"Welcome Back!" That simple two-word phrase has dredged up many a myriad of emotions in me over the years. I remember simply walking into a school building breathing in "that school smell", only to have a conditioned response surface as sure as Pavlov's bell. You know the one I'm referring to, a mixture of paper, pencil shavings, textbooks, Elmer's glue, and permanent marker. That odor would immediately cause my nerve endings to signal my muscles to constrict a bit, and send the first of many recurring messages to my brain that I'd be faced with an impossibly long list of things to accomplish before the first day of school, and there would be no way in heck (not my exact word choice to be honest), I'd be ready.
Now I am one who considers myself blessed with a talent for big ideas, creativity, and being able to "pull many a rabbit out of my hat" at the last minute. Unfortunately, organization has never been my fortunate forte, and preplanning is a concept that still boggles my procrastinating brain. My typical response is, "I work best under pressure..." and panic you know is a very strong motivating force.
Thus, over the years I've come to the realization that organizational skills and planning ahead are NOT torture. They actually DO help one concentrate on accomplishing each task one at a time, instead of trying to work on many pieces of the preparation puzzle at once and seemingly not getting anywhere.
Here are a few general organization guidelines I've gleaned after many "trials by random fire":
Set short and long term goals and a reasonable pace for yourself.
Designate a brightly colored folder with your master "to-do" list. I have no problem making myself lists. The problem is I lose my lists or they are entirely too long and unrealistic.
Break your day down into reasonable time increments and take into account interruptions, meetings, phone calls, etc.
Access your resources! If you are blessed enough to have a teacher aide, delegate tasks and responsibilities accordingly.
Make advance appointments with principals, fellow teachers, specialists, counselors, and bring a list of specific questions! A lot of time is wasted trying to "hunt" the appropriate people down.
Be flexible in your first day, even first week of lesson plans. Have that basic structure of course, but as your students are getting to know you, you will be discovering their learning styles also. Have plenty of "back up" activities!!
The ongoing challenge remains for all teachers I believe to strive not to get swept up in what I refer to as the "Welcome Back Wave", make that tidal wave to be specific. Being overwhelmed with preparations is a sure way to begin the school year with a stressful start. And it's vital to have energy and enthusiasm left for your new students. It's important to remember that being prepared doesn't mean perfection, it just means being ready!
