Finishing the School Year Strong and Looking Forward to 2023-2024

by Rivette Pena

As 2022-2023 comes to an end, another year of experience is in the rearview mirror. Let’s leave behind our disappointments, our negative thoughts and our anxieties. Let us go forth with positivity and hope.

In our not so distant future many of us have change and a slew of new anxieties. Let’s do some things to make our new school year a little easier.

Purge

As you are packing, anything you haven’t used all year, TOSS IT! Yes, I said throw it away. I can’t tell you how many years I spent packing and unpacking the same books I stopped using many years ago. At a minimum transfer them to digital files. You don’t need the clutter. You will feel much better and it allows space to bring something new into the classroom. So toss it.

Setting the Tone for the New School Year

You are starting the new school year clutter free. Pick a theme and keep it simple. Harry Potter Classrooms are gorgeous but a lot of work. You owe it to yourself not to burn out before school ever starts

A new bulletin board a couple of themed inspirational posters. An accent here and there and your room is warm and inviting and it didn’t take you all summer to get it ready. Your family and your pocketbook will thank you for it.

Emergencies

Life happens. Get ahead of it. Have generic emergency subplans. Keep subs personal contact information. Leave seating charts and special information in the sub binder. Be kind to your sub because they may never come back again.

Support Network

Find a group of people not too many that can be your support. Someone who knows your curriculum and is willing to share. Someone who relates to you and is willing to listen to you vent but then battle it with positivity. Someone who will watch your kids when you have an emergency. Someone who will throw together a few things when you have an emergeny and have to be out.

The key to maintaining this support network is reciprocation. Be part of their support network as well.

Set Goals

Set some attainable goals for 2023-2024.

One-week Goal: set a goal that can be accomplished your first week back. Make it reasonable and attainable.

• “I will take attendance on time each day for one week.”

• “I will greet each student by name when they enter the room for one week.”

• “I will gather all the test scores from previous years to have a one page view of past test performance.”

One-Month Goal: Set an attainable and measureable goal that you can accomplish in one month.

• I will put the minimum number of grades into the grade book each week by the end of said week for one month.

• I will spend my lunchtime listening to my favorite podcast for one month.

• I will leave 30 minutes after the last bell each day for one month.

One-Semester Goal: Set an attainable and measureable goal that you can accomplish in one semester.

• I will contact each parent with an update on their child’s progress.

• I will write a letter to each student telling them how proud I am of how much they have accomplished this year and how much I will miss them next year.

• I will track growth of each child over the course of the semester in order to show growth.

Whatever your goals may be, may your next year be one of promise and hope.