Back to School

Back to school, possibly more than the end of the 18th century, is the best of times and the worst of times. A new school year can be a clean slate, an exciting opportunity to continue fine-tuning favorite courses, and a time to mentor students as they embrace new challenges. But it’s also, you know … back to school. Teachers, like students, have to kiss their summer freedom goodbye and get used to early mornings, shoes that pinch, and smooshed sandwiches for lunch. Here are some tips and suggestions to make it, if not the best of times, maybe a deeply satisfying time with minimal strife:

Get to Know Your Students

My favorite back-to-school tradition was to start the year by having my students write me a letter about themselves. It was our first "assignment” that usually came after procedures and icebreakers, so it was a nice and calm way to end the first class together. I asked students to tell me things about themselves they were proud of, interests they had, how they learn best, what they hoped for and expected of me as their teacher (because hey, I work for them!), and then just anything else they wanted to add. This was an amazing tool to be able to refer to throughout the year, to get to know my students a little right away, and to help remember/connect their names to information about them. I think a lot of students just want to be seen right away, and it’s way less pressure to talk to their new teacher in this format!

— Claire W., Curriculum Developer

Stock Your Classroom

AdoptaClassroom.org and Donorschoose.org are both great resources to help you secure classroom resources without dipping into your personal budget. Private organizations also provide discipline-specific grants, like the Crayola Art in Education Grant for arts education or Toshiba American Foundation’s K–5 or 6-12 grants for science and math education.

Get a Ritual Going

Sometimes teaching can be all-consuming. Find a ritual to decompress, pursue your own interests, socialize outside work, or embrace being a novice. Whether it’s bubble baths, yoga, kickball league, or a cup of coffee and a favorite podcast, find an activity unrelated to school that you look forward to each week. Ruthlessly defend your me-time as if it’s a doctor’s appointment. If you find that you’re regularly missing your decompression time, talk to a mentor about strategies to manage tasks more efficiently or have a conversation with school leaders about policies and practices that undermine healthy boundaries for teachers.

Welcome Students

Once I received my class list each year, I mailed out a “Welcome to My Class” letter. It was a note telling the students a little bit about me, what I had been doing over the summer, and how excited I was to meet them. Parents always acknowledged the letter and relayed that it was a sweet surprise to get their kiddos excited about the new school year, and their new teacher.

— Tandria E., K–3 Editor

Shop Teacher-Only Sales

Many retailers know the world would crumble without teachers, and they want to show their appreciation through discounts and swag. Check out myeducationdiscount.com for an epic catalogue of retailers that offer teacher discounts. For beautiful books, cute totes, funny stickers, and more, check out Gibbs Smith Education’s other half, Gibbs Smith Book and Gift. Use the code GSEducator to receive 25% your order!

Here’s to an excellent 2025–2026 school year!