It’s back-to-school season! Some schools have been back for several weeks while others are gearing up to go back. But no matter when you start back up, your mind is likely buzzing with the possibilities of a fresh school year. The beginning of the year is a great time to try something new, whether it’s updating your signage, finally tackling that weeding project or planning a brand new program. I’ve gone through my blog archives to gather together 20+ back-to-school resources that can give you ideas for new projects to try out, things to buy and other ways to get ready for your new year. Of course, don’t feel like you need to try them all – pick and choose and find a few that speak to you, then make plans and go for it!
20+ Back-to-School Resources to Help You Get Ready
Things to Try Out
There’s so many potential projects to take on at the beginning of the year. It’s a great time to make a change that can set the tone for the year. Do bear in mind that some of these projects (I’m looking at you genrefication) could take a significant chunk of time, so if your plate is already full it might be good to shelf them for later. But many of these can easily be accomplished in an afternoon. Here’s some back-to-school resources to help you plan some projects:
- Create Conversation Zone Signage
- Survey Your Students
- Genrefy Your Collection
- Create Collaborative Spaces
- Start up a Makers Club
- Create a Books You’re Reading Display
- Create an Instagram Display
- Weed Your Collection (by the numbers)
- Get Your Makerspace Organized
- Tidy Up Your Library
- Create (or update) Your Makerspace Procedures
- Paint a whiteboard wall
- Post some DonorsChoose projects
- Build a LEGO wall
Things to Buy
I tend to shy away from posts that feel too much like recommended shopping lists, as every school and every library is different. The types of tools and books that appeal to my students might fall flat for yours. However, I do think that recommendations can be useful in helping you work out what types of books and tools will work well for you.
- How to Choose Books to Support Your Makerspace – This post focuses more on helping you make your own list of books that will best support your makerspace.
- My Amazon IdeaLists (affiliate link) – I’ve gathered together some of my favorite maker books for students, maker picture books, professional development books and maker tools in my Amazon IdeaLists. Please don’t consider it a shopping list – rather it is more a curation of recommendations. If you make a purchase through this link, I get a small commission that helps support the running of the blog.
General Back-to-School Resources
I’ve written about back-to-school and beginning of the (calendar) year a few times in the past, so here’s a collection of more general tips and ideas: