Back to Spanish Class: What to Prioritize Before Day 1

I'm sorry to be The Bringer of Bad News, but Back to School season is already around the corner. 🥴

I’m no longer in the classroom, but I know that first week back for teachers (before the students arrive) is very hectic. There are a million things to do to get ready and you have meetings all morning, so prep time is quite limited. 😵‍💫

If you’re interested in making the most of your first week back to school, here are my suggestions for what to prioritize when time is limited before kids come running down the halls.

First Priority is Lesson Plans

Do you know what you’re teaching for the first week (or month?) of school?

Is every PowerPoint ready to go?

Have you checked over your handouts for those spelling errors that embarrassed you last year?

Have any policies from last year changed in your head that you need to put on paper?

Are you sure you have every minute filled with engaging material?

Have you made copies? Do you have enough copies for when they give you 5 extra kids at the last second without telling you? Because you know they’ll do that.

It's great if your classroom library is alphabetized and all your favorite posters are in the perfect spots on your wall, but the most important thing you can focus on is what you will teach.

Prioritize Classroom Set-up

How do you want to arrange your desks?

Are your desks still stacked on top of each other in the corner? Kids can’t sit like that, so you’re going to need to fix that.

Do you want to have the kids sit in groups? In rows? 

I’m personally partial to rows, but it really depends on the culture of your school and how much space you have to work with.

Do you have a way of marking the floors so you know exactly where each row or group will be?

Desks have a way of traveling around the room throughout the day.

(Are you allowed to mark the floors? Will the janitors wish bad things upon you if you do it?)

I’ve seen teachers make lines on the floors with sharpies (the janitors definitely wished bad things upon them) and also just put colored tape down. 

How will you decide where students sit?

How will you tell students where they sit?

Or will you let them choose their seats on Day 1? *insert look of shock and horror*

I labeled the desks with a piece of tape and sharpie in a corner of each desk and then have a slide on the PowerPoint with each student’s name and desk number on it. That way they could find their desks quickly without me.

And there you have it – my two recommendations for what to prioritize above all else.

If you have all your copies ready to go, your desks are set up, you have seating charts ready to go, and you still have tons of time, then by all means feel free to put posters up and color-coded chevron labels on everything and alphabetize your classroom library.

Don’t let me stop you.

Please comment below if there are other top priorities on your mind!