What exactly happens at the start of every school year? Read the top six in under a minute!

Tons of things are happening at schools before students enter, but here’s the top six things teachers focus on:

1. Teachers usually go in the week before school to set up their classrooms. Setting up classrooms can take a few days depending on the teacher. But basics is setting up the tables, centers for children to work privately in, classroom libraries, and putting up posters, bulletin boards. Bulletin boards are always lively and color coordinated with borders.
2. NYC public school teachers are mandated to work two days prior to the students come in the Tuesday after Labor day, but the first day is jam packed with professional developments mostly based on curriculum, and the big push for adding technology into every lesson. The second day
   usually administrators will give time for teachers to set up their classrooms. If teachers didn’t already set up their classroom as mentioned, most teachers will stay after school till very late hours.
3. In addition, teachers prepare activities for students to get them adjusted to the school year. This includes icebreakers, some type of back to school activity, which includes writing pieces that may prompt students to write about their summer, or what they expect to learn
   in their current grade. Teachers are assessing students from the beginning with this writing sample, and then quickly put the work up to start filling up their empty bulletin boards.
4. Most importantly for teachers is setting up routines, class procedures, and enforcing rules! This is done for the first few weeks of school. If this is not set up from the beginning, learning will be interrupted throughout the school year by disruptive students. This usually is the case for new teachers, an
   can sometimes make teaching students very difficult. I will address some of the techniques I used with my students while teaching in Hunts Point, located in the South Bronx.
5. The night before students come to school is always tough for teachers, even if they are experienced teachers. We are just as nervous to meet our new students, as students are nervous to meet their new teacher. In addition, most teachers know their students because if they have been in that school previous years, there is a record of their achievements, and yes a record of behavior if that exists.
6. Finally, it’s Friday, and even though its been two full days with the kids, it feels like 1 full week, because teachers are getting back into routine of things too, and getting back to work after having two months off is tough for both parties. But parents on the other hand are ecstatic!