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!
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.
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…
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
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.