July 3, 2014
At the end of every academic year, it’s no surprise that teachers look forward to summer vacation just as much as their students do, if not more! After a long year of hard work and dedication to their classrooms, it’s only fair that teachers are given time for relaxation too, but the way they spend their break may be slightly different than students. As a teacher, it’s your responsibility to outline a plan for the upcoming school year that will lead your students to success. So why wait? Instead of leaving your planning and preparation for the end of summer, consider getting a head start and begin thinking about next year early. Thanks to Edutopia, we’ve compiled a list of ways that teachers can use their summer vacation to their advantage in order to get ready for next fall:
1. Review: Shortly after school ends, take some time to review the previous year and create a list of all the things that worked well and what could have been done better. If you’ve asked students for their feedback at the end of the year, make sure to keep their responses in mind to figure out what you should keep the same or alter in regards to your lessons and teaching styles.
2. Prepare: Take the summer to do some of your own research and figure out what others in your field are doing. For example, if you’re an elementary school teacher, look up what techniques have worked for other teachers at your grade level and try to incorporate some of the most popular ideas into your own lesson plans. Additionally, use your time to figure out if there are any field trips or extra curricular activities that would accompany your lessons well in order to allow yourself adequate time to get approval from your school’s administrators.
3. Create Visuals: As computers continue to prove to be helpful in schools, many teachers have begun using digital platforms to assist them in their day to day lessons. If you know you’ll be using power points or videos in any of your lessons, take the summer to create them ahead of time so you have time to practice. Further, if you plan on using social media to enhance the communication in your classroom, be sure to create your pages ahead of time so that they are ready to be used on the first day of school.
4. Connect: Often, the best advice you can receive will come directly from those you work with. Set up a time over the summer to meet with your colleagues and discuss and share plans you have for the upcoming school year; you’ll be surprised at how many great ideas you can come up with as a team!
Lastly, don’t forget to take some time this summer to think about how you can improve your classroom’s environment. That’s where we come in! At Nickerson Corporation, we’ve partnered with some of the most innovative manufacturers in the classroom furniture industry to provide teachers and students with comfortable furniture that also promotes a successful learning atmosphere. The way that you organize your classroom can have a significant impact on the way that students retain information and get involved, so it’s important to dedicate some time to setting up your classroom in the best way possible. To help you do so, we supply a variety of classroom furniture solutions, such as tables, desks, chairs, storage cabinets, shelving, computer furniture and more! Connect with us this summer and get your classroom in tip top shape for fall; contact us at (631) 666-0200 today!