Bamzooka public checklist preview

Clearly label all shelves, cubbies, and activity areas
Organize the classroom library. This can be done alphabetically, by genre, or both (refrain from organizing by reading level)
Prepare systems for storing and collecting homework and other paperwork
Determine desk arrangement and preliminary seating chart
Organize all curriculum materials based on when you will need them
Draft student work groups based on testing data and anecdotal notes from previous teachers
Set up learning centers with supplies in place

Order class supplies such as colored pencils, glue sticks, math manipulative, and so on
Gather tissues, band-aids, cleaning supplies, and other daily essentials
Purchase materials to keep yourself organized such as a planner, calendar, and lesson plan organizer
Prepare a folder for information from faculty meetings and professional development
Familiarize yourself with classroom technology and consult with other staff about how to solve problems students might encounter

Develop a system of rules and procedures and post these somewhere in the classroom. From this, create a classroom agreement for students and families to sign.
Decide if you would like your students to help create rules. If so, determine how you will work together to come up with the rules
Create a homework system for how often you will send homework, what type of homework you will give, and what will happen if a student doesn't complete it
Decide how you will structure each week based on your specials schedule and lunch/recess times.
Create a set of classroom jobs. Decide how these will be rotated

Post emergency evacuation procedures and familiarize yourself with all emergency exits
Stock and place your class first aid kit where it is easily accessible incase of emergencies
Plan ahead for last-minute changes by developing a substitute folder
Print emergency contact forms

Send a welcome letter to families
Create name tags for students, desks, and other organizational charts (i.e. a lunch tag system)
Create the first newsletter to send home, if you plan to write weekly newsletters
Set up a class webpage to keep announcements, deadlines, and learning goals all in one place. Update regularly as the year progresses
Prepare planning sheets to give to families before parent-teacher conferences with discussion points such as student academic strengths and areas for growth, personality traits, goals for the year, etc.
Develop a system of sending home individual progress reports for students. Some teachers do these weekly while others do them monthly. Keep families in the loop about academic goals, learning developments, and behavior

Create a list of individual student supplies such as folders, notebooks, and pencils that students will need to bring to class
Label take-home folders to send with students and fill them with any paperwork that needs to be returned
Create a list of classroom needs that each student needs to help provide (i.e, tissues, hand sanitizer, sharpies, etc.)

Decide how to welcome students and introduce them to the classroom
Choose icebreaker activities for the first day
Plan other activities and lessons for the first week of school, some academic and some to build your classroom culture
If you choose to take pictures of students, prepare a camera for doing this
Make copies of all curriculum materials and handouts as far in advance as possible

Back to School Checklists for Teachers Template