Planning for Next School Year Now

As the current school year comes to a close, it’s time for you to start thinking about how to plan for the upcoming academic year. Whether you’re an experienced teacher or just starting out, planning ahead can help you make the most of your time, ensure that you don’t waste your time, and help unfrazzle your summer schedule. Here are some tips to help you plan for the next school year:

Reflect On This School Year

Before you start planning for the next school year, take some time to reflect on the previous year. What worked well? What could be improved? Use this information to inform your planning for the next school year. Also take time to look at your district and school calendar for next year. This isn’t meant to create anxiety It’s actually meant to help you plan better for next year. If you know days or blocks of time where you’re going to miss school for different events now, it’ll help you manage community partners coming in and being a part of your activities.

SMART Goals

It’s important to have clear learning goals for the upcoming year. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). When setting your goals, consider the needs of your students, the curriculum, and any standards or requirements that you need to meet. I also helps write down your ideas on paper not just draft them in a computer document. Research shows whenever you write down an idea that is a SMART goal you’re more likely to complete the goal before the beginning of next school year or in time to actually use it in your classroom. Also incorporate time to talk to coworkers about how they might be part of your SMART goals for next year.

Technology BackUps

Spend time making sure your SSO accounts are accessible at home during the summer break. Also, if you are planning on switching school districts download and backup all your files during May days. Don’t take to chance time in the building to make those backups later. More than once I have come into my room in early June only to find it piled in a hallway a tangled computer mess and no way to access files. If you have a personal Microsoft or Google account and use those directories at your school now is a good time to start setting ways to commingle management of those different accounts. If you were to get a job in June or July in a different district, it would be incredibly difficult to get those digital resources migrated to a new district on time before you’re locked out of your old district.

Summer PD

Continuing professional development is essential for teachers to stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in education. Plan to attend conferences, workshops, or online training sessions to enhance your teaching skills. Make sure you’re specific and picky about what you want to do. It is your summer break Don’t do PD that’s going to be a waste or deter on your mental health. Fine things that’ll feed into your SMART goals or help back build into assessment protocols for next school year.

Here are some of the online trainings I recommend:

Self Care

By following these tips, you can start planning for the next school year with confidence. Remember to be flexible and adapt your plans as needed to meet the needs of your students. Also, summer break is time meant for you. Make sure to plan personal time, friend time, and family time. Don’t lose your summer to next year’s planning process. Carve out time and make sure you disconnect to be able to enjoy it. You can make the upcoming school year a success for both you and your students, but only if you take care of your self as well.