Happy end of the school year! For many of you, I may be too late for this post, but thanks to snow days and finishing up online classes, I'm just now starting to close up my classroom during my last week!
And you know what????? This is the first year ever that I can leave my posters up on the wall!!!!!
After doing this packing up routine for a few years, there are some tricks I have learned to save on beginning of the year hassles. Some of these tips took me a few years to nail down because I kept forgetting to organize when I closed up...so maybe writing it down here will help me and you both!
1. LABEL EVERYTHING!!!! As much as you just want to throw that material in that box or on that shelf, mark where you're putting it. This way, when you open up in a few month, you can find it easier, plus you'll be better organized for the start of the next school year! Another reason why I label everything is because I kept forgetting about materials I ordered and they'd get lost in unlabeled boxes. When it came time to write out a new order, I discovered I already had a huge stash of the material I over-ordered on, and I could have used that money for something else!
2. If you do not label boxes with your name, room #, or school, do not assume it to be there when you return. Remember when I said to label everything? If you pack boxes of personal items or materials, make sure to write your name, room # (or if you're on a cart, which space you store your materials), and even which school. Sometimes boxes get shipped to different schools in district (or when a room is cleaned out to be waxed), and not putting blame on anyone (because it happens), just cover your stuff.
3. Create a map of your space. During the summer months (if you do not have year-round school), the custodial staff are hard at work cleaning out the rooms, washing walls, and waxing floors. If you communicate with your school's custodians, you may have a system worked out where you can "map" your furniture, so it's there when you return to set up in August.
4. Refresh your commonly used materials ahead of time. As much fun as it is to open everything new in the beginning of the school year, I've found that sometimes teachers can't get into their classrooms until a day or two before the kids come. Getting the small jobs done ahead of time makes for less time setting up and more time in the sun in August!
5. Get a thumb drive. If you're a blogger or overachiever like me, you spend countless hours over the summer refining your curriculum and creating new slideshows for future projects. Save all your documents to bring home and spend time preparing for 15-16. Too often I'm home for the summer and wishing I saved that document from my school server!
To the many teachers who finished their year, enjoy! To the many who are still in the home stretch, put on your sassy pants because you're almost done!
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