3 Secrets To Back To School Success

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Goodbye margaritas, hello pumpkin spice and football practice- fall is in the air! Teachers, you know what that means- time for back to school!

After the hard year we had last year, everyone wants a great back to school opening. What can you do to make it a great year?

I have 3 secrets to a great Back to School that I want to share with you!

Tips

3. Every experienced teacher will tell you, before you can teach a student, you have to have a relationship with them. That doesn't mean be buddy buddy with them- you are not their peer. You are the adult and you are in charge. But there are lots of things that you can do to make sure they know you care about them and relate to them.

Remember, relationships start with being able to relate to their lives, their interests, their families-them! So how can you build this relationship in a STEM class?

Ask them questions! Really! Give them a questionaire- an All About Me form is a great one to use.

Have them write a letter to you on the back telling you about themselves. Pick it up and read it. Highlight it, if it helps. Pick out one or two things on it that you thought were interesting and ask them about them as they enter the room, or before class ends, or in the hall before the next class. They will be surprised that you remember what they said, and it will open the door. Make sure you talk to them- just briefly is fine, but being friendly builds that relationship that students need!

Tricks

2. Trello! I discovered Trello this year. You can find it free at https://trello.com, and it is a wonderful way to keep track of daily routines and track events. I used to buy a planner, but this works so much better for keeping track of things I do on a daily basis.

I can use it on my phone or computer!
It acts as a digital organization tool so I don't have to worry about erasing or scratching out!
I can easily move the cards from day to day if I need to.
And it's free, although there are paid versions available. Try it yourself!

Advice

1. Treat yourself well. If you get sick, it is a lot harder to prepare for a sub, and stress can make you sick! So relax, remember that if you don't get something done today, it will still be there tomorrow.

I always found that grading in the morning at school worked for me. I hated taking work home- it would sit there in my bag, and I could never relax because it stressed me out, but I resented doing work all night so it would sit in the bag.

So I changed my schedule to be at school 30-60 minutes earlier than normal every day. Less teachers (so less talking) and distractions meant I could get work done. I did as much as possible on the computer so I wouldn't need to make copies, and planned and set up projects during my off hour. Suddenly, I had time to relax at home. It worked for me. You need to find your time as well. Just remember to give yourself "me time" or you will burnout.