As August hits each year, I am filled with a mixture of emotions. I’m usually not quite ready to let go of summer, but I also have this sneaking excitement starting to churn in my stomach for the upcoming school year.

For someone who deals with anxiety, this excitement can QUICKLY turn into fear. Fear of the unknown, anxiety about the upcoming changes, worry about what my new classroom dynamics will be and what a new school year will bring, etc.

One of the best tools I have found for combatting this anxiety has been planning. From simply making lists and brainstorming, to preparing teacher planners or organizing my Google Drive, preparation has a positive impact on my overall mental health.

On the one hand, my brain is given a task that keeps it busy enough to avoid diving off into the deep end and on the other hand, the productive nature of the planning process means I’m creating tools, strategies and plans that will create a sturdy foundation for when the school year does arrive!

So where do I recommend starting, you ask??

Action Step #1: Journal

Get your thoughts and feelings out of your brain and into writing.

Summer mode can leave me feeling sort of disconnected to my life as a teacher.

The act of journaling helps me recalibrate and connect back to the realities of teaching, the new school year, and my incoming students. Many of us also will be navigating whatever changes may be heading our way in terms of teaching a different grade level or content area, teaching at a new school, or navigating the staffing changes that most definitely will occur with a new school year!

Journaling can help you spill out exactly how you’re feeling about the upcoming year. What are you looking forward to? What are you anxious about? What challenges do you foresee? What things would you like to do differently during the upcoming year? What do you KNOW you will need support with and how can you advocate for that?

Check out this journaling freebie to guide yourself through this process.

After writing, go back over what you’ve written. What actions can you take based on what you’ve written?

Create a To Do list that you can work on through the rest of the summer, during workshop week, or during the first month of school. Having a plan in place will make it more likely that you’ll take these steps and writing it out means you’ll free up some of the precious mental headspace that always feels in short supply!

Action Step #2: Organization Tools

Choose and set up organizational tools for yourself.

This step is super specific to you. Learn about and look into purchasing organizational tools that will help you stay organized during the school year.

Between running your classroom, keeping tabs on the school/administrative schedule, and handling your home and personal life, there is SO MUCH to keep tabs on.

Just make sure it is something you can BE CONSISTENT WITH. Really analyze whether or not it is a tool YOU WILL USE and not one that will get cast aside due to being cumbersome, tedious, or superfluous.

Some of my personal favorites are teacher planners, goal-setting tools, a simple notepad, a brain dump routine, sticky notes, and yes – journaling. I usually end up using a combination of these tools.

The vision board resource below is free when you subscribe to my email list…BUT…if you purchase the Teacher Planner the Vision Board & Goals Template is included too. Click either image below to snag your own!!

Mental note: write a blog that details what tools I use to stay organized and how I use them…

Action Step #3: Familiarize Yourself

Get familiar with what you’ll be teaching in the upcoming year.

This step can be extremely IMPACTFUL in reducing any anxiety that may be arising due to curriculum, classroom tools or teacher resources you will be using in the upcoming school year.

Summer is the perfect time to EXPLORE. If you can get your hands on the teacher manuals, online login information, or even teacher training it makes a world of difference.

Ask your administrative or teacher support teams what options you have here. In my district, we had various paid training opportunities and even some options for time carding planning! You’ll never know what’s available if you don’t ask.

On a small scale, you can simply scan through materials and get familiar with how things are organized, what the major themes, topics, or standards will be, what various tools and resources are available, and how things will look from the students’ perspective.

On a large scale, you may be able to backwards plan your school year, prep some student support tools to pair, or research additional resources that could supplement what you’ll be using.

Figure out which end of the spectrum works best for you. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Really ask yourself what YOU CAN DO without burning yourself out. We don’t want to start off the school year overwhelmed!

NOTE: A beneficial strategy during this exploration would be to note down any questions, concerns, or requests that pop up as you explore. These will be nice to have before the school year starts. That way you can reach out for support or know where to start looking!

Action Step #4: Self-Care

Make a plan for how you will TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you’ll know that I’m not being hyperbolic here. You’ll also know that I’m not talking about surface-level fluffy stuff.

No matter how many years you’ve taught, you need to make yourself a PRIORITY.

For this particular action step, I would recommend brainstorming two different categories: What are actions I can take or routines I can build that will fill my cup? and What are items or resources I will use to advocate for myself and pour back into me?

In brainstorming items, I often think about how to engage my five senses. What are foods that are nurturing to me? What smells are relaxing? What textures bring calm or engagement if that’s what I need?

One personal example here is that I am HIGHLY sensitive to sound. I have invested in both sound-reducing earplugs and I use earbuds or headphones with calming (meditative) music. These two tools have made a HUGE difference in my ability to interact with the outside world on a daily basis without experience sensory overload.

Again – this would be a GREAT journaling exercise to do but you can check out the two lists below to get some ideas for yourself.

Action Step #5: Building Blocks

Think about the structures you can create in your personal and professional lives.

Let’s start by talking about the building blocks of our personal life. What strategies or routines are you planning on implementing and with these what steps will you need to take in order to be able to implement them from day 1?

For example, Will you be meal planning this year? What will you need to purchase or prepare in order for your home life to support this type of strategy? How will your refrigerator be organized, your cupboards, etc. in order to have the capacity for this?

In regard to your professional life, I look at two different types of “building blocks”. The first is the physical space. What will my room or professional space look like? What wall, door, or bulletin board signage do I want to use? What shelving, decorations, plants, or organizational tools will I employ? Will may space be shared?

The second “building block” of my professional space I think of in terms of my teaching practice. How will I be “filling the space” of my allotted teaching time?

Here is a great place for you to think about building routine into your teaching. What classroom starters or bell-ringers will you use? What routine activities will be part of your teaching practice? What norms or expectations will be important for your space?

Are you able to get started on any of these? If so, how? Think about what To Dos you can tackle in regard to these things already and make a list for what you’ll have to do later on.

BONUS ACTION STEP: Substitute Plans

Create several substitute plans that can be used throughout the year (or a template that you can add to).

This step is a bonus because it’s not absolutely necessary and sometimes – depending on your situation – it may not be entirely possible. With that being said, having substitute plans in your back pocket is a great way to support YOURSELF, your students, and your school.

Be Purposeful

Like most of the lists I create, you can pick and choose what works best for you. Depending on your teacher situation and your own personality, some of these may not be accessible while others may be life-changing.

Keep yourself and YOUR NEEDS always at the center of this process.

If you’re looking for more guidance or have any burning questions regarding starting a new year, I would LOVE to hear from you.

Send me an email, DM, Facebook message, or tag me in your Insta stories!