The children will be arriving soon and it does not matter if your program was closed for the summer or if it is a year round program. Before you start the new school year take a little time and asses what did and did not work within the last school year and determine why in both situations. Change the things that did not work and incorporate the things that were working.

Organize your classroom and eliminate any potential blind spots. Making certain that there are not any blind spots within the classroom will ensure that you can see the children at all times from all angles of the classroom. Reducing and eliminating blind spots is one way to guarantee that you are always aware of what the children are doing.

Make sure that you are prepared!! Prep your materials for projects before the children sit down to complete the project. Having children waiting for any length of time is not productive and creates a level of frustration for everyone. Plan your lessons but be flexible enough to allow for the children to move beyond the lessons that you have planned.

Assess the children; learn their likes, dislikes, and behaviors. Evaluate the children’s skill level and determine the next developmental level. Once the next developmental level has been determined that will be the goal to achieve. The children should be re-evaluated in the middle of the year to ensure that you are on the right path for each child and the group.

• Asses all of your equipment

Review your classroom arrangement to make sure that there is an adequate amount of materials in each developmental area. Check your equipment to make sure that it is in good working order and that there is a sufficient amount for the children within your classroom. If you do not have a detailed equipment list, create one that outlines the equipment that is designated to the classroom. The list should include all equipment including materials that maybe stored as extras for the classroom. Having an accurate equipment list serves two purposes; first to ensure that there is a proper amount of equipment within the classroom and second to justify when additional equipment should be ordered.

• Develop classroom rules

Allow the first couple of days for the children to adjust to the classroom and routine. During the first couple of days you are getting to know the children and the children are acclimating to the classroom. If you have older children allow them to develop classroom rules along with the consequences. This will set the expectations for the children and the classroom. This also holds the children accountable for their action with the knowledge of the consequences. This will take the discipline out of your hands and place it back onto the children. Example: when someone throws a toy the children might have the consequence be removing the children from the area. That would be the consequence for their actions. They would not be able to say that you were not being fair because the consequences were determined before the behavior was observed. You are just enforcing the rules that were developed by the class. This teaches the children natural consequences and accountability.

• Provide parents with a welcome newsletter outlining the goals for the classroom. Inform the parents about your desires for the children.

Maintain open communication with the parents. Let them know what is going on in the classroom and whenever possible have them volunteer in the classroom. Communicating with the parents will build a trust level and allows for you to better help the children within the classroom. Remember that the parents are the child’s first teacher and will always know their child the best.

Communication between home and the classroom is very important. Make sure that the parents know that they should inform you of changes in the child’s usual behavior, if the child has experienced anything that may affect the child’s behavior at school, and assure the parents that you will do the same. Parents also want to know if something happened at school that might affect the child’s behavior as well as the activities that the child enjoyed during the day. This will create an open communication.