Complete Back to School Guide for Teachers for 2024
The back to school season for teachers means a new group of students and new adventures to be had.
Back to school Resources for Teachers
Math Lesson Plans
Everything You Need for Back to School
The back to school season for teachers means a new group of students and new adventures to be had.
It can also mean a new set of challenges. Which means you need a back to school survival kit for teachers.
You may have a class that has a wide range of skills. Or you may be moving into a new school, classroom or subject.
Whatever you're prepping for this school year, we have all the resources you need to make this year a success.
You'll find everything you need gathered in one place, from checklists to hacks to lesson plans.
There's no time to waste…let's get started!
Back to School Checklist 2024 for Teachers
As summer break winds to a close, it may feel like your head is spinning with all of the things you have to get done.
Making a checklist is a great way to get all those thoughts out of your head into a more manageable format. And it’ll feel so good to check off each task!
We suggest organizing your list into big topics such as classroom organization, classroom supplies, classroom decor and communication with parents and families.
See our entire Back to School To-Do List for Teachers. (Or see our Back to School guide for parents.)
1st Week of School 2024
The first week of school for the 2024-2025 is likely jam-packed.
From classroom activities to school-wide assemblies, there are plenty of first week of school activities to do.
But not all activities are created equal. It's important to have a good mix of educational and fun activities that first week.
You want to include activities that go over classroom rules and routines. You also want to cover all of the emergency procedures that you expect students to follow.
It's also essential for your classroom community to include activities that help students get to know each other. Icebreaker activities are great for this.
Some of our favorite ‘welcome back to school’ ideas for teachers include:
- Decorate Day - Get the students involved in decorating the classroom! This shows them that you want their opinion and that you’re excited to have them in your classroom. Split the class into four groups, and let each one know that they are responsible for one wall. Give them markers, posters, tape, stickers or whatever else you would like them to use.
- Play “Would you rather?” - Pose questions for students to get to know each other such as:
- Would you rather play baseball or basketball?
- Would you rather see a circus performance or a fireworks display?
- Would you rather go walking or swimming?
- Student surveys - Create surveys or questionnaires that help you get to know your students better. Consider using questions about their favorite foods, family members and favorite things to do at school.
Sending home a first week of school letter to your students’ parents starts the year off on the right foot.
This letter might include classroom expectations, events and special happenings and your contact information
If you have an open house before the school year begins, you could also send this letter home then.
For even more resources for the first week of school, check out our First Week of School Activities.
Lesson Plans for 2024
For some teachers, lesson planning feels tedious, even if you’re using a lesson plan template. Actual time in the classroom and with students is their favorite part of being a teacher.
The administrative work of lesson planning…not so much. So it gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.
Sound like you? If so, don't worry! We're here to help.
We've put together math lesson plans, English lesson plans and reading lesson plans to jumpstart your planning process.
Some of these lesson plans include how to incorporate Prodigy into lesson plans. Prodigy’s curriculum follows the standards you’re teaching so you can rest assured that students are always learning the concepts they need to.
Math Lesson Plans
Looking for fully fleshed out, step-by-step lesson plans for grades 1-8? Here you go!
Each of these math lessons has a learning objective, teaching strategy, materials list, procedures, grading and end goals.
They can be used exactly as they are in your classroom. Or you can change them a bit to fit what your students need.
Either way, it’ll be one less thing on your plate and another item checked off your to-do list.
Find your grade below:
- 1st Grade Lesson Plan: “More” and “Less”
- 2nd Grade Lesson Plan: Number Patterns and Skip Counting
- 3rd Grade Lesson Plan: Borrowing in Subtraction
- 4th Grade Lesson Plan: Calculating Perimeter, Area, and Volume
- 5th Grade Lesson Plan: Mental Multiplication
- 6th Grade Lesson Plan: All About Quadrilaterals
- 7th Grade Lesson Plan: Angle Hunt and Classroom Design
- 8th Grade Lesson Plan: Understanding Sampling Techniques
English lesson plans
English lesson plans vary by grade as students continue to increase their reading, writing and speaking skills.
Whether you teach grade 1, grade 6 or any grade in between, we have an English lesson plan for you!
Here are some of our favorite English activities for each grade level:
- 1st Grade Lesson Plans
- Story Sequencing with Picture Stories
- Phonics Fun with Sound Matching Game
- 2nd Grade Lesson Plans
- Story Mapping Exercise
- Vocabulary Building with Word Detective
- 3rd Grade Lesson Plans
- Grammar Scavenger Hunt
- Vocabulary Charades
- 4th Grade Lesson Plans
- Book Report Diorama
- Persuasive Writing Debate
- 5th Grade Lesson Plans
- Character Interview
- Poetry Slam
- 6th Grade Lesson Plans
- Book Club Discussion
- Story Starters with a Twist
To get the how and why of each activity, check out our English Lesson Plans.
Reading lesson plans
Learning to read is a main focus of the few first years of a student’s educational journey. And it’s important to continue to grow those skills throughout middle school and junior high.
Reading lesson plans can make sure that your students are challenged and learning all they need to.
If you’re looking to freshen up your lesson plans with new reading activities, you’re in the right place!
These activities will cover grades 1-6:
- 1st Grade Lesson Plans
- Phonics Scavenger Hunt
- Story Time Puppet Show
- 2nd Grade Lesson Plans
- Reading Relay Race
- Reading Comprehension Bubble Charts
- 3rd Grade Lesson Plans
- Story Map Creation
- Vocabulary Bingo
- 4th Grade Lesson Plans
- Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt
- Reader's Theater
- 5th Grade Lesson Plans
- Book Club Discussion and Presentation
- Vocabulary Treasure Hunt
- 6th Grade Lesson Plans
- Character Diaries
- Theme-Based Creative Projects
To see exactly how to use each of these activities in your classroom, head over to our Reading Lesson Plans.
Placement tests
Like all tests, placement tests can be intimidating for some students.
They may even carry more pressure because a student’s place in a school or classroom is decided on with the results.
But with the right preparation, your students will be able to ace whatever placement tests are slated for the upcoming school year.
Consider discussing the logistics of the test ahead of time with your students. Allow them to visit the test site if possible. Let them get comfortable with the testing format and tools they can use during the test.
Even if your students are well-prepared for the placement test and do well, it won’t be very useful if you don’t select a high-quality placement test.
Be sure to evaluate the placement test for how it will align with curriculum standards and how easy the results are to understand.
Preparation for Math Placement Tests
When you’re trying to help your students prepare for their beginning of the year placement test, it’s a little trickier because they aren’t attending your classroom every day yet.
Consider assigning math homework to be completed throughout the summer. Or provide a more fun option by encouraging students to sign up for an online game like Prodigy Math.
This will prevent the summer slide and ensure that students are ready to go from day one.
Another key to math placement test preparation is to be on the same page as parents. Send a letter to parents as soon as you know who is in your class.
In the letter, outline ways that they can encourage their children to keep learning over the summer. And let them know what to expect with the beginning of the year placement tests.
Preparation for English Placement Tests
The challenges of beginning of the year English placement tests are similar to those of math tests.
You can take similar steps as above to help your students be successful on the first day.
Prodigy English is a great option to keep students learning throughout the summer. The game was designed according to curriculum standards so you can know that students are learning exactly what they need to succeed on placement tests.
You may also be able to work together with the teacher that teaches the grade below you. Consider making a plan wit.
What's New with Prodigy
There are so many new features being added this school year to make your instruction more effective and your days a little easier.
These include:
- Google classroom add-on
- Ability to switch between Prodigy Math and Prodigy English on the teacher dashboard
- Streamlined reporting system to offer more detailed insights
- Enhanced Single Sign-On (SSO) features make logging in and adding students from Google, Clever, and ClassLink a breeze
- More questions and skills for your students to learn
- Varied ways to answer questions to move beyond multiple questions
Read more about each of these updates and features by clicking here.
Using Prodigy
Using Prodigy in your classroom can make learning so much more fun! Students will journey through adventures, using math and English skills to advance through the story.
You’ll be able to see each student’s progress in an easy-to-understand way from the teacher dashboard. Plus, it does all the grading for you!
The algorithm is always adapting to a student’s gameplay, giving them more practice on concepts that they don't understand or providing them with new challenges once they’ve mastered a skill.
You can even assign special skills for your students to work on. Prodigy can fit seamlessly into whatever you’re currently teaching.
See our research on Prodigy's effectiveness.
Learn more about Prodigy English
Ask Prodigy
Here at Prodigy, your students’ success is our mission. And we have lots of resources available to make that happen.
Whether you need help getting your students started in the game or you run into an issue during gameplay, we’re here to help. You can find support articles here on lots of topics like setting Prodigy up with Google classroom or how to change a student’s password.
If you don’t see an answer to your question, please reach out! Start a chat on our website or give us a call at 1-866-585-4655.
We can’t wait to see your students excel with Prodigy!
