It’s almost back to school time! Again. So soon? 

If you’re an experienced secondary science teacher with all your ducks in a row, this post probably won’t interest you much. But, if you are . . .

• new to teaching
• new to science
• feeling overwhelmed
• just looking for something new to try

. . . then, here you go.

I was so nervous my first day of teaching. Honestly, I had butterflies (usually felt more like pterodactyls) on the first day of school every year for 18 years. I LOVED teaching, but I am an introvert, so I was always pushing myself outside my comfort zone and the first day was the toughest. But, being prepared made things so much easier for me.

And, since I like to make lists, I’m going to give you my list of 10 things to do BEFORE the first day of school. I developed this over many years of trial and error. I hope it’s helpful.

A Few Days Before the First Day

1. Clean and decorate!  Wipe everything down, arrange your desks, and hang up a couple of cool posters that are appropriate for the first grading period. Set out some models or lab equipment to make things look interesting and “science-y”. I also LOVE to have some live plants in the room.
2. Organize school supplies. For me: grade book, pencils, pens, dry erase markers, printer ink, paper, post-it notes (my favorite school supply of all time), etc. all ready to go. For students: make sure there are plenty of supplies for interactive notebooks and other activities: construction paper, tape, glue stick, scissors, markers. etc. Keep a running of list of last-minute things to buy.
3. Get the lab ready. Clean and organize lab stations and storage cabinets. Supplies that were delivered over the summer need to be checked in and properly stored. Make a note of any supplies still needed.
4. Textbooks: Check the inventory and prepare procedures for introducing and issuing them to students.
5. Read through class rosters. Look for names I can’t pronounce and get help if necessary. (You have no idea what an issue this was for me the first couple of years in Hawaii!)
6. Read all IEPs and 504s and be prepared for preferential seating and other accommodations.
7. Plan out AT LEAST the first 2 weeks and have copies made and organized for AT LEAST the first 3 days. This is an absolute must! And don’t forget emergency sub plans.

The Day Before the First Day

1. Name and number: Make sure my name and room number are easily visible outside the room – make a big poster if necessary.
2. Grade book: Have online and hard copy grade books set up. My hard copy is in a small 3-ring binder and goes home with me every night. Seating charts* are printed out for all classes, stapled together, and inside the grade book. Add labels with student names on each desk so they know where to sit on day 1.
3. Introduction and Agenda: Write my name, the name of the class, date, and the daily agenda on the board. Make sure it’s in the same location where it will be every single day this school year. Routines are important!

*More on Seating Charts

I always used Easy Grade Pro to make seating charts that put the students in alphabetical order (with the exception of students who needed accommodations). And, here’s why:

• eliminates First Day of School confusion because students know where to sit
• helps me learn names more quickly
• allows me to give preferential seating without making a big deal about it in front of other students
• gives me control over who sits by who (or is it “whom”?)
• makes checking roll super quick and simple – No “Bueller? Bueller?” here!

The way my room was set up, I had 6 rows of desks up front and 6 hexagonal lab tables in the back. So, each row was a lab group. Easy peasy. And, I mixed up the assigned seats every few weeks – about twice a quarter – so everyone got to move around and because I liked to switch up lab groups. Later in the year, I could sort students by their class averages so I had a nice heterogeneous mix in each group.

If you don’t have a program that creates seating charts for you, make your own Excel spreadsheet with big boxes and write the names in. Or, draw the boxes by hand. It’s worth every second!

I even had seating charts for my juniors and seniors. I let them choose their seat, but they had to be in that seat every day so I could use the chart to check attendance. If any issues came up that made me think they should be sitting somewhere else, I just discussed it with them until they agreed with me. 🙂

Classroom Management Starts BEFORE the First Day of School

A HUGE component of my classroom management strategy is to pre-empt or avoid trouble whenever possible. This starts with your preparations before the first day of school. Students will see that you care about what you do and that you’ve got your act together.

Like Checklists? 

I know I do. So, I broke this list down a bit more and put it in a checklist format. Download yours for FREE here: Back-To-School Checklist for Secondary Science Teachers

Do you have other items on your MUST DO before school starts list? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great school year!

Carla