One Month To Go...

Exactly one month from today, my students will come to the classroom for their first day of third grade.  This thought is incredibly exciting for me, but also a little alarming!  I have one month left to prepare for the 18 (or so) kiddos who will begin their third grade adventure with me, and there is still so much to do!

I'd like to share a little about what will happen over the next few weeks for those of you who are unfamiliar with summer from a teacher's point of view.  At the end of each school year, teachers are asked to pack up their entire classroom so it can be thoroughly cleaned.  If you walked into my classroom right now, you would see some furniture arranged haphazardly around the room and lots of boxes.  My cabinets, which are usually highly-organized, are stuffed full of items.  Over the next few weeks, one of the many jobs I will have is to unpack everything and organize it for the upcoming school year.  This in itself is a huge job, and while it is fun, it is also very tiring. 

Besides preparing my classroom's physical appearance, I must think about the instruction that will take place during the first few days of school.  All summer long I have gathered ideas and materials to use during the beginning of the school year, and during these last few weeks, my job is to work to make it happen.  My third grade team and I will pull together resources and plans to make the beginning of the year a special and successful time.  During this month, my mind will likely be in overdrive as I try to implement all the ideas I've gathered over the summer.

Finally, I will put the finishing touches on my classroom.  Name labels will be placed on student cubbies, desks, binders, notebooks, and bulletin board pieces.  Eye-catching displays will be created to welcome the students to their year in third grade.  The class library will be organized and labeled so students can find what they are looking for as easily as possible.  In anticipation for the big day, I will spend hours making sure everything in my classroom looks as perfect as possible.  In short, there is still a lot to do before I am ready for my kiddos to come through the doors in my classroom in one month.

While I prepare for the upcoming school year as a teacher, it is also time to help your students prepare for the start of school.  Here are some tips on ways to start getting ready for the big day.

1. Go ahead and buy needed school supplies.  This goes more smoothly if done prior to the night before school starts.
2. Get your child back into their bedtime routine for school.  This will help students adjust to early mornings more easily.
3. Check and update school records.  Contact the office at DRE to check your child's school records and make any needed changes.  This will lessen the paperwork sent home during the first few days of school.
4. Brush up on academic skills.  Encourage your child to read frequently and practice those addition, subtraction, and multiplication (if they know them) facts.  This will prevent them from becoming overwhelmed at the beginning of the year.
5. Plan to attend the Open House at your child's school.  This lets you become familiar with the child's new teacher and gives you a chance to voice any concerns for or questions about the upcoming year.  Our Open House will be on Thursday, August 4th beginning at 5:00.

Good luck and happy preparations!