From preparing healthy lunches and snacks to developing great lesson plans, getting back to school takes a lot of coordination. You can set the tone for your home and school life by checking important action items off your list, instilling some healthful habits and setting smart boundaries.
Here are four steps you can take now to set yourself up for a successful school year:
1. Gather ideas to try out in your classroom or for online learning
As you get yourself ready for a new batch of students, you may be assessing what worked well last year between remote teaching and in-classroom instruction, as well as what you’d like to improve for the upcoming school year. And with many classrooms adopting a hybrid approach, you may be trying to figure out which lessons will translate into online teaching or for modified learning schedules.
These resources can help you start the year feeling confident and resilient, knowing you’re well-prepared for what lies ahead.
- Resources for Student Learning in a Blended Learning Model
- Ensuring Safe and Just Schools: Good Hygienic Practices
- How to Conquer Common Back-to-School Stressors
- 8 Tips for Managing Stress at School
- Tips for Effective Online Parent Communication
2. Stock up on supplies—for yourself, your family and your classroom
School budgets often are tight, so many teachers dig into their own wallets to pay for the classroom supplies and decorations they need to create a welcoming, productive learning environment and to support their lesson plans. Teachers spend an average of more than $500 on classroom supplies each year, and extra precautions related to COVID-19 can boost that tally. Of course, many teachers spend a lot more than that!
In addition, many teachers also are getting their own children ready to go back to school, whether in-school or online. From new outfits and backpacks to new tech for online instruction, you need to stretch your budget to afford everything everyone in your household will need.
Try these back-to-school shopping tips to save time and money:
- Tips to Buy Laptops and More for Remote Teaching Success
- How to Get Rewarded for Your Back-to-School Shopping
- 9 Ways to Stretch Your Back-to-School Budget
- Tips for Using Crowdfunding to Restock Your Classroom
- A New Way for NEA Members to Find Exclusive Shopping Discounts
BONUS: Related shopping discount and rewards benefits for NEA members
- Search for retailer discounts on supplies, electronics, clothing and more from NEA Discount Marketplace.
- The NEA® Customized Cash Rewards Visa Signature® credit card offers customizable cash rewards in the category of your choice, like online shopping, so you could maximize your rewards if you buy back-to-school classroom supplies, clothing, backpacks and more online, including via NEA Discount Marketplace
- Sign up for a new Costco membership to buy back-to-school clothing, supplies and more in bulk and save
- Sign up for our free NEA Member Shoppers Guide newsletter to get special deals delivered to your inbox each month
3. Focus on your own well-being
Being an education professional is rewarding, but it also can be stressful. Standing all day, scarfing down lunch between classes and working long hours all can take their toll on your physical and mental health.
Act now to create some new good habits that will support the demands you’re placing on your body throughout the school year. By prioritizing your own health, you’ll have enough gas in your tank to support your students and your family, too.
These wellness tips can help you focus on yourself:
- 5 Healthy Habits to Get Through Tough Times
- 7 Work-Life Balance Tips for Educators
- 5 Ways to Protect Your Voice in the Classroom
- How to Prevent Hearing Loss From Classroom Noise
- 7 Habits of a Healthy Educator
BONUS: Related wellness benefits for NEA members
- Exclusive to NEA members, the NEA Members Insurance Trust is offering NO‑COST ACCESS to the NEA Mental Health Program.
- Find affordable, comprehensive dental and vision coverage with the NEA Dental and Vision Insurance Program
4. Set-and-forget your finances now
Carve out a bit of time before the school year kicks into full swing to give your finances a once-over. You can create and adhere to an everyday budget as well as review your long-term financial goals to determine whether you need to bump up your regular retirement savings allocation during open enrollment, shore up your emergency savings account, manage and reduce your monthly bills, and more.
These finance tips and tools can help get started:
- Do You Need a Back-to-School Fiscal Checkup?
- 6 Simple Steps to Build a Stress-Free Budget
- Prepare Now for These 6 Common Emergency Expenses
- See How NEA Members Are Finding Student Loan Debt Relief
- An Educator’s Guide to Retirement Planning
BONUS: Related financial wellness benefits for NEA members
- Get a quote from the NEA Auto & Home Insurance Program to see if you can save on your auto insurance bill
- Run your numbers through the NEA Student Debt Navigator to see if you’re eligible to reduce or eliminate your student loan debt
- Get a realistic look at your future with the NEA Retirement Income Calculator, which includes your state pension data
- Both traditional and Roth IRA accounts are available through the NEA Retirement Program
- Protecting your paycheck through the NEA Income Protection Plan is especially important for newer educators who haven’t accrued much sick leave yet
