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PREPARING FOR A NEW TERM

Whether it’s your first term teaching or you’ve been doing it for years, preparing for the new term can seem daunting. It is easy to get overwhelmed when there are so many things to organise before term starts. Even if you are not a methodical person, creating a checklist (mental or physical) of things that need to be done before term starts is a helpful way to get all of your ducks in a row. Creating a checklist is also a way to set yourself small and achievable goals to prevent getting overwhelmed.

This blog will explore some things we like to consider when preparing for the new term.

Check in with Yourself

School holidays are an excellent time to check in with yourself and reflect on how you feel and the way you work. Take some time to reflect on stressors in your life and try to eliminate or address them. Starting the term with a plan to reduce stress levels before they creep too high will make for a much smoother term. The way we approach work can be a significant source of stress in our lives. Are you a perfectionist? Or do you leave everything to the last minute? Reflecting on your work style allows you to come up with better ways of managing your workload which will enable you to be the best teacher you can be.

A great guideline to keep in mind is to try and make everything as simple and useful as possible.

Work/Life Balance

Teachers often take their work home with them. While this is okay on occasion, you also have to make time for yourself. Before you get busy with work, start thinking about how you will maintain balance throughout the term. If you set yourself a goal with tangible steps, then you are more likely to stick to it when things get hectic. Actively planning or scheduling ‘me time’ and giving it the same level of importance as other tasks, will also help prevent burning out. Making the time to enjoy yourself is as important as eating and sleeping well when it comes to leading a balanced life.

Speaking of eating well; it is often the first thing to fall by the wayside when we get busy.  I can completely contest to this as I have slipped in all good eating and exercise habits since starting Lizard Learning. Long nights writing, teacher and scheduling meetings, being one person who needs to be in five different locations and having no real structure to my day has been detrimental to my health and wellbeing on a daily basis. This too can happen as teachers.

Taking the time before term starts to cook and freeze batches of your favourite meals can be a lifesaver when the rush sets in. Even something as simple as deciding what meals you will cook in advance (so that you can make sure you have the ingredients and maybe do some prep) will allow you to eat healthy during the week without fuss.

Get your Classroom Ready

Making sure that your classroom is a place children want to be is essential. Creating an environment that fosters learning can take time. If you have access to your room before term starts, you have an excellent opportunity to tailor the space to the topics that you will be teaching that term. Even if you have no physical access to your classroom, pre-term is a great time to start thinking about how you will decorate your space. Themed decorations create a more engaging environment for your kids. Class calendars, bulletin boards, rewards charts and more can also help you provide structure for your students while adding a splash of colour.

We have all your preparation and planning needs organised here at the Lizard Learning Club PLUS Membership. As more technology is integrated into classrooms, it is a good idea to practise with any technology you might be using in the new term. Nobody wants to spend twenty minutes setting up technology in front of a class full of children. I’ve been there and done that on many occasions!!

Making it Work

Now we’re getting down to business. The more organised you are when term starts, the easier it will be. Getting ahead of the curve means that when there is a hiccup you can deal with it without derailing everything. Overhauling your filing systems is rarely fun, but it is a great way to get your head in the game. It also simplifies your paperwork going forward. Say goodbye to frantically searching for a report or lesson plan because now you will know exactly where they are. Speaking of lesson plans. Take some time before term starts to review your lesson plans for the first day and week of term. This way you will be prepared for any possible gaps or setbacks. Make the time to create a loose plan for lessons and topics going forward.

Things will change throughout the term so don’t make it too rigid, but it is a good idea to start mapping out your term from the very beginning. Identify topics that might be challenging for your students so that you can weave them in well in advance. Also, identify subjects that your students might find tedious and think about ways to make them more engaging.

Remember, if you are feeling overwhelmed with planning, you’re spending too much time on school work and not enough at home with your family, your leisure time is non-existent…we give you all this free-time back by planning, preparing and creating teaching resources that have been developed by classroom teachers who have over 40 years’ experience teaching children in the classroom.

Sign-up free for a whole week FREE sample of the 10 Quick Questions a Day program, as seen on channel 9’s TODAY SHOW, which gives you 5 literacy and 5 numeracy questions every single day for 40 weeks to have all your revision needs covered and most importantly, peace of mind knowing the fundamental basics are consistently and constantly being revised.

You can also use the 10 Quick Questions a Day interactively with your class for free at our YouTube Channel.

Sign-up FREE to the Lizard Learning Club. We provide free teaching resources to your email inbox regularly. These resources include literacy, numeracy, games, special day’s activities, posters, handwriting fun and much more.

Please like, share and comment as we always love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

10 QUICK QUESTIONS A DAY – https://lizardlearning.com.au

TODAY SHOW – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo5oTlPD9rQ

LIZARD LEARNING CLUB –  https://lizardlearning.com.au/free-resources/

LIZARD LEARNING YOUTUBE CHANNEL – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSC-P0U4nGNmsmud1K6JQzA

Teachers Rock!

Cindy

xo

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