EP 161 Simple Strategies to Make the Upcoming School Year Easier

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To learn more and download some engaging resources, go to myadventuresinesl.com/store.

To all the incredible ESL teachers—thank you for the heart, patience, and dedication you pour into your students every day. You do so much more than teach English; you give students the confidence to find their voice, the courage to express themselves, and the tools to build a brighter future. Your classroom is a place of hope, growth, and possibility.

The work you do may not always be easy, but it is life-changing. Every word learned, every small victory, and every moment of encouragement make a lasting impact. Keep inspiring, keep believing in your students, and know that what you do truly matters. You are making a difference, one student at a time! 💙✨

The goal of this week’s episode is to share strategies that you can use right now to help prepare for the upcoming school year.

It’s gearing up to be the end of the school year. Many of us might be in the middle of testing, experiencing the end of the year of activities, and still trying to provide the students with essential skills to be successful for the upcoming school year.

Two weeks ago, I was in the middle of doing our language proficiency assessment, and in a week, I will be preparing the students to take our annual state assessment.

I am excited about the summer, however, it’s starting to creep up on me. As the school year is coming to a close, I want to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming school year.

I often waste my planning time and am not as productive as I would like to be. Especially during this time of year, I find myself asking myself where my planning time went because I am struggling with being productive.

This can lead to tension, being overstimulated, andfeeling almost hopeless with the number of items on your to-do list at the end of the year.

We are all working so hard at the end of the school year, and we all want to be prepared for the new school year so that we can ensure a successful start.

Why is preparing for the upcoming school year important now?

Laying the foundation for the upcoming school year allows you the ability and flexibility to ensure you start the school year strong. This will give you time to build relationships, get organized, and start off the school year with confidence.

You will also have a plan to have systems in place to ensure that you are being efficient.

Even if I have this problem, I have tools to help me.

If I go there, I don’t have to stay there. I am excited to share these strategies with you.

I am just like you…If this worked for me, I know it can work for you.

With everything you must do at the end of the school year, you may wonder how to prepare for the upcoming school year.

That is simple. You will need to create a simple roadmap of what you need to do to prepare for the upcoming year. When you are doing this, think about the things you know will have to be done no matter your situation. For example, I will have student files for Language Learners, students who transitioned out of the program, and students with non-English backgrounds. I can include it in my end-of-the-year roadmap to prepare the folders for the upcoming year. That means color-coding them, placing the file folder sticker on them, and a sticker on the outside of the folder that shares what is inside the folder.

I’m including tasks in my roadmap that are constant and that I know I have to do regardless ofhow many students I have and where I will be teaching.

It is also important to remember that you need to reflect on the year so that you can assess what worked and what didn’t. Also, it helps identify areas for improvement or new strategies to implement.

Before we dive into how to create a roadmap for the upcoming year, I want to share with you more details about the master plan I use to ensure I have a successful and productive school year.

Before we jump back in, I want to tell you about something that can truly change your summer planning game…

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what to do first, how to get organized, or how to confidently walk into the school year with a plan, you are not alone. That’s exactly why I created The ESL Teacher Master Plan.

This self-paced course walks you step-by-step through how to plan and prepare for the upcoming school year as an ESL teacher. From setting up your classroom systems to creating lessons that work across language levels, it’s all in there—broken down into simple, actionable steps.

So if you’re ready to feel calm, clear, and excited to start the year, head to My Adventures in ESL to check out The ESL Teacher Master Plan Wait List. I’d love to support you this summer!

Alright—let’s get back into it!

Step 1: Reflect on the year and pinpoint what worked well and what areas need improvement.

Step 2: Brainstorm tasks that will be fixed no matter your circumstances. Earlier, I provided the example of organizing and setting up the student file folders that are mandatory in my state.

Step 3: Looking at a calendar, determine how many weeks you have remaining in the school year. Once you determine the weeks, assign 2-3 tasks per week. It is okay if it is a small task or a task that carries over a few weeks. An example of a task that carries over a few weeks for me is purging and cleaning for the upcoming year.
Step 4: Complete the tasks and celebrate your wins. I like doing this by attaching a deadline to each task. You will start to see that the small steps you are taking will add up, which makes this all worth it.

Here’s a quick to-do list to get you started: