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Get ready for a successful school year with tips, tools, and resources. Explore strategies to engage students and enhance teaching.

Back to SchoolDigital CitizenshipDigital Literacy

Common Sense Education’s Free Resources for Back to School

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

Back to school is officially here. Some schools in the U.S. started in late July but as we approach mid to late August, we’re seeing even more back-to-school pictures pop up. Common Sense Education is here for it. And so is TCEA! I wanted to share several new resource and articles offered by Common Sense Education that I think you’ll find useful for the beginning of this new school year. Let’s take a look!

Customizable Templates

Common Sense Education recently posted these helpful templates for educators and caregivers. They cover all grade levels and include digital citizenship agreements, dinner conversation starters, and family guides you can share with caregivers.

Common Sense Education templates

Roundup of Best Ed Tech Tools

Here’s Common Sense’s roundup of 46 back-to-school tools for supporting instruction with technology. These tools are categorized under the following topics:

  • Social-emotional learning
  • Curriculum and lesson planning
  • Feedback, assessment, and porfolios
  • Organization and productivity
  • Parent and student communication
  • Presentation and video
  • Professional growth
Ed Tech Tools Roundup

Tips by Text

Common Sense Education is now offering families and caregivers a free text service in English and Spanish. Guardians can sign up to recieve tips for healthy technology use via text at no charge! Tips will include information on screen time management, choosing developmentally appropriate media and apps, setting boundaries, and recommendations for entertainment based on age. Share this information with your students’ families! And, as a bonus, here is an article with Four Tips on Managing Devices and Screen Time for Families you can share as well.

Common Sense Media Tips by Text

Additional Common Sense Education Articles

Have any resources you’d add to this list? Leave them in the comments for everyone to enjoy. And have a happy back to school!

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Back to SchoolClassroom ManagementDigital CitizenshipLeadershipLibrariesOnline Tools and AppsPlanning and PreparationSocial-Emotional LearningSTEM/STEAM

Back-to-School Roundup

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

Where did the summer go? With the start of a new year, I’ve gathered back-to-school resources from our amazing PD team and staff here at TCEA. Check out this categorized list full of ideas to create a successful school year.

You can skip to a section by selecting a category below:

Icebreakers

Bellringers

Leadership

In the Library

STEM

Social Emotional Learning

Activities

Templates

Lesson Planning

Choice Boards

Tools

Classroom Management

Classroom Walls

Coaching

Artificial Intelligence

Icebreakers

Bellringers

Leadership

Image of a bingo card for a Staff Summer Bingo Game

In the Library

STEM

  • Prepping for a STEM/STEAM Year
    STEM/STEAM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to help you prepare for a stem-rific school year.
  • Back to School with STEM
    STEM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to kick off your school year in the STEM direction.

Social Emotional Learning

Activities

Templates

self-reported grades

Lesson Planning

  • 2000+ Lesson Plan Templates and Ideas for K12
    Discover a wealth of lesson plan template resources and treasures in this searchable collection for grades K-12 in all subject areas.
  • Back to School Apps for Lesson Planning
    Looking for tools to make lesson planning easier? Look no further than these three free apps that can assist you in designing amazing learning experiences.
  • Lesson Planning: 5E Model + Technology
    Lesson planning remains a tool for teachers to use to make sure they are covering the required material. If you follow the 5E Model for planning and add technology to it, you end up with a very powerful way to bring the curriculum to life for all students.

Choice Boards

Tools

Classroom Management

Classroom Walls

Coaching

  • Ten Ideas for Tech Coaches to Help Their Teachers Grow
    Explore creative and fun ways for tech coaches to encourage teachers in their growth with technology integration. Ready, set, ed tech!
  • Conference for Educational Coaches
    Sign up for the Conference for Educational Coaches (CEC) to discover the latest in professional development, best practices for coaching, and even more ideas for supporting educators. Attend in person in Austin, Texas or online from October 9-10.

Artificial Intelligence

For Texas Educators

I hope these strategies, activities, templates, and more get the brain flowing with ideas to create a successful start. Have a wonderful new school year!

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Back to SchoolLibrariesPlanning and Preparation

Seven Back-to-School Tips for Librarians

by Kristi Starr
written by Kristi Starr

Are you a librarian who likes to plan, or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Maybe it’s a bit of both. Intentions are good but, when the first day of school suddenly stares you in the face, it’s all about survival mode. No matter where you are in the planning process, here are a few suggestions to help you face the beginning of the year with confidence. 

Know thyself.

Be honest with yourself about your skills, your strengths and weaknesses, and the things you can and can’t control. Whether you’re considering sweeping changes or just want to make small alterations in daily tasks, think about what each requires and what stands in your way. Do you need an ally? An accountability partner? An alarm? Never be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s a friend on your campus, a fellow librarian, or a library leader.

Use a planning system.

Find a way to track what you want to accomplish and when! That could mean slotting a time every day, or a few times a week, to create and schedule social media posts or write blog posts. It can include noting days for changing displays as well as ideas for display and programming themes. Your calendar/planner is also a great place to track events going on in your library as well as classes or groups visiting and using the library. Don’t forget to include events you plan to attend and classes you visit. Your planner will also be a valuable data resource when it’s time to provide reports. 

librarian tip calendar
 Created by Zinnia Bayardo

You can find some excellent planner options for purchase or download. Demco offers a library planner designed by Kristina Holzweiss. Zinnia Bayardo of Northside ISD shared this fabulous weekly calendar template that can be printed or used digitally. You can also make your own in Canva or Slides. A general academic planner can also be easily customized, like this Star Wars-themed one from Erin Condren).

Find your go-to programming resources.

Planning and programming go hand in hand. There are many great people and sites to follow to help with ideas and resources. For this, social media might be your best friend. The Book Wrangler is an elementary librarian to follow, and he shares lots of printables on his blog. Shannon McClintock Miller and the VanMeter Library Voice is another good source for programming ideas. Use reading lists, designated months and weeks, and holidays. Or maybe Facebook groups are your jam. If you prefer more random celebrations, check out NationalToday.com for a compilation of popular as well as lesser-known events. Like today, August 10, you get National Lazy Day, National Spoil Your Dog Day, Update Your Bio Day, Vlogging Day, World Lion Day, and Duran Duran Appreciation Day. 

the book wrangler
the library voice

Pick your go-to tools.

Canva or Adobe? Nearpod or PearDeck? Wakelet or Padlet? Genially or BookCreator? Know which tools you can access in a pinch to create amazing content. When you have more time available, then you can play around and experiment with new sites and apps. 

Pick one big thing at a time to focus on.

Some people are better at multitasking than others, but if you want to work efficiently, your best bet is to focus on a job and get it done. Too many overlapping projects can lead to burnout. Weeding, diversity audits, genrefication and shelving changes, or website development are just a few projects that can require extensive time to complete. When you’re trying to launch a new program or initiative, establish one at a time before moving on to the next. Trying to establish a library advisory board, set up your very first book club, and institute a Tech Tuesday can be overwhelming if you’ve never done any of them before. 

Determine the data you need, then decide how you’ll collect it.

I keep track of 3 types of student visits: classes, individual students and small groups, and students needing loaner Chromebooks. I document each in a different manner. Circulation reports are easy. Numeric data is important, but it’s not the only data we need to tell our stories. Materials requests, reading preferences, and patron comments can inform and justify collection development and library services. 

librarians back to school class

Grow your PLN.

I have the best professional learning network ever. Some are friends I’ve only met once or twice face-to-face, but they consistently make my job easier and better. Find and follow the people to follow who fill your cup, who share great ideas, who make you a better person. My PLN contains people all across the state and even the nation, people I consider to be friends. If you’re fortunate enough to work in a district or live in an area with lots of other librarians, use them to learn from and grow your practice. If you don’t, the TCEA librarian community is vibrant, and Twitter and Instagram are wonderful places to connect with others. Iron sharpens iron. 

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school culture
Back to School

Building a School Culture that Works

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

As we begin another school year, it’s a good time to think about the kind of culture we want to have on campus or in the classroom. While the culture may just evolve (or devolve) on its own, it is something that can be actively and purposefully changed to be more positive and beneficial to everyone. Below are some ideas for crafting exactly the culture that you want to have this year.

What Is a School Culture?

According to Fullan (2007), school culture can be defined as “the guiding beliefs and values evident in the way a school operates.” It encompasses all the attitudes and expected behaviors that impact how the school or classroom operates. It is also inextricably linked to the relationships that exist among the staff members and between teachers and students. To create the culture you want to have, you must first define the beliefs you hold about learning and how you want people to work with each other. A shared sense of purpose and true enjoyment in what each person is doing is also needed. Once those are in place, it’s time to add to the unique culture of the campus.

Ways to Shape the Culture

Several pieces can be individualized to create the school culture you want.

  • Symbols, such as colors, logos, important places, and photos of people can set the tone as you enter the building or the room. Does the building have historical significance? Does it have any unique architectural features? Does it match the shared purpose? What individuals are at the school? (These shouldn’t just be the adults.)
  • Stories about the school can also give an interesting flavor to the culture. Is it really old? Really new? Does it have an interesting history? Are there fun and interesting stories about the people who have worked there or learned there? What story does each staff member and student have to tell?
  • Traditions, including how accomplishments are celebrated, are essential to the culture. How are new people welcomed? Are birthdays or other important days celebrated? What happens in the hallway during passing periods? Are rites of passage such as “walking the halls” or a “friends table” available? How is information about these traditions shared with everyone? What is being done to ensure students and staff feel welcome and a part of the whole? How are we better together?
  • Expectations shape the culture. Student behavior and professional diligence must be clearly spelled out to all. What is the etiquette if someone is late? How do we work out disagreements? Where can individuals turn for help? How is inappropriate behavior corrected and appropriate behavior rewarded?
  • A view toward the future is also important. How will work in this place advance our shared goals? How will it benefit each individual? How does what we do each day positively impact our future?

If you do not take steps to establish the culture you want for this school year, whether it is for a classroom or an entire campus or department, you may end up with a culture that doesn’t align with what you desired. So be sure to take a few minutes to plan how you will implement the best culture for learning.

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Back to SchoolGoogle Tips and TricksOnline Tools and Apps

Five Jamboard Bellringers to Start the School Day

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Jamboard is such a good tool for creating quick, interactive activities to warm up students’ brains at the beginning of class. I can’t think of a better time to jump into a Jamboard than when the morning school bell chimes. Here are five bellringers that you can copy and run with! 

1. For the Rest of Your Life

For the rest of your life

This bellringer will really get your students thinking about making a choice. Similar to “Would you rather…”, options include: 

  • If you could only have one utensil, would you choose a fork, knife, or spoon?
  • If you could visit only one landmark would you choose the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, or the Great Wall of China?
  • If you could eat only one fruit, would you choose an apple, banana, or orange? 
  • If you could eradicate a species of animal, would you choose alligators, snakes, or spiders?
  • Would you rather live in a skyscraper in a large city, a hut on the beach, or a castle in a foreign county? 
  • Would you rather only eat tacos, pizza, or hamburgers for every Saturday meal?

2. Picture of the Day Bellringers

Picture of the Day

Students will take a look at a picture and be challenged to consider what they see, what details they notice, and what they think is happening in the image with this bellringer. The Jamboard comes with a selection of post-it-notes that include the prompts:

I notice . . .

I wonder  . . .

This makes me think . . .

Photos include:

  • Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo
  • Snow scene
  • Breakfast time
  • The Girl and a Bubble
  • A Road in the Desert
  • The Crown Fountain in Chicago
  • A Maker Costume

3. Color Jam Bellringer

Color Jam Bellringer

Each slide is a different color. Students think of one item for each color (banana for yellow, sky for blue, etc.) and either type it on a sticky note or in a text box. For a challenge, see if they can come up with different items for each color without any duplicates.  When finished, they could also find an image to go along with the items they listed for an extended bellringer.

4. Quick Debates

Quick Debates Bellringer

Share one of the quick debate topics, and students can pick a position and defend their decision. It’s always interesting to hear the different arguments for and against! The 10 topics include:

  • Is a hotdog a sandwich?
  • Does a straw have one hole or two?
  • Is your thumb a finger?
  • Eat rice with a spoon or a fork?
  • Is chess a sport?
  • Should you eat ice cream in a cup or a cone?
  • Is cereal a soup?
  • Does a snake have a tail?
  • Is cheesecake a cake?
  • What is the correct way to put on socks and shoes? Sock, sock, shoe, shoe OR sock, shoe, sock, shoe.

5. This, Not That

This, Not That Bellringer

There are 12 “This, Not That” puzzles to choose from on this bellringer. How does this work? Each frame gives five statements and you have to figure out from those statements what a person likes. For example, let’s take Emily. 

  1. She likes minutes, not hours
  2. She likes the Seven Dwarfs, but not Snow White.
  3. She likes poems, not novels
  4. She likes power naps, not dusk to dawn sleeps.
  5. She likes skirts, not jeans.

If your reasoning led you to believe she likes things that are short – you are CORRECT! Sometimes these puzzles can be a little tricky. So teachers, if you do not have time to figure out the answer, email me at preimers@tcea.org, and I can send you the answers. 

I know that educators are always looking ideas for bellringers. Please feel free to drop a link or comment in the chat if you have any to add. Let’s ring that bell!

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Back to SchoolEnglish Language Arts Reading (ELAR)Online Tools and Apps

Five Creative Back-to-School Activities with Book Creator

by Dr. Monica Burns
written by Dr. Monica Burns

Are you heading back to school? Use Book Creator this school year to take a creative spin on your back-to-school activities! It’s a powerful creative tool for students of all ages. Students can record their voices, capture video, and add text, emojis, shapes, and images to the pages of an interactive book.

What’s New in Book Creator?

This school year, you are in for a treat. There are lots of exciting new updates in Book Creator. If you checked out this recent post on Book Creator’s blog, you already know some of the fantastic features you can access this school year.

In addition to a newly updated certification program, when you open up Book Creator, you’ll find a great new commenting option this summer. If you’re committed to giving feedback to students, you can add comments directly to student pages. 

How does commenting in Book Creator work? You’ll now see a talk bubble with a + sign on each page in a student’s book. When you tap this button, you can add feedback to a student’s page. The options include using video, voice, text, and more!

Page 3 of 6

Five Back-to-School Activities

Book Creator is a favorite creation tool for all parts of the school year, but as you head back to school, these five activities are perfect for the first few weeks.

#1 – Set up a portfolio.

Students can use this remixable template or start from scratch to make their portfolios. Although their portfolio will grow over the school year, they can set it up during the first few weeks of school and design a cover. Simply hit the remix button and a copy will be added straight into your Book Creator library.

#2 – Share a favorite place.

When I introduce teachers to Book Creator, this prompt is one of my favorites for helping educators get to know this powerful tool. Of course, you can use this prompt to introduce students to Book Creator, too. It’s an excellent way to share a place they love and get to know their classmates. Book Creator has a great Travel Guide (which you can remix), and you can also add a Google Map to showcase where in the world their favorite place is!

Postcard Travel Guide

#3 – Set goals.

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to set goals. Have students create a book highlighting three goals they have for the fall. You might make an example with three of your own goals to share with students and revisit the books during the first few months of the school year. How about adding a Canva Book Cover straight in? Book Creator integrated Canva as well as other apps like Giphy, Bitmoji, 3D Models, and more earlier this year.

Book Creator and Canva

#4 – Work together.

Introduce collaboration to students at the start of the school year. You can start small with just two students working on a book together. This activity provides an opportunity to discuss digital citizenship skills and expectations for navigating digital spaces.

Book Creator Collaboration

#5 – Share a passion.

Learners of all ages like to talk about their interests and passions. Encourage students to share something they love like a favorite activity, book, sport, animal, or other topic they can write about. You might give students an outline or table of contents for this creation. Try out one of the 18 templates and themes that are integrated into Book Creator to provide choice and enhance creativity. 

Book Creator Templates

Ready to get started with Book Creator? To kick off the school year, use one of the ideas in this post or remix this ready-to-use template designed with back to school in mind. Make sure to share your student creations, teacher examples, and ideas for using Book Creator on social media! Tag @TCEA, @BookCreatorApp, and @ClassTechTips in your posts.

Upcoming Webinar

August 11: Join Monica Burns for a special webinar with Book Creator, 9 Creative Back-to–School Activities. Use this link to grab your free spot.

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Back to SchoolClassroom ManagementGood TeachingSocial-Emotional LearningSpecial Needs

Seven Online Timers to Try in Your Classroom

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

One classroom essential- timers. Back in the day, I had a wind-up timer on my desk. Though it didn’t get used every day, there were definitely times it came in handy. Whether it was counting down the time that students had left to complete an assignment or keeping track of how long students were at centers, my trusty egg timer was ready to help…most of the time.

I use the word “trusty” with some skepticism. I would set the timer, put it on my desk so that I could walk around and help students, and trust it would do its job. Unfortunately, it would sometimes stop running before time was up, meaning it wouldn’t go off. Of course, I wouldn’t realize it until it was too late, which meant we would be late for lunch, or worse, late for P.E. which was my planning period!

While egg timers still dot teachers’ desks across districts, many find that digital timers are much more helpful. Not only can they go along with the theme of your classroom or unit, but they can also be displayed so that all the students can self-monitor how much time is left before the alarm goes off. So as the school year arrives, be sure to consider adding these timers to your stash. No one wants to be late for lunch or their planning period!

1. Google’s Chrome Timer

It appears that this trusty timer has been pulled off stage for a bit. As of the writing of this post, it seems that it has just vanished. Previously you could just type “1-minute timer” in Chrome’s Omnibox, and Google would generate a countdown timer for whatever time you designated. It wasn’t fancy, but it was reliable with nothing to download. It was also customizable to the time you needed. Forty-two minutes…no problem. Nineteen seconds…sure. Chrome-loving folks have already started announcing their dismay about the possible demise of Google. Only time will tell if it gets re-instated.

2. Alarmsetter

Image of Alarmsetter timer
Screenshot by author

Alarmsetter has a simple, no-frills set of tools that give a variety of options. This browser-based site offers an alarm clock, timer, and stopwatch to choose from. For the timer, besides setting the time, you can also choose the sound you want to be played when time’s up and give the timer a title. Juggling different groups which need different timers? No problem. Just use your browser’s split screen feature and set a different timer in the other window. What I like about this timer is that it shows the time as part of the tab label even if you have other tabs open that you are viewing! And unlike some timers that just play the final sound once, Alarmsetter will continue the sound you selected until you stop it.

By the way, if having the timer appear in the browser tab appeals to you, then you may want to check out timer-tab to see if their tool is an equal or better fit.

Screenshot of setting Alarmsetter timer
Screenshot by author

3. ESL Kids Games

Eslkidsgames has three well-designed timers and a stopwatch. Though they aren’t fancy and have very limited customizations beyond setting the time, they are clean and uncluttered except for the ads you may have to close out of at the beginning. So for this timer, I would also recommend an ad blocker extension such as the AdblockPlus Chrome extension to silence the ads. The countdown timer also displays a progress bar below the time as a visual for students who may benefit from it.

Screenshot of ESL Kids Games timer
Screenshot by author

4. Online-Stopwatch

Online-stopwatch has been around for ages. It’s a site you can trust to be reliable and offer a variety of resources. Don’t let the name fool you. This site has so many tools you will definitely want to bookmark it! Do you teach secondary students and need a timer that isn’t cutesy? Got it! Try the exam timers. Taking an SEL approach in your classroom? Explore the sensory timers. As you can see from the screenshot below, they probably have a timer to meet any need.

Screenshot of Online-Stopwatch website
Screenshot by author

5. ToyTheater

Toytheather, as the name suggests, is geared toward early childhood students. Set the time, choose a timer shape (circle, square, triangle, star, etc.), and then click the set button. You’ll need to scroll down to see the Full Screen button to expand and fill the browser window. Hit the Escape key to exit full screen.

Image of Toy Theater timer
Screenshot by author

6. Classroomscreen

Classroomscreen has a timer along with a myriad of other tools that you might want to explore. Though you can create an account at this freemium site, it isn’t necessary to take advantage of what Classroomscreen offers. The pro account does allow you to save screens making it faster to pull up collections of items that you want to use frequently. You cannot enter the time in via the number pad so be prepared to tap on the plus or minus symbols to adjust the time as needed. Besides resizing the timer, Classroomscreen even allows you to set the background or upload your own photo so you can make it as silly or as stoic as you would like.

Screenshot of ClassroomScreen timer
Screenshot by author

7. YouTube Options

If you are needing to countdown from a common designation of time, then you should be able to find plenty of timers on YouTube to take advantage of. Here are the search results for 20-minute timers. Besides having a variety of styles, you’ll notice that they also come with a variety of background music. If you find a timer that you like, but the background noise doesn’t fit your classroom atmosphere, you may need to mute it. Just be sure to pay attention to the video since you won’t hear the alarm when the time runs out.

Image of Youtube timer
Screenshot by author

What is Your Go-To Timer?

So what is your go-to timer? Is it a traditional one that sits on your desk, or is it one that’s online? Share with us! The timer you share may be the exact time someone else has been looking for. Hurry, time is ticking!

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Back to SchoolCulturally ResponsiveSocial-Emotional Learning

10 First Day of School Activities Shared by Teachers

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

I recently came across a post by @Teacher2Teacher on Twitter that I just HAD to bookmark. They asked a simple question: “Do you have any back to school rituals that you just LOVE?” Boy was I excited to explore the answers and activities shared! Here are some of my favorites.

Name Pronunciation

Renee Dawson (@APSITSdawson) had a fantastic idea to share. She has her students record the correct pronunciation of their names using Microsoft Flip (formerly Flipgrid) so that everyone can pronounce names correctly from the start of the year.

What’s Your Name Story?

Stevie Frank (@steviefrank23) uses a ball of yarn to complete an ice breaker with students. She asks the question, “What’s your name story?” and tosses the yarn to a student. The recipient answers, holds on to the yarn, and then throws the ball of yarn to another student who answers. This continues until the whole class has participated. A web of yarn is created between all the students. “By the end, we all see how we’re connected, and we get to learn parts of identity,” says Stevie. You can do this activity with all kinds of questions!

Student Superheroes

I absolutely love this idea from Mark Holt (@Holteacher). He calls his 5th grade students superheroes. On the first day of school, they decorate capes with a superhero name and symbol they create for themselves. Mark says, “Some of the students wear their capes all year long.”

Letter to the Teacher

@PamAmendola has students write her a letter. In the letter, they tell her about their lives, their families, their likes/dislikes, and anything else they’d like to share about themselves. “I get an authentic, low stakes writing sample where I hear their voice,” she says.

Team Building with Puzzles

@lberrelez32 buys some 24-piece children’s puzzles from Dollar Tree. She partners up students with one partner blindfolded. Only the blindfolded student can touch the puzzle. “Their partner has to talk them through putting it together. Great team building activity,” she says.

My First Day

Mrs. Moore (@BookDragon_Kat) works with a lot of military kids. She says that reading “My First Day” is a great way for them to share about where they’ve lived, build connections, and learn about how people in different parts of the world go to school.

Plastic Cup Challenge

@Riverart9 puts students in groups of four to five and gives them an equal number of cups of varied sizes and made of different materials. Then she challenges the groups to build the tallest tower of cups. She likes this as a first day of school activity because it encourages teamwork and resilience.

The Name Juggle

Tyle Pelletier (@TPelletierG5) named his favorite activity as being “The Name Juggle.” In this game, students take a ball and say the name of the person they’re tossing it to. Increase the complexity and fun by adding more balls and speeding up the game as students get to know each other’s names.

“Where I’m From” Poems

One activity suggested by @Creative_Ink16 is writing “Where I’m From” poems. Here’s an example with a template based on “Where I’m From” by poet George Ella Lyons. This site also includes a video of students performing their poems. “The students decorate their final drafts, and we hang them up on the classroom wall,” adds Creative_Ink16. I absolutely love this idea.

Letters from Last Year

If you had students write letters at the end of last school year, it’s a great way to introduce incoming students to their new environment. @Kwillmann suggests “reading letters written by last year’s students about how to succeed in class.” It also gives students something to look forward to doing at the end of the year.

Do you have any favorites to add to the list? Tell us about them in the comments, and let’s all have a great first day of school!

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Back to School

Ways to Welcome Your Teachers Back to School

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

It’s important to go above and beyond in welcoming your staff back to school as the new school year approaches. Taking that time to make them feel appreciated and welcomed will go a long way toward setting a positive tone for the school year. Let’s take a look at some ideas.

Write a Welcoming Note

Writing a personal note is a simple and effective way to welcome your staff back. You can give them the note on the first day they return from summer break or wait until the first day of school. If you have a large number of staff, you might want to get started now or get some help. If you need a template, check out this Welcome Back to School Note that can be copied and modified. In the note, tell your staff how excited you are for the new school year and how thankful you are for them. Your note will go a long way in showing them how much you appreciate them. In addition, it will help build those strong relationships between you and your team.

Have an Informal First Day Back

There are a ton of meetings when staff come back from summer break. Why not have an informal first day back? Do some ice breakers and getting-to-know-you activities, provide lunch, and keep the schedule light. While I know there is a lot of information to cover at the beginning of school and schedules can be full, remember that the first day back is hard. Some staff might be anxious, so this will help take the pressure off. You’ll find that a lot can still be accomplished even if the first day back is informal.

Give a Self-Care Kit

The start of the school year can be stressful. Give your staff a self-care kit to start the year off right. You can include things like a mug, instant coffee or tea bags, hand lotion, lip balm, gift cards, energy bars, and other snacks.

Another thing you can add to the self-care kit is a gratitude jar. A gratitude jar is a jar filled with reminders of what you’re grateful for. Using small pieces of paper, your staff can write down what they’re thankful for and add a note or two to their jar each week. They can visit the jar whenever they need encouragement and pull out a note or two. Gratitude reminds us of what we have, and research shows that staying grateful can improve our mental health. You can even set up a table where staff can decorate their jars.

Get to Know Your Teachers

Building relationships with and getting to know your staff is critical. Give your team an opportunity to share special facts about themselves. Icebreaker and team-building activities are perfect examples of how to learn more about your staff.

In addition, have them complete a form that tells you even more about them. The form can include questions like, “What is your favorite snack?” This will help you personalize appreciation gifts throughout the year. Here is an example of things to include on your form.

Create a Memorable “Welcome Back” Video

In this blog post by Dr. Bruce Ellis, you can find ways to welcome your staff back that take little effort but some creativity. You could use Flip to introduce yourself to your team. You could even create a YouTube video and post it online. If you don’t like to be in front of a camera, you can still inspire your staff with video. Explore a variety of inspirational videos at http://bit.ly/educatorsinspire. 

These are just a few ways you can welcome your staff back. Also, while they may have been working all year long, don’t forget to include your secretarial staff, the custodial staff, IT staff, and everyone else that makes up the school community.

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Back to School

Quotes for the New School Year

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

It is getting to be that time of year when you can smell freshly sharpened pencils and a box of brand new crayons in the air. It’s the time when I start to gather all the good ideas I’ve come across in my travels or on social media. As I was perusing Twitter, I stopped on this question posted by an Illinois Director of Secondary Education, Dan Lamboley. “My district is looking for a child-centered, inspirational quote to put on the wall in our entryway. Any good suggestions?”

Immediately, I knew Twitterific educators would promptly answer the call. And they did. Here are a few of my favorites!

Quotes for Teachers

Each one, reach one. – Cori Coburn-Shiflett

Life affords no greater responsibility, than the raising of the next generation. – C. Everett Coop

Tell me, and I forget. Teach me ,and I may remember. Involve me, and I learn. – Ben Franklin

We rise by lifting others. – Robert Ingersoll

To inspire people, don’t show them your super powers. Show them theirs.  – Alexander Den Hejjer

Students don’t need a perfect teacher. They need a teacher who gets them excited about learning. A teacher who smiles and makes them enjoy coming to school. Each and every day.  – Richard P. Feynman

A school is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside. – Lon Watters

A smile is the universal WELCOME! – Max Eastman

Quotes for Students

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose – Dr. Seuss

Here We Grow! – unknown

Amazing things happen here. – unknown

The world wouldn’t spin the same without you! – Brandarius Johnson

Posted by Brandarius Johnson, Las Vegas, Nevada

Be Yourself. Everybody else is already taken – Oscar Wilde

You are capable of amazing things! – unknown

No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something! – unknown

BElieve in YOUrself. – unknown

Quotes about Kindness

In a world where you can be anything: BE KIND. – unknown

Be brave. Dream big. Show kindness. – unknown

Be Kind. Be Bright. Be You. – unknown

Mrs. Minarich Channahon, Illinois and IDEA Illinois Educator of the Year

Be kind and change the world. – unknown

Kindness matters. – unknown

Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give. – unknown

Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen. – Conan O’Brien

Throw kindness around like confetti. – unknown

Quotes for Art Rooms

Every child is an artist.  – Pablo Picasso

You cannot use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. – Maya Angelou

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. – Henry David Thoreau

Creativity is intelligence having fun. – Albert Einstein

Make your mark. . .  and see where it takes you. – Peter Reynolds

Makers gonna make.– unknown

You do not need anybody’s permission to live a creative life. – Elizabeth Gilbert

What you create doesn’t need to be perfect. – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Quotes for STEM Spaces

Let’s get in gear with the 4C’s this year!

We Are INVENTORS!

Where will STEM take you?

Stand back! We’re building a better world.

Get in GEAR and ENGINEER.

Gearing up for Greatness at __________. (fill in the name of your class or school)

A Few Tips

Tip 1: Create a wall of inspirational quotes like Gillian Portwood McColgan. She purchased the Growth Mindset posters from TPT and purchased inexpensive frames from the Dollar Store to create a gallery wall of inspiring phrases.

Posted by Gillian Portwood McColgan

TIP 2: Consider using direct quotes from your students, and have a central bulletin board featuring a quote from a student each week.

TIP 3: To choose a quote for a school wall, invite all students to submit and have the students vote. Democracy in action!

TIP 4: If you are looking to make your own try Adobe Express or Canva. Or just keep it simple- create a background in PowerPoint or Google Slides to create your own. Visit my blog on fancy fonts to jazz up your inspirational quote.

TIP 5: Create a bulletin board word cloud, like Naomi Clark did, using different fonts and an electronic cutting machine (Cricut or a Silhouette).

Posted by Naomi Clark, New Hampshire Posted in the Elementary STEM Specials Teachers Facebook Group

Words could include:

  • work hard
  • ask questions
  • persist
  • be curious
  • try
  • learn
  • read
  • think
  • capable

These inspirational words are just a start. There are millions available. If you have a favorite, please drop it in the comments! I know other bulletin boards and walls across the world would love to showcase your motivational and inspiring quotes.

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