I know the last five months have been hard on us teachers. We feel torn in so many ways. On one hand, we miss our students and want to see them, teach them, comfort them and be there for them. But on the other hand, we worry about the safest way to do that. Whether you’re getting ready to head back to in person teaching, or your school is still doing virtual learning, I wanted to share some tips as you embark on a new school year during some pretty unprecedented times. 

Building Relationships

Focus on building great relationships with your students. Reaching out to families before the school year begins to see how they are doing is a great way to get your families on board. Check in to see how you can help make the transition smooth or even just sending a personalized video message saying how excited you are will help get your students excited about returning to school. 

Focus on What You Can Control 

Whether you’re returning to in person school or you’re continuing remote learning, there are a lot of things that are out of our control. Focusing on what we can control can help put our minds at ease. Ask yourself, “how can I make this transition smooth even during this time?” or “what can I do to make this a great school year for my new students?” I find focusing on what I can control helps me to stress and worry less about all the new procedures and regulations that I don’t have control over. 

Virtual Learning 

If your school is still doing remote learning during this time, I have a great blog post about Google Classroom and how you can use its features to make virtual learning go a little bit smoother. While it’s not ideal, there are a lot of features that make Google Classroom a great way to connect with your students and continue learning. Check out that blog post here!

Take Time for You

Starting a new school year is stressful during “normal times.” This year will definitely put an added spin on things. Make sure you are taking time to decompress at home. Read a book in quiet, go for a long walk after school, take a drive and listen to some music. Do things that will help you relax and unwind. It’s important that you take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally during this time. 

Remember, try to focus on what you can control. While this is new and uncertain for you, it is very hard for our students who don’t fully understand. They are worried just as we are, but our job is to help them have the best school experience possible, whether that is in person or online. 

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