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Back to School: Start Off, Sustain, and Accelerate Your Year

September 12, 2022 Teach to One

While school is in full swing, we’re all still navigating the impact of the last several years on learning. It can be easy to lose sight of what we already know about what works. We’ve gathered recommendations for families, administrators, and teachers to help start off, sustain, and accelerate your year.

What works for teachers

  • Plan a list of ways to practice self-care. It doesn’t matter if they’re big or small. What’s important is that they support your health and well-being. It could be as easy as finding time to take a break and decompress, connect with a loved one, or write in a journal.
  • Come up with activities to learn about your students and make them feel seen. Ask them questions that tap into their individuality. Take what you’ve learned about their interests and connect them to your lessons. 
  • Set aside time to get to know fellow teachers. Take part in social or school-related events when you can. Find out if there are any initiatives, new lessons, or assessments that you can collaborate on.

What works for administrators

  • Let your staff know you’re there for support. Have an open door policy or set regular times when they can drop by. Walk around the hallways or drop by the teachers’ lounge to check in with them.
  • Encourage professional development. Set up a mentorship program or encourage newer teachers to observe more experienced ones in their classrooms. 
  • Find easy ways to keep parents updated and involved. Tell them what tools you’ll be using to share announcements and answer questions. Set up volunteer programs that they can participate in during or after school hours.

What works for families

  • Make keeping up with routines a challenge to be solved with your kids. Tell them that you understand life can get busy and make it harder. Involve your kids by asking them to come up with fun ideas they can stick to. 
  • Brainstorm new goals with your kids and break them into smaller, manageable steps. Talk about what obstacles might come up and different ways to overcome them. 
  • Keep in touch with teachers. Find out what information about your kids can help them do their job better. Check in if they have any concerns or if there’s anything you can help with.

For more recommendations to start off, sustain and accelerate the school year, consider subscribing to our newsletter, The Latest!

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