Back to School Tips for Teachers
Back-to-school season is here! We know how challenging it can be to prepare for one of the busiest weeks of the school year—when students are settling in, parents have lots of questions, and you may be feeling overwhelmed with managing a new classroom. Here are a few back-to-school tips to help you navigate this busy season!
Set Up Your Classroom #
One of the keys to fostering academic success is to ensure a positive learning environment within your classroom. Make sure that the tools you and your students need on a daily basis can be easily found and everything has its own place. Don’t forget to decorate your classroom in a way that is welcoming and enticing for students to enter every day. This is the fun part where you can unleash your own creativity!
Develop Your Classroom Rules and Routines #
Classroom management may be one of the toughest challenges of being a teacher. It can be helpful to write down a clear set of rules for your students so that they understand your expectations and know that everyone will be treated fairly. Another option is to co-create rules with students to help encourage student ownership of those expectations. Routines are also crucial for young people, offering students a sense of structure, predictability, and agency. Clearly lay out your procedures for things like attendance, breaks, dismissal, absences, and homework.
Prepare All of Your Resources #
Plan ahead of time and ensure you have all the resources you need for yourself, your students, and their families. Streamline your first-week tasks by having lesson plans, welcome letters, emergency contact forms, student files, homework sheets, and other important documents ready to go.
Start Thinking About Student Enrichment and School Trips #
If you’re looking for new ways to strengthen your school curriculum this year, you can prepare ahead of time by researching different student enrichment opportunities. For example, outdoor learning is one enrichment opportunity that supports your curriculum and has incredible benefits for students’ physical and emotional well-being. Outdoor education is proven to improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills, boost academic knowledge and test scores, and enhance classroom learning and overall student engagement, all while being disconnected from technology and screens. NatureBridge can provide these opportunities to your students by offering outdoor education programs across our four different national park campuses: Yosemite, Golden Gate, Olympic, and Prince William Forest. Learn more about our transformative outdoor education programs here!
Stories
Miles of Meaning, Mountains of Impact: Krista Campbell and The Dipsea Race
When Krista Campbell laced up her running shoes for this year’s Dipsea Race, she wasn’t just in it for the views or the thrill of the course—she was running with purpose. A NatureBridge National Board member, Krista chose this iconic race as an opportunity to support a cause she holds close to her heart: getting more young people out into nature.
Building Confidence and Connections: Forest Camp’s First Summer in Prince William Forest Park
Forest Camp had a wonderful first summer in Prince William Forest Park, welcoming over 100 campers! Campers splashed in the creek, identified macroinvertebrates, played lots of gaga ball, and practiced their water quality testing and shelter building skills. New friends were made and fun was had by all!
Back to School Tips for Teachers
Back-to-school season is here! We know how challenging it can be to prepare for one of the busiest weeks of the school year—when students are settling in, parents have lots of questions, and you may be feeling overwhelmed with managing a new classroom. Here are a few back-to-school tips to help you navigate this busy season!