I was out at the beach spending a few hours in the glorious sunshine with a friend from school today when she introduced me to a family friend who also is a teacher.  When asked about how her summer vacation was going she took that common deep breath, and replied with how summer was like the weekend.

She went on to explain how June is like Friday, July is like Saturday and August is so Sunday.  This was perfect!

In June we are finishing our school year and excited for the possibilities the "weekend" has to offer.  We are often exhausted from a long and tiring"work week", but feel we must start the "weekend"off with a bang.

This takes us into July, the Saturday of summer.  We have trouble getting anything done first thing.  We are happy to laze around and follow our own inner time clock.  Some of us are up with the sun, using every waking moment to get things done, while others like to sleep late, lounge around, and refresh.  Monday seems so far away until August sneaks up on us.

August is the Sunday of summer vacation.  We remember what we planned on getting done and make preparations for the coming "work week".  There is often a bit of sadness and often denial that comes as the "day" progresses,that is mixed with the excitement of the potential of a fresh start.

How do we use this "Sunday" to prepare for the coming school year?

• If you've been working or just very busy during your summer, be sure to use some time for a day of rest.  Our quiet time alone helps us to hear what our inner self needs.  It is also a great way to spark our creativity as we get ready to plan.

• Clear some space for the new.  If July was all about the fun, now is the time to do a little work on clearing out the old that wasn't serving your purpose.  This might mean physically clearing out the old papers, old books or junk.  It might also mean clearing out duties that consume your time, but don't match you values or vision.  And it also might mean taking care of the little things that have been bugging you, like a leaky faucet, a messy trunk, or a broken drawer.  Little things like these zap our energy.

• Sundays are the time to look at the week ahead and iron our clothes, pack our lunches, etc.  In August it's time to make sure we have what we need to begin the year successfully.  Stock up on supplies, write out new habits you'd like to start, and organize your supplies, clothing, and daily resources so the new routine runs smoothly.

• Breathe.  If the end of summer is a difficult transition for you, please try to remember that while we can't control everything, we can do a great deal to create the autumn of your dreams.  What can you do to add pleasure to your fall routine.  Where can you set boundaries and find more time for you?  Take control and be a life creator!  Don't let the rest of the world decide your life for you.

I have had  a vision of a tool to help teachers build balance  and into their daily lives and it has finally come true.  It is a culmination of the best tools I have been using with teachers to help them beat teacher stress and puts it all into one neat package. 

Check out the video I created below, and don’t hesitate to let me know what you think. Please feel free to share with all the teachers you know. 

The planner itself is on sale at http://wholeteacher.com/store.  Check it out!

Here’s what they have to say about it:

"Full of succinct and practical ways to prepare our students for 21st-century success, this guide will educate and inspire
you to embrace the new-media frontier and embark on a new learning adventure. From “Breaking the Digital Ice” to
“Working Better, Together” each tip provides succinct and practical ways to turn your classroom into an environment
for learning with new media. And each tip includes a wealth of Web sites and additional resources to help you deliver
the relevant and meaningful education all students deserve."

Check it out here!

Preparing for back to school means a fresh start with organizing the mountain of paperwork we know is inevitable.  There are a variety of systems we can use to help tame the paperwork we are inundated with at school. 

One system to explore is a binder system.  Keep your three-hole punch close at hand and organize your paperwork into known categories.  Binders are great for papers you will need to keep for a while, want on your finger tips, prefer to keep in chronological order, or keep by student or topic.  A benefit of the binder system versus a regular file folder is this added protection, and consistent order.  They also can bee easily stored and look better on your shelf or desk than a file overflowing with mix-matched papers.

So, what are some areas of paperwork that would be best organized with a binder system?  Here are a few:

Student/Parent contact information and Log – Important phone numbers, etc together with contact log and pockets for notes.  One cover sheet with one pocket per student in alphabetical order for easy access.

Classroom procedures or sample lessons  for Substitutes

Homework binder – organize by subject if necessary, separate by date with post it or colored sheet.  As homework is passed out to students a student helper could put an extra copy in this binder for future reference and absent students.

Subject notebooks – a safe place to keep resources for specific lessons or subjects to alleviate researching the topic the next year.

Office notices and protocol – Keep important papers from administration and meetings in chronological order for quick reference.

Professional Development – Paper work on completed courses with a section for your plan.

What else could go in a binder?  Please comment below and share with others.  Best of luck preparing for a successful new year!