Your Essential Companion for a Successful First Year in the Classroom
Breathe easy! The New Teacher Starter Kit provides everything you need to thrive (not just survive) your first year of teaching, with expert-crafted resources for new elementary teachers including classroom management strategies, time-saving templates, and practical checklists.
What is the Teacher Toolkit?
That first year as a new teacher is both exhilarating and challenging (trust me, I've been there!). That's why I created this comprehensive Teacher Toolkit specifically for first year teachers. Designed with elementary teachers in mind, this toolkit addresses all the new teacher classroom essentials: creating an engaging learning environment, implementing effective behavior management strategies, streamlining lesson planning, simplifying grading and reports, and building positive parent-teacher relationships. Filled with tried-and-true tips for first year teachers from experienced educators, plus all the templates, checklists, and planning sheets you'll need in editable PDF format, this toolkit will become your trusted companion throughout your inaugural year in the classroom!
What's Included
- Classroom Setup & Management Guide: Detailed strategies for organizing your physical space, establishing procedures, and creating a positive learning environment tailored for elementary classrooms.
- Time-Saving Planning Templates: Ready-to-use lesson plan frameworks, assessment trackers, and parent communication templates that reduce prep time and increase teaching effectiveness.
- First-Year Teacher Survival Checklists: Month-by-month guidance to help you navigate important deadlines, prepare for observations, and celebrate your successes throughout the school year.
Elevate your organization even further by pairing the New Teacher Starter Toolkit with our printable Teacher Planner, an all-in-one printable and digital planner with calendars, lesson planning templates and forms for elementary teachers, perfect to get you organized and starting the school year the right way!
How to Use the Teacher Toolkit
Start the year off right.Get organized and ready for your first day of the school year with the To Do List, Planning Checklist, and Year at a Glance template. Set up your learning environment the right way using the tips for setting up your class, classroom organization and classroom displays.
Think about implementing strategies for classroom management.Find ways to get your learners’ attention using the tips in this toolkit plus the Attention Getters. Use the Routines and Procedures checklist to help make sure all learners know what’s expected from them and check out the positive behavior management tips for helpful strategies and advice. Don’t forget to reward your students using the Star of the Day Templates and Certificates!
Find quick and easy ways to give feedback.When it comes to grading and writing feedback, the tips and advice in this Toolkit provide step-by-step guidance and a range of time-saving strategies. The Report Card Writing Tips and Report Card Comments and Phrases Bank is also a great starting point when it’s time to start writing those all-important report cards.
Don't forget about Professional Development.Of course professional development is so important in your first year as a new teacher. Setting out professional and teaching goals at the beginning of the school year is a great way to focus on yourself and think about the professional learning you need to do. Use the reflection and evaluation checklists and templates at the end of the Toolkit to reflect on your teaching practice and continue to develop into the teacher you want to become.
What’s Inside the Teacher Toolkit?
Section 1: Orientation (pages 3-9)
- Introduction - Here we explain why we created the Teacher Toolkit for New Teachers and how to get the most out of it!
- To Do List - Plan your priorities, including sections for To Do Now, To Do Next, Questions to Ask, and a handy Notes section.
- My Professional Goals - Help start your professional development journey, not forgetting to consider self-care along the way. This blank template has an example to get you started!
- My Teaching Goals - Focus on 6 key teaching goals for your first year of teaching.
- Key Colleagues List - Make a list of those important new colleagues to help start building your support network.
- Tips for New Teachers - Easy-to-digest tips that are perfect to print and keep as a reminder to keep you going through the school year.
Section 2: Getting Ready to Teach (pages 10-16)
- Classroom Supply List - Handy tick list of those classroom essentials.
- Quick Classroom Display Ideas - 16 easy, creative ideas to get your classroom looking great!
- Classroom Organization Ideas - Step-by-step guide to get you and your classroom organized.
- Planning Checklist- Helpful tick list with space to add some additional planning notes.
- Year at a Glance - The whole year all on one page - great for planning ahead.
Section 3: Becoming the Teacher You Want to Be (pages 17-24)
- Tips on Setting Up Your Class for Success - Helpful advice on setting up and embedding routines and procedures with your class.
- Routines and Procedures Checklist - Handy checklists for the first two days to make sure you cover all the important routines and procedures with your class, with extra space to add anything else you need to cover.
- Tips for New Teachers on Positive Behavior Management - Behavior management is always challenging for new teachers, so these 14 tips from veteran teachers will be sure to help!
- Tips for Getting Students’ Attention - Advice on how to get students focused and ready to learn.
- Attention Getters - 15 creative ideas to get your class's attention and get students’ focus on you.
- Star of the Day Template- Acknowledge when your students have been awesome with this handy template.
- Star of the Day Certificate - Present star students with this certificate to take home and display proudly.
Section 4: Grading and Writing Report Cards (pages 25-32)
- Grading Tips - Time-saving tips and helpful resources for grading and feedback, from creating comment banks to using templates and checklists.
- Report Writing Tips and Phrase Bank - Advice and examples of report card comment banks to help make report writing easier and more productive.
- Report Cards and Grading Checklist - Manage report writing deadlines with this handy checklist.
Section 5: Creating Positive Relationships with Parents (pages 33-36)
- Tips for Positive Communication with Parents - 8 helpful tips from veteran teachers to help you communicate and build relationships with your students’ parents.
- Parent Teacher Conference Log - Handy template for those parent-teacher meetings.
Section 6: Reflecting and Evaluating (pages 37-41)
- Evaluation Checklist - Perfect for evaluating lessons or units you’ve taught.
- Teaching Reflections - Reflect on successes and things to improve throughout your first year of teaching, with a choice of weekly, termly, or individual lesson reflections.
- My Class Reflections - For evaluating the approaches you’ve taken with your class, what do you want to try next year, and what didn’t work?
- Reflection Notes - Blank template for you to use for reflection.
