There are plenty of blogs out there that tell you how to pack up your classroom before Summer Vacation to ensure a smooth start to the new year, but below are a few of my Must-Do's before I stick my toes in the hot, Florida sand.
1. Look at my Rules & Procedures - Do changes need to be made based on this year's classroom behavior? Did you find something amazing that you wish you could have implemented this year, but finding it in March would have meant revamping your entire classroom with only a few months left? Did you forget to include something that would have been important?
This year, I forgot about Mr. Potato Head. Our 4th graders change classes & earn points from each teacher they visit based on their behavior. (3 points: normal day; 4 points: amazing day; 1-2 points: we need to work on something; 0 points: really awful day, those are few!). When my students earn a 4, we put a piece on Mr. Potato Head. Once he's full, the class earns some sort of reward from their homeroom teacher - extra recess, lunch outside, sit by a friend, etc. This year, Mr. Potato Head sat faithfully on my shelf, completely forgotten. He's in my back-to-school basket to be remembered next year.
I also do a ticket/raffle system for individual incentives. Students earn raffle tickets from all of their teachers for pretty much any positive behavior - answering questions in class if the class is a bit too quiet that day, bringing supplies, completing iReady lessons, improving on our benchmark tests, etc. I then do a book raffle in my classroom at the end of each month. Students from all classes can put their tickets in the raffle. Other teachers also have raffle systems in their classrooms for other items: candy, treasure box, etc. Oh, and the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas the raffles in my room become weekly and are for items students might wish to give to family members for Christmas. I pick up random items from thrift stores & Dollar Tree throughout the year to supply those raffles.
2. Math Centers - Before you leave, organize those centers. Get students to help during the last week of school. So many of my students are great helpers and/or want to be teachers themselves. Use that energy and let them double check to make sure all of the pieces are there. Then, organize your centers. I like to use a manilla folder for each center with the Common Core standard written in the corner. (My state keeps changing the benchmark naming system...using just the Common Core standard allows me to quickly find which one I need without relabeling every few years.)
3. Science Labs - While the students are sorting your math centers, now is a great time to go through your science labs. I keep each unit in its own bin/tote. During the year I try to purge as much as possible that I haven't used in years, but sometimes things are just too busy. Or, there might be a bin that's only used every few years. (My oil spill lab only gets used if we finish state testing early.) Take the time now to go through the bins, toss things that don't match your benchmarks anymore (as long as you can realistically get them back...keep those film canisters...they're impossible to find!), and then make a list of things you need to replenish. Even if you can only do 2 or 3 bins, do the ones you'll need in August/September and you'll be able to start the year with minimal prep. Oh, and that list...I recommend putting it in Google Keep if you have a Google account. You won't lose it and will be able to access it on your phone over the summer.
4. Financial Paperwork - I have a folder stuffed full of reimbursement paperwork, copies of receipts I turned in, and grant paperwork. Take the time to empty everything from this year (save it, but put it in a filing cabinet instead of the easy-to-reach spot) and replenish it with blank forms. You might even get a head start on making a list of grants you want to write for next year. If you've got a science class and never written one for Pets in the Classroom Pets in the Classroom, I highly recommend you do so. It's very easy and the first year they'll give you everything you need to get your classroom pet set up. I wrote one for a fish aquarium and have since added other animals to it. Every year, I go back in August and write a sustaining grant which helps cover the cost of maintaining our aquarium. Please note that you will not be able to apply for a grant for the next school year until that August.
5. Start Planning - I created a lesson planner with boxes the size of sticky notes for my lesson/unit planning. Every year, I simply move the sticky notes to the next year's planner. Of course, adjustments are made based on what went well last year and new curriculum, but the sticky notes allow the majority of my plans to easily be transferred. Download the free planner below.
