Setting up Systems for your Beginning of the Year Checklist

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Welcome all-star teachers! As we jump into today’s topic, I would like you to reflect on your wins for the week. Every week I want to highlight a teacher’s win. A win can be big or small. I want you to celebrate your wins, and we want to celebrate with you! If you have a win you want to share, email me at millie@myadventuresinesl.com.

There is so much ESL teachers have to do at the beginning of the school year on top of planning lessons for language learners and ensuring your students are transitioning into the new school year. One of those tasks is preparing for paperwork and compliance. This can be an overwhelming task for a lot of ESL teachers. There is also a lot to keep up with during this time of the year. Juggling paperwork and preparing lessons can make your beginning of the year feel overwhelming.

I have received my fair share of email reminders about compliance. Trust me receiving those reminders was not a good feeling. Folders weren’t organized, the team was not clear on what they needed to do, and I was over how much paperwork needed to be completed. I will never forget my first year of teaching when I had no clue about how to organize my beginning of the year procedures. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and honestly did not know where I needed to start. I once again reflected back on some strategies at my previous job. The first thing that popped in my mind was the systems that were in place. 

I decided right then and there I needed to make a change. I wanted to feel confident, organized, and calm about the beginning of the school year compliance. I thought back on how I normally get organized on my tasks. One of the ways that has always helped me was to create streamlined checklists. I decided to create these lists with online checklist tools such as Trello. This allowed me to easily assign tasks, keep track of my own responsibilities, and communicate with my team. 

Setup a system that clearly outlines your tasks for the school year. You can use task manager boards such as Trello. Get clear on dates and your responsibilities for the school year. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. It will also allow you to properly plan for the upcoming school year.  My ESL Teacher Binder has everything you need to get organized for the school year! It includes checklists, accommodation forms, student lists, and so much more.