[Exhaustive] Beginning of School Check List

Thursday, August 26, 2010

[Exhaustive] Beginning of School Check List

I found this monster To-Do List online. Read: I didn’t make it. I will update you all on my progress and provide commentary on which tasks should be prioritized.

Weeks Before

Organization/Setup

____ Create a weekly homework sheet.

____ Create a system for absent students to receive notes and assignments

Communication

____ Write a letter to families about your goals and expectations

____ Design a classroom newsletter or website

____ Find websites for students to put on bulletin board

____ Create a family information survey

____ Create a Parent/Family Communication Log binder with student information sheets, contact information, and a log of all the phone calls you make and receive.

____ Decide how you are going to communicate weekly behavior grades to families.

____ Establish classroom messages focused on hard work and community. Ensure that they are messages you feel comfortable repeating on a daily basis for the entire year.

teach

____ Get in touch with your administration to reintroduce yourself and find out any last minute details.

Classroom Management/ Behavior

____ Develop all material associated with your behavior management system

____ Decide how you are going to keep track of consequences that are applied outside the classroom.

____ Decide what tangible systems of positive reinforcement to put in place for individuals

____ Decide what tangible systems of positive reinforcement to put in place for whole-group.

____ Make a hall pass, and find a place to keep it in the classroom.

____ Make a late sign in log […]

Instructional/Tracking

____ Get your hands on your grade-level standards for every subject you will

____ Gather the teachers’ editions for all of your textbooks.

____ Skim your textbooks to get a sense of scope and sequence for each subject in your grade.

____ Find out if there are district-wide or school-based pacing charts for the subjects you will teach.

____ Create course syllabus (with procedures, expectations, and academic plans)

____ Produce diagnostics for every subject you will be teaching.

____ Set up tracker with objectives included.

Pre Planning Days

Organization/Setup

____ Set up Centers (Reading, Writing, Music, Enrichment, etc)

____ Put nametags on every desk (I recommend an index card with string, so they can wear them for a couple of days). Also, if you just put name labels on desks, you won’t know their names in line or at lunch.

____ set up a crate with hanging folders labeled for each student (to keep their graded work).

____ Label homework/ classwork folders or trays

____ Number your textbooks and label them with your name. Assign students textbooks according to their roster number.

____ Make sure room is decorated and ready to receive students

____ Set up your desk:

o paper clips

o stapler

o scotch tape

o packing tape

o pens

o scissors

o safety pins

o Band-Aids

o rubber bands

o Post-It notes

o hole punch

o glue,

o highlighters

o white out

o markers

o push pins

o ruler

o pencil sharpener

o stickers

o index cards

____ Set up your files (tape or glue folders or clothes pins to wall around your desk so your desk stays clear)

o administrative memorandums (in desk)

o teacher portfolio (evaluations, contract, workshop certificates, etc.) (in desk)

o individual student file (copies of report cards, notes from parents, copies of notes to parents, punish work, etc.) (big binder)

o office referral forms (you never, ever want to run out of copies) (in desk)

o Useful teacher resources and websites (on wall)

o Paper that need to go to the office (on wall)

o Work to be completed by the end of the day (on wall)

o Work to be completed by the end of the week (on wall)

o Subject-specific folders: old units, lesson plans, and activities, (in a large container)

o Graphic Organizer Folder or Binder (in desk or content container)

o Emergency substitute folder (lesson, seating chart, schedule, behavior log, etc.)

____ Post signs & Bulletin boards.

o Rules, Rewards and Consequences

o Procedures

o Fire Drill

o Heading your Papers

o Classroom Managers

o CMCD

o Back to Basics Math

o Math/Science Connection

o Success for All Reading

o Substitute folder

o Center Signs

o Class Schedule

o Photo Board (for pic of lab and class activities)

o Student Work

o Word Wall

o Completion Sign and folder (tasks students can volunteer to complete)

o Your name and room number (for outside the door)

Communication

____ Create a checklist with your students name in the left column and several blank columns. Use this checklist to check in supplies.

Classroom Management/ Behavior

____ Look at student records (behavior grades, test scores, and report card grades) to create a temporary seating chart.

____ Make copies of office referrals.

____ Make a poster of your rules and consequences

____ Make a visual representation to represent how many consequences students have received.

____ Become familiar with school-wide discipline policy.

Instructional/Tracking

____ Prioritize every objective you want your students to achieve during this school year (based on the state standards). Talk with veteran teachers!

____ Organize all your objectives into units (e.g. Multiplication, Persuasive Writing, etc.)

____ Sit down with a calendar and schedule your units. Again, talk with other teachers! Check the district web page for information about school holidays, report card dates, etc.

____ Update syllabus with new information acquired from meeting with other teachers.

____ Find out what your daily schedule is and organize your subjects and transitional activities accordingly.

____ Post the daily schedule

____ Plan and make copies of first day and week materials.

____ Organize grade book (hardcopy and computer) and tracker with student names

____ Prepare your white (or chalk) board for the first days (name, date, agenda, etc)

First Day.

____ Collect supplies

____ Teach and practice rules and procedures.

____ Pass out homework folders with weekly homework sheets.

____ Student Surveys/ Inventory sheet/ Learning Styles

____ Call all families to see if they have any questions about all the paperwork you sent home. Record these calls on your log.

____ Call families of students who misbehaved on the first day.

____ Rearrange the seating chart if necessary.

____ Reflect on what went well and what needs to be improved for tomorrow.

____ Call someone if you need advice or if you need to vent/ celebrate

First Week

____ Call families to introduce yourself and express how much you look forward to working with them. Tell them to look for the information coming home.

____ Assign students textbooks.

____ Assign classroom managers.

____ Complete student strengths chart

____ Grade diagnostics.

Second Week

____ Send home a bi-weekly progress report.

____ Assess the objectives you covered. Rules and procedures count as objectives!

absent?

Materials You May Need

____ accordion file (transport classwork/tests from school to home)

____ stacking trays (I have one for each class to turn in papers and one for each class with graded work in my classroom~ 8)

____ crates for hanging folders (I have two of these)