August 17, 2026

Back-to-School Guide for Teachers: Report Card Comments, Classroom Setup & Your August Checklist

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Prodigy Authors

The Back-to-School Guide for Teachers is a one-stop hub covering report card comments, classroom setup, bulletin board ideas, and an August prep checklist. It's built for K-8 teachers who have more to do before the first bell than there is time to do it.

There's more to do before day one than there is time to do it: comments to draft, a room to set up, a board to decorate, a checklist that never seems to shrink. This guide pulls the essentials into one place so you're not hunting for four different resources in the last two weeks of August.

One thing worth knowing before you dive in: the latest federal assessment data gives back-to-school planning a better frame than "students are behind." Nine-year-olds gained four points in both reading and math since 2022, and the students who gained the most were the lowest performers. The momentum is real. This guide is about building on it.

Explore This Guide

Jump straight to what you need:

Report Card Comments, Ready to Use

Nearly 88% of parents believe their child is at or above grade level. Shown clear assessment data, that number drops to 44%. Comments that fold effort in with actual standing can blur that picture further, which is exactly why specific, accurate comments matter more than generic ones.

Our report card comments guide has more than 60 ready-to-use comments organized by category: effort and growth, math skills, behavior, and attitude, plus tips for personalizing any of them in under a minute.

Get Your Classroom Ready

Classroom setup covers more than decorating: family communication, curriculum review, technology, and yes, the walls too. Teachers spend a meaningful amount of their own money getting a room ready each year (nationally representative estimates put it around $665 a year, with some surveys of teachers already seeking funding support running closer to $895).

The Back-to-School Teacher Prep Checklist breaks the whole list into four manageable categories, plus grade-level expectations to review before September and a walkthrough for setting up Prodigy before the first week.

Make the First Day Feel Like Day One

Managing behavior has overtaken low pay as teachers' top-three job stressor this year, by a wide margin. The first day sets the tone for the rest, so it's worth spending it on activities that get students talking, comfortable, and a little bit excited.

Our 17 first day of school activities are free, easy to run, and built for exactly that.

Bulletin Board Ideas for Your Math Classroom

A bulletin board can do more than fill wall space. Done well, it can teach number sense, celebrate growth mindset, and give students a reason to look forward to the front of the room.

Browse back-to-school and math bulletin board ideas for welcome boards, goal-setting displays, and printable-ready math walls.

Wishing for Classroom Supplies?

More than 68,000 teacher wish lists have been shared through the Clear the List movement since it launched. Prodigy's own Clear the List contest gives away classroom supply gift cards throughout the back-to-school window, no purchase required, just a free Prodigy classroom.