School is back in session! At the beginning of the school year it’s easy to let yourself get overwhelmed with all the planning and prep. You’ve spent countless hours this summer reviewing curriculum, mapping out lessons, and researching new education trends. You've also probably spent a few nights tossing and turning with "To-Do" lists running through your head. Whether you are an experienced teacher or new teacher, these 3 simple tips can help you survive the first week (or weeks) of school.

#1 Have (Alphabetized) Seating Charts

You may want to create a positive, happy classroom by letting the students sit where they want, but starting off on a tone of “students have free reign of the classroom” can lower your respect levels in the classroom. Having a clear seating chart when students enter the classroom establishes that you as the teacher have control over your classroom and that students should give you their respect. Plus, having an alphabetized seating chart allows you to easily learn students’ names.

#2 Make Your Classroom Positive and Professional

I live in a cube of white cinder block walls. I deliberately hang up many colorful, positive posters around the room (with clear packing tape attached in a line across the top of the poster). I have collected these posters over the years from professional conferences and teaching stores, but if you lack posters, talk to your librarian and your colleagues as they usually have extras to share! If you have bulletin boards, your first priority is to cover them with paper or fabric and a nice border-again, someone you know probably has some extra to share with you. Ultimately, by making your space colorful and positive, you establish a positive tone for your classes.

Note: if you share a room or travel among multiple rooms, do ask each roommate for a bulletin board to call your own-this is a reasonable request and will give you some ownership of the space.

#3 Create an Organizing System

I love my clipboards, binders, folders, accordion file folders, in-boxes, plastic shelving storage carts, portable file folders, and filing cabinets.

While setting up your organizational systems take time, it allows you to once again earn the respect of your students and also keep your sanity. I tend to go in a million different directions when I’m instructing, so I need to have a clipboard with all of my seating charts (see #1), because I will place it in 5 different places around the room before the next class. However, I can always find those very important papers because I can look for my clipboard.

Similarly, I have one place to put ungraded papers, one place for graded papers, one place for handouts for each class, one binder for substitutes etc. Without such systems, I would lose too many student papers or never be prepared for an unexpected substitute (more on setting up the substitute binder in another post).

Again, your colleagues may also have extra organizing supplies or suggestions on where to find such supplies inexpensively. Check out Pinterest for lots of great organizing ideas! Your organizing system will keep evolving each year of your teaching (do not feel it has to be set in stone), but having a system will keep you on track when the chaos of the first week may become overwhelming.

Don't forget to download my free Teacher Organization Printables! These ready-to-use printables will help you keep your classroom, lesson plans, and paperwork organized.