To do list for the summer before your first year teaching

It is your last summer before you enter the classroom full time. What should you do with it? Below you’ll find six things you must put on your to do list for the summer before your first year teaching.

1. Rest, relax, and read for pleasure

The first year teaching is generally the hardest and most time consuming year of teaching. You don’t have a plethora of lesson plans or a back pocket full of last minute activities yet. Take your last summer before teaching to indulge in pleasures that you may not have time to enjoy during the school year.

Do things like read for pleasure, cook long, complicated meals, or spend long days on the beach/at the pool. (Shameless plug: read my novel! One of the main characters is a teacher, but it’s a strictly for pleasure, non literary read.)

2. Spend quality time with family

Luckily teachers have reasonable hours (in the building anyway), but most first year teachers find that they have to spend a good amount of time at home planning and grading.

Family always comes first, even during the school year, but it wouldn’t hurt to get in some extra quality time before the school year starts, especially if you’re a newly wed or have kids of your own.

3. If you don’t have a job yet, don’t give up, keep grinding

I know people who have been hired the day before school starts so don’t give up hope. Check out my posts on how to write a cover letter, how to get an interview, how to prepare for an interview, and how to rock the interview. Also check out my post on recent buzz words to use in your cover letter, resume, and interview.

Here are some posts to help get you closer to signing a contract.

• 25 Buzz words you need to know
• 6 tips to get you on your way to a killer resume
• Cover Letter Template
• How to get an interview
• 5 Steps to prepare for an interview
• 7 Tips to rock an interview

4. Block out time before you think you’ll need it

Don’t plan any trips for two weeks before school starts. You’ll likely be called in for new teacher training and other professional development.

This may be paid, or unpaid training time. Either way, you will need it. It would be detrimental to miss these sessions. Usually districts use new teacher week to get you onto your computer, set up your digital grade book, introduce you to the curriculum, and connect you with other new and veteran teachers who can be a support network for you.

5. Dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s”

Make sure all your paperwork is completed (contract, health insurance, etc)

6. Connect with other teachers at your school

If at all possible, connect with other teachers at the school where you’ll be working. Ask what you can do to be prepared. Ask who point people are for important things you’ll need the first week like classroom furniture, copy machine issues, and books.

If you found this post helpful, check out some of my other posts:

How to get an interview

8 things you should know before going in for your interview

27 education buzz words you need to know in 2022

How to decide between teaching in the city or the suburbs

10 month vs 12 month pay checks

Recommended reading for future/new teachers

7 Morning routine MUSTS for new teachers

You’ve signed a teaching contract. Now what?

If you found this post on a to do list for the summer before your first year teaching helpful, make sure to pin, post, and tweet to share it with other new teachers who might also benefit from it!

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