Back to School Planning - the Complete Guide

Are you an upper elementary teacher feeling overwhelmed by all the back-to-school planning? Do you find yourself drowning in a sea of tasks and to-dos? What is essential to do now? What can wait until later? What must you do first to get the school year started successfully? Take a deep breath because I have the perfect solution for you!

The Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary guidebook is designed to equip you with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to conquer the chaos and set yourself up for a successful school year. Whether you're a first-year teacher feeling anxious about the unknown or a seasoned veteran seeking ways to simplify your planning process, this guidebook will meet your needs!

What if you just got hired and only have one or two days to prepare? I’ve got you! I created a separate task checklist just for you.

The Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook was created especially by a veteran upper elementary teacher and instructional coach.

I will help you get your teaching year off to the best possible start by showing you when to plan what and how to set everything up successfully. I will walk you through everything step by step, giving you planning questions to think about and checklists to help keep you organized!

Most schools do a good job of giving you the guidelines you need for what to teach. But here’s what they don’t do: tell you how to set up your classroom for success and get organized for teaching.

This guidebook will walk you through the following:

planning your classroom setup
planning and teaching class procedures and routines for this age group
guidelines for which class procedures and routines need to be taught on the first day or first week and what can wait to be taught within the first six weeks
how to “clear the decks” in your personal life so that you aren’t stressed with back-to-school prep
getting organized
focusing on what needs to get done now and knowing what can be saved for later.

You will also get checklists to help keep you focused.

This guidebook will help you feel prepared and confident to be the best teacher you can be in upper elementary grades!

Back-to-school prep is time-consuming. It can be overwhelming when you’re unsure where to start, what needs to be done now, and what can safely be postponed. You are not the only one who feels this way! I can help.

Tell me if this sounds like you: You’ve seen so many posts on social media about back-to-school planning, but you still aren’t sure where to start. You’re already feeling overwhelmed and “behind,” and the school year has not even started!

How do you set up the classroom? What must you do now, and what can you save for later? How much decorating do you need to do in your classroom? What are all the classroom routines and procedures you need to plan for? What are some good ways to teach those routines and procedures without sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher on the first days of school?!

Overcome anxiety and being overwhelmed, and say hello to efficient, effective, and prepared!

The Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook has everything you need to get started including:

The printable guidebook lays out everything you need, step by step, to help you plan and organize ($50 value)
Checklists in the workbook to add your own specific needs or ideas ($10 value)
Hundreds of suggestions you can refer to in the future ($10 value)
Helpful checklists for getting and staying organized with your time! ($10 value)

What if you had a plan for setting up your class, planning and teaching the necessary routines and procedures, and successfully starting the school year?

Here’s what that means for you:

Having a plan for getting your classroom setup and planning tasks done without stress and overwhelm
Feeling more confident about your upper elementary teaching because you are prepared and know what to expect
Focusing on the most important tasks to do now and safely postponing other tasks (and knowing which tasks are which)

I am a teacher and instructional coach with over thirty years of experience, and I’m excited to help you make your teaching life more sustainable.

Once upon a time, I, too, was faced with teaching an upper elementary grade (fourth grade in my case) and needing help figuring out how to set up my classroom for success. There were so many things to do, and I had no idea how to prioritize all the tasks.

After years of experience and learning from other successful upper elementary teachers, I have put together the ultimate get-started guide in my Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook.

Now it’s your turn! The Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook has everything you need to prepare, organize, and plan for a successful teaching experience immediately without burning yourself out before you even begin!

You can look forward to:

Tips and suggestions for when to do what
Planning for your classroom set-up, classroom routines and procedures
Setting up your upper elementary classroom for success
Developing, teaching, and reinforcing the class routines and procedures for this age group
Tips for organizing all the things
Strategies for taking care of #1 (that would be you!) and avoiding burnout

I’m excited to support you as you make your upper elementary teaching life sustainable!

After I purchase, how will I receive my product?

You’ll receive a link for the guidebook on Thrive Cart.

Will I receive anything in the mail?

No. The guidebook is a digital resource.

Do I need any special programs or apps to get the most out of Get Started Teaching in Upper Elementary Grades?

You will need access to a printer to print the guidebook. Although I created it with photos included, it can be printed in black and white.

How long will it take for me to go through the course?

It depends. If you are not new to your school, you can skip the part about “Getting to Know Your School.” If you have more time to think and plan, take all the time you need! But if you just got hired and need to prepare quickly, there is a checklist just for you.

After I start using Get Started Teaching in Upper Elementary Grades, if I have more questions, who can I ask if I have more questions?

Me! I will share my contact information in the course workbook.

Can you remind me everything that's included in Get Started Teaching in Upper Elementary Grades??

Of course! The Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook includes sections where I teach you different strategies for successfully planning your classroom set-up, routines, and procedures. In addition, the guidebook includes notes and checklists for planning, along with many tips based on over thirty years of successful upper elementary teaching and coaching.

If you've been wondering what to do first as you plan your teaching year, the Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook is the place to start!

One more time - here’s everything included in the Back to School Planning in Upper Elementary Grades guidebook:

The printable guidebook lays out everything you need, step by step, to help you plan and organize ($50 value)
Checklists in the workbook to add your own specific needs or ideas ($10 value)
Hundreds of suggestions you can refer to in the future ($10 value)
Helpful checklists for getting and staying organized with your time! ($10 value)

Take a closer look at what's included...

You might be wondering . . .

Last chance to stop the uncertainty and overwhelm and start your successful and sustainable upper elementary teaching experience!