From putting the finishing touches on your classroom decor, to getting back into the professional routine after the summer break, Back-to-School Season is officially here.
In today's blog, explore three routes to preparing for the new school term - including how Digital Theatre+ can help make your transition seamless and stress-free!
Preparing Yourself
New Year’s Day offers the world a blank slate, a chance to start fresh… and for educators, the back-to-school season provides this same opportunity for professional development.
Before you throw yourself into lesson planning and classroom preparation, take a moment to consider what type of teacher you want to be (or to become!) over the next 12 months.
For first-time teachers, you’ll be putting theory into practice from day one - which can be daunting. And on top of that, you will probably still be completing the final stages of your qualification. Balancing these demands requires one key skill: time management.
How can you make every minute of your time count - without burning yourself out by week two?
And as more seasoned educators know, time management never becomes ‘less’ important. There’s always the question of what to dedicate your PD hours towards - and with regular updates to curriculum standards and educational pedagogies, professional development is never quite complete.
Our top Back-to-School tips...
- Decide what success means to you: Is it achieving higher-than-average grades? Or is it diversifying your lesson styles to improve topic comprehension? No matter your discipline or level, it's important to set yourself a mix of realistic and aspirational goals to keep yourself motivated and inspired all year round.
- Book regular check-ins now: Once the school year begins, there's no doubt that a couple items on your to-do list might get postponed - make sure that checking in with yourself doesn't suffer the same fate. These check-ins can be as frequent as you like. All that matters is that you book the time in now (while it's still available)!
- Commit to one external opportunity: Building strong relationships with your colleagues is important, but sometimes, you might have a question that only an external network of like-minded professionals can answer. Whether it's joining a Facebook group for teachers at the same level, or making an effort to stay in touch with colleagues from previous placements, try your best to expand your professional network this school year.
Preparing Your Classroom
Across the UK, the average student-teacher ratio in 2023 was 18.1 students for every teacher - and for many educators, this number almost doubles. Above all else, these numbers highlight the importance of creating a physical environment conducive to learning.
What are the key concepts, texts, or themes that you’ll be teaching this year? How could you decorate your back-to-school bulletin board to reflect your lessons?
You might even be able to involve your class in the process, incorporating color and collaboration in your icebreaker activities. Here’s an example from one of our free Back-to-School Lesson Toolkits…
Shakespeare Circle
Bring the group into a circle. You say ‘Shakespeare is…?’, and then get each person in the circle to say what they know, think, or feel about Shakespeare. All responses should be encouraged!
Now, repeat the same question, but use the title of the play you are studying - for example, ‘Macbeth is…’.
At the end of this sequence, get each student to write down one word on a post-it note to describe the play, and stick it to the wall - providing a visual resource for students to reflect upon as they study the play!
Jade Anouka (Ariel) and cast | The Tempest (Donmar Warehouse) | © Helen Maybanks
Preparing Your Lessons
And of course, lesson planning is an essential part of any teacher’s back-to-school prep. While there are plenty of tips and tricks for planning effective and engaging lessons, Digital Theatre+ have taken things one step further…
We’ve created toolkits to suit a range of ages and subjects - find your perfect Back-to-School Resource here!
If you’re already a DT+ customer, you can access all of these activities and resources now as part of your subscription.
If you'd like to explore the Digital Theatre+ platform and are not yet a customer, please get in touch with a member of our team today. If you already have a subscription, click here.