The approach of the new term is always an exciting time, but also one of the busiest. With so many different things to remember before the children come back, sometimes trying to make sure nothing important gets overlooked can be a real challenge. To help ensure that all the vital tasks aren’t neglected, take a look at our check list of essential jobs to undertake before the new term gets under way.
Particularly if you teach younger children, having a theme to work with can really enrich the learning experience at the same time as ensuring that all the relevant Australian curriculum material for the term is included. If there’s an important national celebration coming up or a local issue that affects the school, making it a theme provides a fantastic method of connecting children to their wider community.
Fresh resources can really inspire, innovate and provoke passionate pedagogy, so use the time before the new academic year gets started to look at some of the newer educational resources that are available. Online learning sites, such as Skwirk, are extremely popular with students, as well as providing a flexible and accessible resource that covers most of the main curriculum subjects.
New resources may call for fresh teaching skills, so use your time to hone your expertise in areas which may be unfamiliar. If you’ve decided to opt for online material, for example, take advantage of any training that’s available. This ensures that your lesson delivery won’t be impeded by technical difficulties or lack of confidence.
Prepare your classroom
From the right seating arrangement to displays and equipment, preparing a modern classroom so that it meets your needs and those of your pupils is essential if the new year is going to get off to a good start. Printing and laminating resources and notices, dressing tables, constructing wall displays and deciding on a suitable layout are all important matters to get right.
Consider common first day issues
Developing solutions in advance to common issues that can arise on the first day back is an effective method of reducing disruption on one of the most difficult days of the school term. Having a clear set of rules, a considered discipline and reward system, a policy on toilet breaks and similar procedural issues helps to ensure that your class won’t be derailed by an unplanned eventuality.
Obviously there are other matters that will need to be attended to, but those listed above are often cited by teachers as being the most useful in maximising the chances of a successful and relatively stress free start to the year. In particular, taking the time to find fresh, engaging online material can open up a wealth of possibilities for appealing study suited to students of all ages and abilities. If you haven’t considered online educational sites before, it’s worth taking Skwirk’s free trial to discover why so many teachers are adding it to their “must have” resource list.