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Whether you’re a first-year teacher or a back-to-school veteran, preparing for that first week of school often marks the end of the summer. Between classroom supplies, desk arrangements, bulletin board décor, and all those copies to make, there’s always more to do — and the students haven’t even arrived yet!

Use a straightforward back-to-school checklist for teachers to prepare long before students walk through the door. With helpful organization tips and must-have classroom resources, this list will get you from the summer scaries to a fabulous first day! 

Organize the room to support class routines

Classroom organization doesn’t just refer to setting up the actual room: It includes the procedures and routines that keep the class running from the first day on. A successful school year begins and ends with the way you run your classroom, whether there are students there or not!

Spend some time on classroom organization that supports the routines you’d like to see in your classroom this year. Important organization ideas might include:

• A reliable gradebook system (both digital and paper)
• A clear and understandable set of classroom rules
• Trays or bins for students to turn in assignments
• Shelves where students can keep textbooks or workbooks
• A station in the classroom where students can pick up work from yesterday
• A daily agenda that’s clearly displayed (as well as upcoming deadlines)
• Restroom passes for students to access when needed
• Set-it-and-forget-it substitute teacher plans

Make expectations clear from the first day

Often, it’s the classroom elements you can’t see that make the biggest difference. Plan out the procedures and routines that will lead to student (and teacher!) success throughout the year.

Classroom Procedures & Routines Back to School Checklist Spreadsheet Organizer
By Rachel Lynette
Grades: 1st-6th

Imagine everything you need to start the year, right at your fingertips! Use a complete back-to-school teacher checklist that includes procedures to use for the whole class, individuals, and around the classroom.

Back to School | Procedures Checklist
By Tiffany Whitten – The Organized Classroom
Grades: K-5th

Take students through the classroom procedures and expectations from the moment they walk through the door. This at-a-glance checklist takes teachers through the most important routines to teach, including the sequence you should teach them and considerations for distance learning.

Shore up supplies for the school year ahead

Nothing slows a lesson down like missing supplies or students coming unprepared. Keep those shelves in your classroom stocked with a back-to-school checklist for teachers to keep track of the most important classroom materials.

For the first week of school, ensure that you have enough:

• Writing utensils (pencils, pens, highlighters)
• Paper (both notebook and blank copy paper)
• Art supplies (crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue)
• Teacher desk necessities (staplers, tape dispensers, notepads)
• Electronic needs (extra cords, batteries)
• Healthcare supplies (tissues, band-aids)
• Books for a classroom library
• Subject-specific tools (calculators, lab equipment, textbooks)

Keep a current classroom inventory

No one wants to open the supply cabinet and find it missing the materials they need. Use classroom inventory checklists to note which supplies you have, which supplies you need, and which supplies students should bring themselves. 

💡Pro Tip: Inventory your supplies at the end of a school year to set yourself up for stocking success the following year!

Classroom Inventory CHECKLIST for Teachers -Back to School and End of the Year
By One Million and One

Do you know how much construction paper you have in your classroom right now? What about colored pencils or tape dispensers? This go-to supply checklist ensures you’ll never run out of supplies by tracking what you have and what you need to order, including furniture, bulletin board supplies, and student classroom materials.

Decorate your learning space to engage students

There’s a fine balance between a classroom that welcomes students and one that scares them away. Put up enough classroom décor to make the room warm and cozy, but not so much that it’s a sensory explosion for students who are easily distracted.

For helpful back-to-school bulletin board ideas, try these classroom decoration tips:

• Display a few projects from previous years’ assignments.
• Create a word wall with a few vocabulary words to start.
• Put up assignments from the first week of school to make students feel at home.
• Devote space to classroom rules and procedures.
• Start with a blank space and have students create a collaborative bulletin board project.
• Choose solid-color borders and simple posters.
• Make sure student names are visible in at least one place.

Consider class management before students arrive

Classroom management starts the moment you walk into your classroom, not your students! Decide how you’ll handle classroom seating arrangements, behavior issues, and activity transitions long before you welcome students for the year.

Use these classroom management strategies to create a structured class setting as soon as possible:

• Assign seats on the first day.
• Make your behavior expectations very clear right away.
• Introduce students to a behavior contract that you’ll be using.
• Plan transition activities, such as playing music or setting a timer.
• Teach students the hand signals you’ll use to get their attention.
• Get in the habit of communicating with parents in the first week of school.
• Have a list of brain breaks ready for unfocused or wiggly moments.
• Ask discipline administrators and/or deans to introduce themselves to your class on the first day of school in a fun way.

Properly prepare a classroom for any grade level

Stay on track in your classroom setup, whether you’re welcoming brand-new kindergartners or high school seniors. A well-designed back-to-school teacher checklist can help you prepare for success and meet your students’ needs! 

Back to School: First Year Teacher Checklists for Classroom Procedures, Set Up
By Michelle McDonald

Designed for first-year teachers but helpful for anyone leading a classroom, this checklist prompts users to mark procedures they need for the first week, including questions they should ask themselves before the school year begins. You’ll also find a section for important supplies and ideas to make this year the best one ever.

Address differentiation in the classroom

You don’t know your students yet, but you’ll want a way to meet their needs even before you meet. Institute differentiation in your classroom through curriculum and procedures that help all students reach the same level of success.

Consider these differentiation options when setting up your classroom:

• Research students’ IEP and 504 plans before the first day of school.
• Create desk clumps that evenly disperse students who require more support.
• Have a classroom library with books in a variety of reading levels.
• Plan an informal assessment to get an idea of your students’ skill levels.
• Provide instructions both verbally and visually.
• Give out a survey to students that asks about the best ways for them to learn.
• Prepare extra assignments for advanced students who finish an activity early.
• Have a short exit ticket to ensure students understood the main points of your first-day discussion.

Set up a special education program from day one

Special education teachers and mainstream instructors can both benefit from a step-by-step checklist that establishes a special education program on the first day of school. Incorporate these principles and procedures into a general ed classroom, or use them to create a high-quality special education program that addresses all student needs.

How to Set Up a Special Education Program – Checklists & Lesson Plan Templates
By Autism Adventures- Melissa Finch
Grades: PreK-12th

Everything you need to set up a special education program is right here! From lesson plans with yearly themes, checklists for staffing and preparing for the school year, and lists for sensory integration, communication, behavior management, and more, this resource is a must-have part of your back-to-school planning process.

Plan winning first-week activities

After your supplies are stocked, your organization is on point, and your boards are bold and beautiful, it’s time to plan what you’ll actually do during that first week! Successful school years begin with a combination of low-stakes collaborative activities and skills-based review assignments.

For ideas on the right first day of school activities, try these out:

• Choose icebreakers for high school students or younger kids to get to know each other better.
• Have students write something for you to assess, such as a letter to you or a poem about themselves.
• Plan team-building activities (like class escape rooms) for students to work together.
• Get at least the first month of lesson plans in order.
• Take a trip to the school library, so students have a silent reading book right away.
• Give a short quiz on the class procedures so students can start their grades at 100%.
• Tour the class around campus so they see where the office, bathrooms, and drinking fountains are.
• Plan a short First Week Party for students to relax after a tiring first week of school.

Take care of yourself

Self-care often ends up at the bottom of most back-to-school checklists for teachers, but it shouldn’t! Taking care of yourself from the first week of school on can reduce teacher burnout and let you support students without sacrificing your own well-being.

As busy as back-to-school season can be, take a moment to do the following:

• Establish boundaries for the school year, including a time limit for grading after school and a policy not to answer emails outside work hours.
• Set a timer to prevent yourself from staying in the classroom too long after school.
• Get enough sleep in the weeks before school begins.
• Do something fun and relaxing on the weekend after the first day of school.
• Spend time with friends, whether they’re teacher colleagues or don’t work at your school.
• Pack healthy, protein-filled snacks to eat between lessons or classes.

Enjoy the first day of the best year ever with TPT

With enough organization and forethought, you really can plan your way to classroom success! If you’ve gone through this back-to-school checklist for teachers and need some more, take a look at additional back-to-school resources to get the year started right. Before you know it, it will be time for parent conferences — and you want to be well-rested and ready for that next school-year milestone!