: Take Inventory of What You Need

Planning a month in advance can save you money. Take 10 minutes to go through the bins from your classroom that may be sitting in your garage or the trunk of your car and see what you have left. Then take 5 minutes to jot down a list of supplies that you need to replenish and those that would be on your “wish list” for the year. You can then make a plan to catch deals through:

School supply and back-to-school sales
Sales tax holiday weekends – Many states have them in the summertime.
Yard sales (online and face-to-face) – Many people move in the summer. Don’t miss out on a steal on that extra bookcase you need for your classroom or the alternative chairs for your flexible seating strategy!
Get items for free – Ask friends and family if they have items to spare. Also, many cities have Freecycle groups where individuals post items to be given for free or post items they are looking for

Three Weeks Before: Set Goals for Improvement and Plan

Set a timer for 5 minutes and write everything about your instructional practices and management that frustrated and challenged you the previous school year. You may have already set goals for the upcoming school year in the spring. Now is the time to refer to them or zero in on a few manageable goals. This is a good time to research a new strategy you’ve been wanting to implement to transform your classroom.

Perhaps some of these topics have been on your wish list:

Do you want to better support students through social-emotional learning? Check out strategies for implementing SEL into Common Core. Use this SEL planning chart when you are creating new units and lessons.
Need to change your approach to discipline? Start with these articles on restorative justice and brainstorm on how you can revise your current classroom policies and actions.
Wanting to try out flipped classroom strategies? Check out these tools and start planning on what units it will work with throughout the year!
Have you been wanting to use flexible seating in your classroom? See pictures of what it looks like in action!

Two Weeks Before: Tackle the Nuts and Bolts

Typically, the first week back at school before the students return is full of meetings, professional development, team collaborative sessions, and more. It is common to discover that you have limited time to flesh out the critical elements of getting the school year off to a great start. Use this week to write, revise, and improve items such as the following:

First week of school lesson plans (or first few weeks or month of lesson plans if you prefer) – Don’t forget to include icebreakers to build community such as this one on collaboration
Classroom expectations and orientation materials
Classroom management set up
Parent communication and welcome letter/packet
Open House ideas and materials
Plan for the learning environment (seating, bulletin boards, stations, etc.)

One Week Before: Set Up House

This week is all about action! Now that you have already completed a lot of the planning and strategizing, it’s time to get hands on. Use the week before school to:

Attend professional training and meetings
Finalize items from the Two Weeks checklist that haven’t been finished
Set up your classroom and learning environment
Set up for teacher organization (grade book, rosters, organizational records and binders, technology devices and management, etc.)
Help others—don’t forget to lend a hand to colleagues, especially new and first-time teachers!

Before you know it, the first day of school will be here. How do you like to plan or prepare for the first day of school? Share your ideas!

Lani deGuia is a Norfolk, VA-based Educational Consultant with experience writing and developing curriculum and managing school technology. Learn more at Curriki.org.

Sign up for Curriki’s enewsletter!

Follow Curriki on YouTube — we have a number of fascinating, educational new videos!

Back to School for Homeschoolers

September 27, 2016 by lhamm

By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki

Crayons Homeschoolers have a unique challenge when a new school year starts because there’s no change in environment – kids live and learn in the same place. So how do you get kids engaged in and focused on learning again?

Making the New Year Special

Love to Know has some suggestions that include making sure homeschool kids have new school clothes and school supplies. The homeschooling website then divides its suggestions by age group:

For Younger Kids

Name Your School – Younger children enjoy giving their homeschool year a unique identity, so spend some time together creating a school name and mascot.
Start a Memory Book – Create a memory book to keep track of your child’s progress – either one each year, or one that will last throughout your child’s academic journey.
Throw a Back to School Party – Throw a back to school party to ignite your child’s excitement for the new school year.
Hold a Scavenger Hunt – Hide school supplies and small treats around your house and send your children on a scavenger hunt to collect what they need for the new school year.

For Older Children

Ask older kids for ideas on how they want to mark the new school year. Some ideas might include:

Design a school T-shirt
Create a special work area
Take a back to school field trip

Creating Back to School Traditions

Simple Homeschool offers 10 back to school traditions to use each year, such as serving up a special breakfast, taking an annual photo, marking the child’s height to celebrate their growth and more.

All Things with a Purpose offers the creative idea of throwing a “Not Back to School Party” with friends and family celebrating the fact that you don’t have to go back to school.

Share Your Ideas!

What did you do this year to make the first day back to homeschool special? Share your ideas here!

Janet Pinto

Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience, and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.

Sign up for Curriki’s enewsletter!

Back to School Tips for Parents

August 25, 2016 by lhamm

school-buses

By Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki

Whether you have already returned to school or that fateful First Day is coming soon, back-to-school can be an extremely stressful time for both parents and kids. It doesn’t seem to matter if your children are going into 1st grade or 12th — having to wake up early and juggle homework, school activities, social events and sometimes jobs … buying school supplies and paying fees … hitting Back-to-School Nights and helping kids organize … the start of a new school year is always a daunting challenge!

How you navigate this transition can make a huge difference in how the entire year goes for your child. Why stumble along hoping for the best when you can be proactive and give you child tools for success from the get-go?

On the last night of summer, we here at Curriki suggest you hold a family dinner to celebrate the end of summer and look ahead to the vast potential of the upcoming year. Make pizza together, and then go around the table sharing what you hope to achieve this school year – make the basketball team, get all As, make new friends, try out for the school play, or perhaps (parents) get involved the PTA! If you visualize it, you’re already on your way to achieving it!

Curriki is delighted to provide all kinds of resources in the classroom or at home, but we wanted to make sure children walk into the classroom rejuvenated from summer and ready to learn. So here are a few resources to help keep parents and kids adjust to the transition and thrive in the months ahead:

Tips for Kids and Parents

Care.com has a list of 101 Back-to-School Tips for Kids and Parents to help you and your children start the new school year right. Here are a few:
Carve out some fun time with kids before the school year ramps up
Start reading habits a couple weeks before the new year
Start going to bed earlier and setting alarms to wake up earlier a week or so before
Figure out an organizational system before you walk back in the school door
Create an after-school schedule that allows time for snack, relaxation, play and study.

The list also includes tips for making the year go smoothly, including:

Create a family calendar that tracks everyone’s activities and commitments.
Teach your kids to prioritize their assignments by making to-do lists with deadlines.
Give your kids a short break after each assignment they finish.
Arrange playdates with two or three of your kids’ friends to rebuild existing social ties.

Read the rest of the list here.

Teacher-Approved Strategies

PBS.org’s list of teacher-approved strategies for easing the anxiety of the back-to-school transition include:

If it’s a new school, tour the school in advance if possible.
Make an effort to attend Back-to-School Night to meet their children’s teachers.
Refresh kids’ friendships in advance by scheduling a play date or a school carpool.
Find more tips from PBS.org.

Special Needs Strategies

Every special needs child is different and has unique needs and challenges. With sensory issues, difficulty with emotional regulation, the need for routine, problems adjusting to change, intellectual or communications issues, you’ll want to make some extra efforts to make daunting the transition easier, including:

If attending a new school, try to schedule a visit before the first day. Meet the principal, counselors and teachers if possible.
Discuss and plan the changes in your child’s daily routine that will happen once school starts.
Talk to your child about exciting new classes, activities and events that they can participate in.
Review your child’s current IEP, and with older students, explain the services and accommodations it includes.
Set up a system to keep track of your child’s special education documentation (You’ll find some ideas here)
Start a communication log to keep track of phone calls, emails, notes home and more.

You’ll find scores of other ideas for helping special needs students adjust to the new school year from these resources:

LDOnline
Readingrockets.org
Friendshipcircle.org (for middle school transition)
Mom.me

I’d love to hear your strategies on how you helped your child adjust to the transition from summer to the new school year. Please post your comments here on the Curriki blog!

Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience, and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.

Back to School Time for Teachers

August 24, 2016 by lhamm

By Janet Pinto
Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, Curriki

back to school board Depending on where you live, back-to-school is either here or coming up very soon. But no matter which it is, August is the time to start thinking about the upcoming school year and forming your strategy for making the most of it.

Fall beckons as a fresh start for both teachers and students. A clean slate. A new classroom full of students to inform and inspire. It’s a huge responsibility. How will you do it?

Back to School Checklist

I found a terrific Back-to-School Checklist for Educators at fueling-education.com. Its tips include:

Putting relationships first
Being patient, especially during the transition from summer to school year
Creating a solid foundation for the year, and then
Writing the story of the rest of the year, realizing there will be a new cast of characters and challenges to explore. “Be inspired by the story you are writing!” it says.

Planning the Year

teacher and students Scholastic.com has a Back-to-School Planning Guide for teachers that includes tips for organizing your classroom, planning your year, accessing online activities (such as those Curriki offers), and creating a caring, emotionally safe classroom.

Breaking the Ice

But before you can start learning, you need to spend a little time getting your students to feel comfortable in the classroom. Here are a few icebreakers that rock, from Cult of Pedagogy.

Find more back-to-school resources for school leaders at Edutopia.com.

Share Your Ideas

What has worked for you? What are your favorite resources for getting the school year off to a strong start? Please share them here!

Photo of Janet Pinto

Janet Pinto, Chief Academic Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, leads and manages all of Curriki’s content development, user experience, and academic direction. Learn more at Curriki.org.

Lessons By Grade

PRE-K

Early Elementary

Late Elementary

Middle School

High School