Back-to-School Jitters

Do you get nervous as you anticipate the new school year? I do! This will be my nineteenth year of teaching, but I still become anxious this time of year. I thought that teaching the same grade for the past three years and teaching at the same school for the past nine years would help, but here come the jitters! I even had my first back-to-school dream last night. You know the one; the dream where you are not prepared and the students won't listen to you! Wouldn't students be surprised if they knew that teachers have back-to-school fears, too!

The best way I know to combat this yearly problem is to be as prepared as possible. I like to become acquainted with the students on my roster before school starts. Our administration usually doesn't release our rosters until a few days before school starts, but I like to study the students face and name so that I recognize them at our back-to-school bash. I also find that having my classroom cleaned and organized helps calm my jitters. And of course, I OVER plan for the first few days of school. That's my biggest fear, not having enough planned and prepared for each day.

What about you? Do you have the back-to-school jitters yet? What tips can you share that would help other teachers, like myself?

 

This is my attempt to clean and organize my classroom. I still have a lot to do in this department.

 

I also made a few changes to our AR tree. It still looks like an ice cream cone, but it will have to do.