How do I get to know a new district and school during the summer?
Dear new (or newish) teachers,
You officially have your placement! Yay! If you’re anything like me, you may have waited your whole life for this moment!!
So……… now what?
In most districts, you won’t be able to actually get into your classroom until a week or two before school starts which may still be one or two months away. So, what should you do while you wait?
I got you. Throughout this summer I will share with you some productive ways you can spend the next two months beyond just spending all of your money at the Target dollar spot and all of your time on Pinterest. (Although… those will have their place, don’t you worry). Let’s start with the basics…
Getting to Know Your District, School, and Team
If you didn’t get hired in the same grade AND same building where you student taught (are there any lucky ones that actually get this golden egg??), you are going to have some adjustments to your new principal, building, and/or grade level.
Start with your school and district websites.
When I’m new to a building, I do a deep dive. Google, here I come. I want to know how many teachers per grade, see if they have any pictures so I can get a feel for the vibe of the school, etc. If you already have a district email and login, you may even be able to look at your district’s curriculum website and get a feel for what units you will be covering during the year and what resources they use.
Contact your new principal.
You may have already completed this step when you got your job. If so, bravo! If not, no worries. It’s a good idea to go ahead and start on a good foot with your principal and maybe even get a few questions answered. Here is what that could sound like:
Want this email template sent straight to your inbox for easy edits? Enter your email address below and I’ll send it to you!
Obviously, change the template to fit whatever questions you have. But! When emailing principals, try to limit it to 3ish or less questions so they don’t feel bogged down. You’re also more likely to get a response that way :) Short and sweet and to the point.
Contact your new teammates.
(Teammates = teachers who teach in the same grade you do).
I know these emails can feel a little scary until you know the personalities in the building, but I promise they won’t mind. (If they don’t want to email over the summer… they just won’t be checking their inbox, ha). Typically schools have teacher emails listed on their website. If not, check with your building secretary or principal for them.
Think of this like a quick introductory email. They may even be itching to learn about you but not have your information yet!
It could sound something like this:
Most teachers are pretty kind and (if they are checking their school email over the summer) will at least respond with a “Yay! Looking forward to it!” or you might get lucky and they may say something like “We always meet at Stacy’s pool over the summer - you should join us!” Who knows! It doesn’t hurt to ask.
This is also helpful because they might become your GO TO’s when you have questions over the summer like “Does our building provide rugs or do we bring them?” You will quickly be able to tell who will be helpful this summer by the way they respond to your email.
Want the email templates sent straight to your inbox for easy edits? Enter your email address below and I’ll send it to you!
Ok, that’s enough for today. Hang with us this summer and we will cover tons of other topics to help you prep for the new year including:
My list of go-to teacher texts
Using Pinterest to get inspired without getting overwhelmed
Planning out your classroom
Budgeting for your classroom purchases
Shopping tips
Classroom library tips
Developing classroom procedures and routines
Planning Open House/Meet the Teacher
Making a solid First Day of School schedule
Class Meetings (how to do them in a sustainable way)
Parent Communication
Stick around! You’ve got this.
Now, get to snooping 🙂
Looking for more tips? Check out these posts!
