So you’ve checked out the Bloomz help page on how to transition to a new school year and you know how to either keep your class and create a new one, delete your old class and create a new one, or repurpose your existing class because you teach a multi-age classroom. If you are a teacher you probably can’t help but overachieve.  So what else can you do? There has to be more to prepare for the new school year!

In June, after school lets out you should have a few days to clean out your classroom. A tech clean up is also in order. In regards to Bloomz, work toward updating all the information in the “document” section so that in July, everything is current for the fall start. Information such as your class birthday tradition, important dates calendar, homework policy, or class schedule can be uploaded to the “documents” section. Basically documents you might put on your classroom parent board can go in this virtual parent board. Additionally, import and sync your school’s calendar. Bloomz supports integrating an existing iCal calendar with your calendar on Bloomz. Click here for the steps.

July is traditionally a recharge month. There is a reason why teachers get the summer off! In order for us to serve our communities to our best potential we need a break. Effective communication with students and parents is some of the most significant and critical work we do. One important aspect of that communication is letting it breathe. I don’t know many teachers who work with their upcoming classroom in July. Nevertheless, if you work with a multiage classroom or closely know your community already, you might find it enjoyable to cultivate your community by sharing vacation pictures. You could ask your class to share what they are reading or pictures from their trips. This is a light hearted, no strings attached kind of way to connect and excite your students for their upcoming classroom community. It will also give you something to talk about when you come back in September.

In August, you should be all ready to go. This is a good time to work out any bugs or questions that may come up. During the weeks leading up to school you can post your classroom rules, volunteer sign-ups, or a getting to know you survey. Add a personal touch to your Bloomz classroom page. Post a new header and profile image to start the new year fresh. Your images should reflect you and the classroom vibe you imagine.

You might want to post a video introducing yourself. Maybe you know sign language or are really good at chess. Show them your creative side. Teachers might post a video of themselves singing a song or doing some sort of welcoming activity. For example, this 4th grade teacher made a video called "Welcome to the 4th Grade".  Students love to get to know their teachers. Give them a sneak peek into who you are before school starts! 

Lastly,  just like you’d walk into another teacher’s classroom to check out their room layout check out their Bloomz layout. If another teacher is using Bloomz at your school it is beneficial to join that page because you get more ideas on what to post and see things you missed. If you are part of a team, join everyone on your teams’ Bloomz pages.

Throughout the school year there is an inpouring of information at all times. There is a high probability you will miss something but another teacher will catch it. I can’t count how many times I saw another teacher’s post this year and copied and pasted it to my Bloomz classroom page. Thanks Snowy and Barn Owls! 

By utilizing a few of the Bloomz features sporadically throughout the summer it will cut down on the information exchange that traditionally happens on the first day of school. Bloomz is an effective community building tool that expedites and engages parent-teacher-student connection leading up to the start of a new year.

Do you have any other advice to prepare your classroom for the new year? Share it in the comments below!