When is it time to start prepping for the upcoming school year?

It's August... which means it's almost September! As the school year gets closer and closer, I start to do what I am sure many other teachers do... I start to panic. I want to be ready for my new batch of kindergarteners, but I am also not ready for my summer to be over. So that brings me to an important question: When is it time start prepping for the upcoming school year?

I am TORN! I love creating all of the labels and nametags for my new little family, memorizing name spellings and imagining the excitment of the first day of school. It's like nesting for a new baby, preparing my heart, mind, and classroom for new energy. I love organizing my thoughts and supplies, setting up my classroom to be perfect.

BUT - I also love the calm that comes before the storm. The chance to be still and consider all that has happened in the past year without stressing about the next. Having the opportunity to be at rest and reflext does not come often enough during the school year, so when the summer comes, I try to take in each moment - each breath.

This week we recieved our schedules for next year. It is an exciting time. I start to process how our routine is going to look, how the day will flow, how I will guide this new group of students to become a well-oiled machine. Like many other teachers, I never stop thinking about my classroom. I never stop pinning ideas to try for math and literacy. I never stop reflecting on what I can do better this coming year.

That is why summer is so important. For those who's brains are constantly spinning, there needs to be a time for silence. I'm not sure if I am ready for my silent time to be over. I am not quite ready...

... and when I am ready, I will be going all in.