31 Tips to Wave Goodbye to Summer & Welcome Back-to-School with a Smile!
Posted by AIR Childhood Training Solutions Teacher Resource Team on Jul 27th 2023
Transitioning from summer vibes to school-time strides? Get a tip for each day of August to set up your classroom, engage students, and care for yourself as an educator.
August is upon us, and it's that bittersweet time when we bid farewell to summer's leisure and gear up for the school year ahead.
To help you transition smoothly, we're offering one tip for each day of August. From setting up your classrooms to self-care advice, here's your go-to guide:
1. Classroom Makeover: Begin by decluttering your classroom, making space for new artwork, and student projects.
2. Seasonal Corner: Create a “Season Change Corner,” where kids can observe and discuss the transformation from summer to fall. Bonus: You can use this space all year long to teach about the seasons, which can help you create activities that follow children’s curiosity about the world around them.
3. Memory Mural: Invite students to draw their favorite summer memory. Display these in a communal area for everyone to appreciate.
4. Back-to-School Supplies: Stock up on essentials such as crayons, markers, scissors, and, most importantly, hand sanitizers!
5. Summer Journal: Encourage kids to describe their summer vacations, fostering their descriptive skills.
6. Calendar Creation: Create a large August-to-September calendar with the kids, marking key dates and autumnal changes.
7. Sensory Bins: Introduce a bin filled with fall items like pinecones and leaves for tactile exploration.
8. Fall Colors: Have a day dedicated to the colors of fall. Ask kids to come dressed in red, orange, brown, or yellow.
9. Online Development: Enroll in a professional development training course to sharpen your skills before school starts.
10. Reflect: Spend a day reflecting on last year's achievements and setting goals for the coming year.
11. Meet & Greet: Organize a day where kids can get to know their new classmates.
12. Summer Sounds: Discuss the sounds of summer and how they'll change in the fall.
13. Outdoor Exploration: Learning can happen outside as well as in the classroom.Take a nature walk, letting children observe the subtle changes in the environment.
14. Teacher Time: Dedicate an hour to self-care. Read, meditate, or indulge in a hobby.
15. Nature Crafts: Collect twigs, leaves, and stones to make autumn-inspired crafts.
16. Classroom Library: Introduce new books that talk about seasons, school, and friendships.
17. Professional Development Check: Ensure your required certifications and additional training hours are up to date and explore other early childhood education professional development courses to fulfill any hours (CEUs) remaining.
18. Hands-on Learning: Set up science experiments that explain concepts of fall, like why leaves change color.
19. Make Some Music: Songs and sounds help children build language and literacy skills. Introduce -- or have the class create -- songs that talk about going back to school or changing seasons.
20. Morning Routine: Establish a morning routine to help children transition from relaxed summer mornings.
21. “My Summer" Story: Encourage children to share tales from their vacations orally.
22. Vision Board: Create a board with kids, pinning what they wish to learn and achieve this year.
23. Transition Ritual: Establish rituals to help kids transition between activities.
24. Learning Through Play: Introduce games that help kids learn classroom rules and routines.
25. Teacher's Journal: Maintain a journal to note down observations and improvement areas.
26. Recipe Day: Share a summer favorite recipe with the kids and, if possible, make it together.
27. Gratitude Session: Hold a session discussing all the fun summer activities and expressing gratitude.
28. Virtual Support: Connect with fellow teachers online. Follow AIR Childcare across social media for resources and to engage with others:
29. Emotional Check-in: Dedicate a corner where children can express how they feel about the school year starting.
30. Weather Watch: Install a classroom thermometer or barometer, encouraging kids to observe and discuss weather changes.
31. Farewell to Summer Party: Bid adieu to summer with a small classroom party, celebrating all the memories.
Let's welcome this school year with the same enthusiasm and joy that we embraced summer. It's a time of growth, learning, and new experiences for both you and your students. Dive into the school year with preparation, passion, and of course, a touch of playfulness. Happy Teaching!