Looking ahead to a new school year, attention turns to lesson plans, school supplies, desk arrangements, and textbooks.  But what about your educational philosophy?  Remember that reason why you got into teaching in the first place?  Perhaps you've never even thought about your fundamental beliefs since you studied to earn your teaching credential.  I recommend taking some time to revisit and reflect on your philosophy as a way to freshen up your commitment to students, the community, and the educational system in general.

What is your educational philosophy?

"Killing two birds with one stone" is such a cliche, but it's a must-do for teachers.  We have so many tasks to do each week with so many people depending on us and yet... so little time.

That's why I recommend turning your weekly (or semiweekly) parent newsletter into a whole class guided writing activity.  That way, your students are learning how to reflect on the past week's accomplishments and communicate their ideas to their collective parents.  At the same time, the parents will appreciate being kept in-the-loop on the classroom goings-on.  Why should you toil over the keyboard in isolation?  Make the newsletter a fun Language Arts activity and everybody wins!

How do you communicate with your students' parents each week?

Back to School Night doesn't have to be stressful or worrisome.  Check out this sample schedule of a Back to School Night agenda so that you can plan ahead and convey all of the important information you need to share in an orderly and logical manner.  I also recommend this cute, quick little parent-student bonding activity that can be worked into the Back to School Night activities.

What do you like to do for Back to School Night?  What are your favorite tips and tricks for a successful evening with your new students' parents?

It takes a little bit of pre-planning to set up a Pen Pal program for your students.  But it's worth your time and effort because Pen Pals increase student awareness on so many levels - socially, geographically, linguistically, culturally, and more.

I recommend taking a little time this summer to plant a few seeds for a Pen Pal program that you can implement in the coming school year. Specifically, start looking for a classroom with which to partner up.  Hint: our Elementary Educators Forum is an ever-popular venue for such match-ups.  Have fun adding a little Pen Pal power to your curriculum!

With so many things to do each day in the classroom, why not take advantage of kids' natural desire to help out the teacher? Assign classroom jobs in a deliberate and well-planned manner, and watch your students rise to the occasion while they learn personal responsibility.

I recommend using job applications to assign the various jobs. It helps students take the situation a little more seriously, while giving valuable Language Arts practice in filling out forms for a purpose.

Ice breaker activities help you and your students get to know each other at the start of a new school year. When everyone's a little nervous and looking to break the ice,  these simple fun activities will jumpstart conversations, uncover surprising commonalities, and generally warm up the new relationships for the coming year together.

One of my favorite Ice Breaker games is the Human Scavenger Hunt game.  I choose to participate alongside my students.

How do you help your students relax and get to know each other during the first week of school?

Teachers always need to save money, right?  With all of the recent layoffs and budget cuts, it's becoming increasingly crucial to cut costs while still maintaining effectiveness.  I'm of the belief that teachers shouldn't have to spend their precious funds on trinkets and toys that serve as material rewards for students.  There are plenty of FREE ways to reward students for a job well done.

What are your favorite no-cost classroom rewards?

Even though Ron Clark's book The Essential 55 is several years old now, I believe that the concepts are still effective, interesting, and relevant for all teachers.  If you're unfamiliar with the book's approach to classroom management, here's an overview of The Essential 55 and how you can implement it in your own K-6 classroom.

Sometimes I hear adults (not just teachers) complaining about young people's lack of manners and sense of responsibility nowadays.  I think the Essential 55 book addresses some of the forgotten rules of society and reintroduces them to students in a way that can be fun and memorable, too.

Do you have any specific behaviors you're a stickler for in your classroom?  I'm all about "please" and "thank you" with my students, for sure!