The Teacher Nightmare

Quite frequently over the years, I have experienced what I call the “Teacher Nightmare.” It began in the weeks before I first started teaching school, and it tends to return a week or two before school starts each year. In my dreams at night, variations of the following scenario take place: It is the first day of school, and I am completely unprepared. I have made no lesson plans, the walls are still bare, and I have no idea what I am doing. The students arrive, and they refuse to do anything I tell them to do. The room is utter chaos. I am always so relieved to wake up and find this only a dream.

I have been surprised and somewhat amused by how many teacher friends have experienced the same thing. Perhaps this has happened to you too. While I am not here to unravel all the psychology behind this phenomenon, nor to offer you ways to avoid the Teacher Nightmare, I can tell you about some ways to keep the nightmare from coming true.

Preparing for a new school year can feel like an astronomical task, especially if you are a new teacher. Let me tell you up front: You will never be perfectly prepared. I am going into my twentieth year as a teacher, and it seems to me that by now I ought to have a foolproof system that lets me launch a new school year with minimal mental exertion. Certainly, there are some things that I have learned to streamline over the years, but every school year has its own set of challenges and new things to work through, and it is impossible to be prepared for everything.

That said, I have found that thorough preparation before school begins can make my job easier throughout the school year. One thing that has helped me is to keep a master copy of my yearly to-do list as a document on my computer. Each year when I begin school preparation, I copy and paste this list into a new document and add things as needed. Then I can check things off the list as I work. This list includes basic tasks like the following:

• Sort and organize curriculum
• Plan activities for the first day
• Arrange desks
• Put nametags on desks
• Do bulletin boards
• Organize bookshelf and repair books
• Prepare history folders
• Organize flashcards

I realize that not everyone has the luxury of extra time when preparing for the school year, but I like to do as many extras as possible to save myself time later. This is why I have also learned to keep a running list throughout the school year. On this list, I add ideas of things that could possibly be done the next summer. A fun art project I like to do with my students involves cutting many paper squares ahead of time. Cutting these squares has been added to my yearly to-do list for the beginning of the year, because it is so nice to be able to pull those squares out of the file for an easy art project during a busy school week. I staple papers together to make booklets for a project we do in history class. I prepare materials we will use for science projects. As much as possible, I stock things that I will need in order to save myself shopping trips during the school year.

I find that when necessary physical tasks have been completed, my brain is better able to focus on mental preparation that is needed. This is when I think through these sorts of things: Do I want to change any of the procedures I had last year? Did the schedule serve us well, or should something be changed? What are some new things I would like to try in my classroom this year? I think about special needs I know are present in my incoming class, and I think of ways I will deal with those needs.

Perhaps it is the mental gymnastics that bring on the Teacher Nightmare. While being thoroughly prepared is a good thing, being realistic about your limitations and letting go of the drive for perfection can help to produce peace of mind. As you prepare for the school year, may you be blessed with clear thinking, much grace, and sweet dreams!

Photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash