As summer begins to wind down, early childhood educators have an opportunity to take some time to plan and prepare for the school year ahead. Getting organizational and administrative tasks completed before welcoming children and families to their first day in your early childhood program can help set a positive tone for the year ahead. In this article, we share practical ideas to help educators and care providers feel organized, energized, and prepared to begin the new school year.
Consider doing an inventory of the materials in your early learning space so you can sort and evaluate their condition. As you go through your books, art supplies, and toys, think about which ones have worked well with the little ones in your care. Make a list of the items that need to be repaired or replaced before the start of the new year, and let go of those that are no longer useful.
Evaluating the materials you offer the children in your care is also a great way to generate ideas about your classroom’s layout and organization. You might reflect on the way that the children interacted with the space by asking yourself some guiding questions. For example… Did little ones have difficulty accessing or reaching any of the materials? Were children drawn to certain play centers? Where did children tend to spend the most time? Was there enough space for cots at nap time? Which materials encouraged engagement, and were there any that generated very little interest?
By taking some time to reflect on how the space and materials were used previously, we can decide what worked well and find areas for improvement in our classroom layout, design, and organization. To help you get started, you might enjoy this G2K article from the archives: Controlling Clutter to Reduce Stress.
Discovering something new is just as energizing for adults as it is for young children! Giving yourself some time to learn about research findings related to child development or be exposed to different approaches to early care & learning is a great way to recharge so you can begin the new school year feeling refreshed and reconnected to your work with young children.
Reading books, listening to podcasts, and exploring virtual or in-person training webinars are examples of accessible forms of professional development. Any of these options can be an enjoyable and productive way to sharpen your professional skills, introduce yourself to different perspectives, and be inspired to try new approaches to the important work you do with young children and their families. You might want to get started by checking out the following resources on Good2Know Network’s website:
Take a look at your program’s upcoming enrollment schedule and prepare for new families by putting together a list of steps you will take ahead of time to help ensure that their transition to the new year is smooth and positive. For example, you might consider revamping your welcome materials, getting a head start on printing out parent handbooks, or updating your program’s website by including a “meet the teachers” section or sharing information about the classrooms and programs by age group.
You might also allocate time so you can connect with new families before the school year begins. Families will feel more comfortable and welcome after receiving an email from you that lets them know what they can expect on the first day of the new school year. If possible, invite new families to visit your program before that first day. For more information about creating welcoming spaces for new children, you might enjoy this G2K article from the archives: Welcoming New Children into Preschool Classrooms & ECE Programs.
With a new school year approaching, it can be helpful to think about how you plan to communicate and keep in touch with families during the upcoming school year. Will you be sending out a monthly newsletter, posting on a bulletin board, or sharing photos via an online platform? Think about a way to share updates and communications with parents that works well for you, so that you can have a system set in place right from the start. Parents will appreciate your efforts to anticipate their questions and to welcome them as partners who share your goal of supporting their child’s interests, playful learning, and sense of belonging.
