I am a believer that you can end the year well and
set yourself up for success for the upcoming school year.
How???
Well, I am so glad you asked! Let me show you how I end each and every school year.
I do 4 things at the end of each year to set myself up for success…
First… I stack all those items that will need students names. In K, we write names on EVERYTHING and it takes forever… so why not make it easy for myself or my assistant.
Here is what my assistant’s desk look like as I type!
When I get my roster, I call each parent to confirm attendance, name, and spelling, then I am ready to write names.
{I also made several blank student piles for new kids that get added. I always add a TON of kinders during meet the teacher and on the first day of school.}
Next, I clean and reset whatever I can. I know lots of you have to pack up your entire room {blah!} and some even have to take the bulletin boards down… but clean and reset everything you can.
Organize your sight word cards and 1-100 cards.
Get your calendar ready for Day 1.
Pull out those beginning of the year materials and have them ready to go. (These are my color and number word cards.)
Reset your classroom library, center chart, or whatever you can now!
For example, here is a shot at my calendar… ready to go for the first day of school. Literally!
What else can you do now to help you later?
Make your first week of school lessson plans!!!
I have found that I do fun, engaging,
but generic activities the first week to “feel” out my kids and their abilities.
Here are my lesson plans for the first week of school.
Usually they are not as detailed…
but I will be out on maternity leave so I had to break it down for my sub.
Also remember that you plan, plan, plan… to be flexible that first week of school regardless. I have found that by writing my plans ahead of time, it is just one less step I have to do in August.
YES… schedules can and will change… but what I am going to teach will not. I will just plug that activity into another area or move some things around. Hence… I write my plans in pencil.
And the last thing I do before I get out for summer…
I go ahead and prepare my first week of plans and put them in my daily bins.
I have all my art projects {they are super simple the first week of school} ready to go, copies made {I always make a ton of extras because kinders make tons of mistakes to start with, like writing with crayons}, and my books and materials laid out!
Now that you know what I do at the end of each school year… I can’t wait to hear from others about what THEY do! Link up what you do at the end of the school year below.
What fun activities do you end the school year with?
What great gift ideas do you have?
What fun activities do you end the school year with?
What great gift ideas do you have?
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Thanks for the info!! I am going into my second year in K… And am excited to have more than 7 days to get ready!! But I am currently moving schools :(.. In looking at your 1st week plans are you really meeting with small groups at this point?? How do you do your centers in the beginning? I know you need to Model, Model, Model, and then Model some more… But have not worked out in my head how that works!! What do I do with the WHOLE class! Do we talk about expectations and then I let them go to easy, generic centers for 10min. then pull them back???
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Thank you so much and I am looking forward to many more posts. Happy Blogging and Merry Summer!!