Back to School: Tips for a Successful School Year

By. Craig Perrier

It’s that special time of the summer – back to school!  The excitement around the start of the school year is shared by teachers, coaches, parents, administrators, and even though they may not always admit it – students.  It’s from this last group – the kiddos – from which  the aforementioned excitement emanates from and revolves around.  As you witness this vibe in action on your school’s grounds, tapping into that energy during the first weeks of class is imperative for a successful year.

Let me take a moment to explain what I mean by “successful.”  At its core, and across grade levels and subjects, success happens when students feel involved, known, heard, and respected.  Moreover, when students are able to relate to the class content, apply it to their lives, develop skill sets, and nurture their worldview, success makes school part of the real world, not separate from it.  In short, success means students are happy to be in class and are excited to continue talking about what they are learning after class ends. 

To explore how this happens, I asked colleagues to share some of things they have planned to do with their students in the opening weeks of the school year.   Then I connected those activities to promotions in the Educator Marketplace.  Combined, the list below has the ingredients of an inspired and engaged classroom.

• Students Talk to Each Other – Often! The only way students become classmates is if they get to know each other.  Nurturing this comfort level happens when students learn each other’s names and experiences.  Explore products from Learning Resources or Really Good Stuff for this activity.

• Create a Portfolio and Set Goals: Having a reference to return to during any journey is a great way to reflect and document experiences.  Creating a digital or physical portfolio with goals (personal, academic, short, and long term) can be done with The Container Store, Lenovo, and Snapfish among others.

• Write a Note to their Future Self: Authoring a letter, journal entry, post card etc. to your self to be read after a semester or year is a great way to include and honor students. Explore the deals from Michaels, Blick Art Supplies, and Crayola to jazz up this exercise.

• Student Information Cards: A great way to know your students is to have them tell you about themselves.  Be sure to ask the questions “What can I do to make this class special?” and “How can I help you succeed?”  Explore  Final Draft, Discount School Supply, and the Happy Planner to use with this activity.

Whether you have already started the new year, or if it is still on the horizon, using these strategies will nurture a culture where students want to learn from you and with their classmates as well.  Creating that atmosphere is a major victory and proves that old saying that the teacher is the most important factor in a child’s education.