[LadyBug_5]

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying their off time.

I'll be starting the school year off as a new teacher. I'm very excited but a bit nervous leading up to the first day of class. I'm starting to buy classroom decor and I have started to plan. However, I have not yet seen my classroom and I don't have my curriculum for all subject areas.

I'm not sure what the right protocol is. Should I ask my administration for classroom keys or wait for them to say? Also, how do you guys plan for the upcoming school year?

Thanks in Advance!

[SusanTeach]

Welcome to the world of teaching! You'll find so many great ideas here on ProTeacher, so you're off to a great start.

There's nothing wrong with asking the administration. If you've officially been given the job, then it's normal to want to see the room. If she doesn't want you to have the keys (we don't get them over the summer, so schools are different), you can still ask to see your room long enough to make measurements and take pictures so you can start planning on paper.

Does your district have a pacing guide? If not, I'd start planning by mapping out the year to see how much you have to cover. If you can talk to another teacher in your grade level, you can get a lot of help. She may even offer to let you see her lessons to get an idea.

I hope you have a great year!

[sisterwoman]

It really is hard to plan until you have the curriculum/pacing guide. I would suggest asking the principal to put you in touch with the grade chair, if there is one, or a team member on your grade level so that you can ask him/her for answers to your questions. How you plan will depend both on your district and your team members (i.e. if the curriculum guides are online, how closely your school follows the district curriculum, if your team plans together or individually, etc.) As was already mentioned, taking pics of your new classroom would help you determine which decorations you will want to purchase or make. One suggestion is to plan activities for the first few days of school. This would entail "getting to know you" activities, your discipline plan, the processes and procedures that you want to have in your classroom, etc. Looking at the board for your grade level on PT will give you many suggestions. Best of luck to you! It is really exciting to start a new year even after having taught for over 25 years.

[Mshope]

I think they will understand that you are anxious to get started. I would stop into school and maybe see the secretary to get the key. At my school, our main secretary literally has all the keys. Also, the custodians were a huge help for me when I started. A lot of people at my school have their own desk chair, tons of fans, and maybe even some shelves or lamps. (You might want to check to see what you are allowed to bring. We are not allowed to have a microwave and a little frig, but many do.)

Hopefully, your principal can hook you up with those who have your curriculum. I am surprised that they didn't give you a copy of textbooks and guides (if they have them.)

I prepared by doing all the things that the pp stated. I am a big fan of the Wong's and The First Days of School so I had everything all copied and ready to go for the first week.

[cali11]

Congratulations! I'm a new teacher as well, so I know exactly how you feel. I was lucky enough to be long-term subbing in my school, so I got the keys to my classroom early and see it and everything. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to go into our classrooms in the summertime, so I didn't get much time! I have no idea how I'm going to be able to set up in just a few days! I would suggest just getting some generic decorations for now, and then getting more specific ones once you get into your classroom. Good luck!