Preparing for School

I gave myself the month of June off of school mode.  This was not a 100% abstinence since I checked my school email during this time, but didn't spend any time actively planning or adjusting lesson plans.  I knew I'd wait til July to really get started with the whole "preparing for school" thing.  Now that it's July, I'm gearing myself up for spending a couple evenings (possibly a couple evenings each week) reviewing and tweaking my lesson plans.  Working in the evenings is better for me.  That way, I don't feel like my morning with a cup of coffee is ruined by having to exert mental energy.  Also, trying to do any type of lesson planning while my kiddos are awake is a difficult feat.  If I wait til the evening, Aaron can oversee everyone while I retreat to the office and have a few minutes of quiet and structured mental tasks.

In getting myself ready for school, I thought I'd share a few things that will make the start of school just a bit easier.

My Bogg Bag:

I have the Baby Bogg in the blush color and I love love love it!  It's the perfect teacher bag.  I bought it last fall when it was half-off and if I ever catch a half-off sale again, I'm going to stock up for all of my sons' teachers, aides, and nurses.  The bag almost has like a tire-tread pattern on the bottom, which provides grip.  It also stands up on its own.  It's made of material that can be hosed down if dirty.  This was great for our Memorial Day Beach trip-- I used the bag to carry our supplies to the sand and I could just wipe everything down once we were finished!  I love anything blush colored, so this bag is perfect on so many levels.  I can fit my school planner, a clipboard, extra spiral notebooks, a drink,  my lunch box, a pencil bag, and my purse in the bag and carry it all into my classroom from the car each morning.

My Flair Pens:

These pens are great for planning out lessons in my calendar planner.  They're like fine point markers but they don't bleed through the pages.  I like to designate a color for each class type (Honors, Standard, etc.) and then I like to have a color for my own personal To-Do list items, and a color for things my kiddos have going on.  Right now on Amazon, it looks like the pack is $10 which is about half off!

Academic Planner:

For planners, I like having one that I can see the whole month at a glance, and then I like to have a weekly view too.  For the weekly view, I prefer to have all of the days of the week listed down the left side of the left-hand page, with the whole right page left to leave notes for myself (and to jot down the To-Do list for my kids and myself).   The page styles that I like are the ones shown in the link above, but the outer cover is the bicycle cover shown here.  Usually, I take a ruler and draw a few vertical lines down the page showing the days of the week.  That way, I can create columns for each class that I teach.  Having the days of the week down the side and the headings of the classes at the top, allows me to quickly see what each week is supposed to look like at a glance.  I also absolutely prefer white pages so that I can use White Out tape for any scheduling changes that need to take place.

Lunch Bag:

Again, blush makes an appearance in my school supplies! :)  I like this lunch bag because it's tall and narrow rather than wide and bulky.  This type of bag fits into my Bogg bag easily, which is a definite plus.  It also has an expandable zipper to accommodate those days where my leftovers container is a bigger size, etc. I buy slim freezer packs, and with the insulation of the bag I have never had my lunch not be cold by the time I'm ready to eat.

Jump Drive:

I'm not exactly sure what size file my jump drive can hold, but it's similar to the one listed above, except mine is blue.  I save all of my lesson plans and PowerPoints, etc. to the jump drive, then I'm easily able to transfer these files between my desk computer and the computer at the front of my classroom which is hooked up to the projector.  I also bring the jump drive home with me everyday so I can add things to my lessons at home if I need to.

That is a basic overview of things that I keep handy for the beginning of the school year and getting myself mentally prepared to go back to a full-time away-from-home type of job starting up in the next few weeks. When I have things planned out and ready to use, I feel more at ease.  With all of the uncertainty about schools starting back despite the continuation of Covid, I know I'll rest better once I have my lessons ready and my supplies gathered in one place.

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba