What helps you get back into “school mode”?

“Tucked away in Amazon’s “saved for later” are items I buy guilt-free only in August: Highlighters! Whiteboard markers! Pens! Pencils! Sticky notes! The week before school starts, I troll a brick and mortar store for a fresh desk calendar, but end up at the register with a full buggy. Remember spreading out your Halloween candy haul on the floor to organize and admire it? This is better. When I have to move from the coffee table to the dining room table for space, I delight and get giddy about meeting new students.”
– Cristi Marchetti

“I like to do a ton of prep/planning about two weeks before summer ends so that I can slow down at the end of summer, enjoy sleeping in, and focus on family and try not to let the back to school dreams start to haunt me. I have found the more I get “set” (whether that means to do lists or prepping digital materials or actually going into school to make copies), the more I can be present at the end of summer and chase away the back to school anxiety.”
– Bridgette Gallagher

“I try to be as organized as possible. I prepare my outfits, lunches, and necessary items the night before school and classes start. This keeps me focused and reduces my back-to-school anxiety.”
– Holly Spinelli

“My favorite time of the year is summer. One of my favorite things about it is that I can wake up at any time I want. So, going back to school disrupts my free-range sleep schedule. The early mornings, studying for five hours, the inability to read, and the constant stress do not appeal to me. However, going to school is inevitable, so what helps me get back into “school mode” is that I remember the purpose: to get good grades to attend the college of my choice. And if grades are not enough, think about the learning aspect. There is also the social aspect of school. School for some people can just be another social ground if that is what is going to help one enter the “school mode.” Remembering the purpose of school is reason enough to get out of my “summer mode.” Ultimately, the best way to get back into the “school mode” for me is to focus on what I like and gain from school until I adjust.”
– Sonnet Ettekal, High School Student

What helps you stay energized during the first few days/weeks of school?

“Coffee. And sugar. Not together.”
– Cristi Marchetti

“I try to make the first weeks of school instant feedback or quick feedback only on assignments which are usually creative, informal and pre-writing for larger things later. . This means that I am just seeing a bunch of work from students without “grading” it as deeply. I am feeling out their ability, finding out more about them, and trying to see how they function in the classroom community. I look at it as a time to individually set goals for my students and ask them how they hope to grow as readers and writers in the year. In doing this- you are able to focus on creating in the first month (you on your lessons, then on their assignments) instead of starting a transactional relationship with them based on testing, grades, and deficit based feedback.”
– Bridgette Gallagher

“I do my best to keep my workday as balanced as possible. I love being an educator, and I know that if I want to be the best educator that my students and colleagues deserve, I need to give my brain a break. I go for a run before work. I set aside time to read a few pages in a book that isn’t school related. I will plan with my co-teacher as we walk around the school track. A small change in location and spending time outdoors helps me stay sharp.”
– Holly Spinelli

What tips/strategies do you use for time management?

“I keep digital and analog calendars so there are several iterations of noting deadlines and appointments – the more I interact with these time-specific items, the more I mentally wrangle my entire life.”
– Cristi Marchetti

“Don’t over plan- stay one week ahead because there’s always going to be a glitch that messes up the best laid units you have planned out through November. Consistent due dates- every Sunday, every Monday make it so you are not a dog chasing your tail each week playing catch up. I have kept Sunday evening due dates for all assignments since COVID and it takes out guesswork in absences, time management, class work, etc.”
– Bridgette Gallagher

“I plan large assignment due dates with my students. We discuss how much time they may need for each step of the project. We set a few “flex” days to either move forward in our process or to spend more time on different parts. This eases a lot of tension and anxiety for us all. Students tend to stick more closely to the due dates they create with me. This keeps us all on the same page.”
– Holly Spinelli

Where do you place your focus to keep yourself excited/fresh for the year’s start?

“I’ve been called a human Golden Retriever because I get super excited about everything, then fall asleep. Excitement is never an issue, but staying awake sometimes is a challenge. Did I mention coffee yet? And sugar? But not together? That. That’s what I do.”
– Cristi Marchetti

“Instead of reinventing the wheel every year, have a focus that you really plan on executing and/or enlisting a buddy to do it with. Hone in on what you did well, what you want to weed out, and choose one aspect of your instruction that you want to look at with a set of fresh eyes. This is always easier if not done in a vacuum— turn to your colleagues and see if they may want to grow in the same way.”
– Bridgette Gallagher

“The students. Focusing on the students’ strengths and working with them to chart the year’s course keeps the momentum and the excitement going.”
– Holly Spinelli

What do you look forward to for the beginning of the year and how do you sustain the joy this brings to you?

“Guess who just ingested coffee and sugar? Yeah. I’ll need a nap soon, but before I timber, I’ll tell you that I never lose joy. Students are the joy. Always. For 22 years.”
– Cristi Marchetti

“My classroom may be the place where a young person makes a major discovery about themselves- as a writer, as a learner, as a reader, etc. That’s an exciting prospect and helps you start the year with hope at the center.”
– Bridgette Gallagher

“A fresh start. The year is ripe with possibility. Trekking into the unknown is exciting. I love that every day is a new opportunity to get to know the students and to work together to create our community learning space. Taking the year a day at a time reminds me that each day can be the day for something beautiful to happen.”
– Holly Spinelli

No matter where you are across the state, the NYSEC team is here to support you. Visit our website to learn more about virtual professional learning opportunities. If the in-person experience is what you seek, our annual conference is an excellent way to connect with fellow educators as you attend outstanding professional learning sessions. We wish you, your colleagues, your students, and your communities all the best as the new school year begins.

Holly Spinelli is an advocate for equality through anti-racist, anti-bias, and anti-oppressive facilitation within and beyond the classroom. She continues to cultivate community-inspired work as an English teacher at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley, New York, and as an adjunct instructor in the English Department at SUNY Orange County Community College. She is an Academy for Teachers fellow and served two terms as an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. She is currently an NCTE Open Educational Resources Fellow (2023). She is excited to be part of the NYSEC executive board.