Getting ready for a new school year can be an overwhelming task for teachers. One of the best ways to prepare is compiling a back-to-school checklist of items that will need to be done or acquired for the classroom. We have created a small list of objects and activities to get you started:

• Name tags for students- This will help you and your students learn names to faces much quicker.
• Review student files- This will prepare you of any problem behaviors and learning challenges you may encounter.
• Camera- Pin photos from the first week of school to your bulletin board or on the wall in the classroom. You may also want to attach an individual photo to their personal student file.
• First aid kit- It is always sensible to be prepared for any emergencies. It should also be noted to have your emergency contacts list ready.
• School rules to introduce to students- Establish classroom and school rules from day one. Place them in an obvious location for students to be reminded.
• Introduction lesson plans- Decide how you will welcome students to the classroom, and plan ways to evaluate academic skills. Gather ideas for activities and lesson plans that you will use in the first month.
• Textbooks/ Class library- Gather any books or textbooks that will be used throughout the school year and organize a small, class library.
• Hand sanitizer- Germs spread rapidly in school settings, so having a bottle of sanitizer handy will help combat illness.
• First newsletter- Put together and print the first newsletter. Be sure you have enough copies for each student.
• Bulletin/poster boards- Decorate any bulletin boards or posters you will have hanging in the room. These can be motivational or educational, and you should use them to give your classroom personality.
• Room layout/ Seating chart- Decide how you are going to arrange the desks, tables, and technological devices. You should choose whether or not you will have a seating chart for your students.
• Establish lighting and temperature- These will obviously change throughout the year, but make sure you have them set appropriately for the first day.
• File cabinet- Start the school year equipped to be organized with a file cabinet. You will be ready for any piles of paper that come your way.
• Set-up class blog- Write an introductory post for your students and parents on your class blog. Begin reading and commenting on other blogs as well. This will stir up creativity for lesson plans and ways to integrate technology into your classroom.
• Classroom apps-Download educational apps and make sure they are working as expected. Find ways to incorporate them into lesson plans.

To reiterate, this checklist has been provided to get you started on your own, and there are countless items and tasks that can be added.
Do you have any suggestions for bullet points to include on our back-to-school classroom checklist?