Back-to-school checklists aren’t just for students—they’re for educators, too. While students prepare with dorm essentials and campus survival tips, professors are also gearing up for the new academic year. From lesson planning to setting up engaging classroom tools, there’s plenty to do before the semester begins.
This checklist is designed specifically for educators, helping you kick off the year with confidence. Here’s how to prepare effectively and set the stage for a successful semester.
1. Reread your syllabus and make any necessary updates
Every college course starts with the syllabus – the roadmap your students follow to succeed. Before each semester, review your syllabus and make any necessary additions, corrections, or clarifications. Small changes in wording can make a big difference to students. Plus, you may want to adjust your classroom policies with the changing times. For example, many universities have policies for generative AI. You may want to add a section on using (or not using) AI for coursework in your syllabus.
2. Create an internal calendar
Document all important dates related to your class to map out the semester. For example, for a scheduled mid-term exam, set aside extra office hours to help students, along with blocked-out time after the exam for grading. Other important dates include public and school holidays and events that could affect student attendance. If there’s a weeknight football game, attendance in your class might be sparse the following morning.
You don’t want surprises mid-year. Knowing what to expect in the coming months can help you plan ahead.
3. Review your lesson plans and make adjustments
Once you have your syllabus and calendar, it’s time to look at lesson plans. Identify what activities worked well last year and which ones you don’t want to repeat. Also, search for information that is outdated or aging. For example, business professors might have better marketing examples to pull from, while liberal arts teachers might have modern cultural touchpoints they want to address.
Know that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every semester. You can make small changes to the same lessons to make them more engaging. Adding a digital Q&A Activity to a classroom discussion or incorporating Multiple-choice questions into your end-of-class reviews can update your lessons without straying from the original plans.
4. Reevaluate your processes and policies
This can be done while you are updating your syllabus, but it deserves to be discussed on its own. Review your policies on how your students contact you, submit late work, ask for help, and receive their grades. You may want to make adjustments to these policies based on your experience last semester or the changing culture of students. For example, if you want to be more accessible to your students, you can get a Google phone number or create a Slack channel dedicated to each class.
For example, some professors use their classes to teach the next generation of students how to communicate professionally. This is an opportunity to build healthy habits that students can bring into the workplace.
5. Select your software tools for the semester
Education technology now plays a vital role in all aspects of higher education. Consider which tools you want to incorporate as part of your learning environment and which tools are provided by your university. Does your school have a university-wide Canvas account? Do you want students to collaborate and create presentations together using Google Slides? You will want to choose tools that integrate seamlessly with your favorite tools, such as Poll Everywhere, which integrates with PowerPoint, Zoom, and Slack. Poll Everywhere can also act as an attendance tracker, with the Attendance Management feature that takes student attendance and limits participation with geolocation.
6. Visit your physical learning environment
Stop by the classroom (or classrooms) where you will teach to get a feel for the environment. This is particularly important if you are in a new room this year. Evaluate how many students the room can hold and consider how the layout might impact any classroom activities you have planned.
Check all of the technology in the classroom. You don’t want to show up on the first day and discover that the projector is broken. In addition to checking the technology, ensure your devices are compatible with the technology in the classroom or have the correct adapters.
7. Identify any accommodation requests or develop accessible lesson plans
Some students might reach out ahead of the school year to request accommodations while others will meet with you once class starts. Go over any requests for accommodations you have received or evaluate your lesson plans to see how they can be more accessible for your students.
Many accommodations benefit students without learning disabilities along with supporting their peers who need them. For example, adding captions to videos can help students with hearing impairments while making it easier to watch the content on the bus or in a quiet setting. Captions and transcripts for recordings can also reinforce the material because students engage with the content visually and audibly.
Look for minor adjustments to your lesson plans that can significantly improve accessibility. You might be helping your students more than you know.
8. Create an emergency kit
Consider putting together a bag or basket you bring to class to help you and your students. This emergency kit should be light enough to carry while holding essential items. For a less stressful name, this can be known as your resource kit or go bag, depending on how you use it. A few essential items include:
- Back-up classroom resources like whiteboard markers, erasers, and a few extra pens for students.
- Hand sanitizer, paper masks, and disinfectant if you encounter a sick student or are wary of flu season.
- Sealed water bottles and a few snack bars for you or your students in an emergency.
- A small first aid kit in case a student needs a band-aid or needs to contain an injury before getting help.
- Optional feminine products for students who need them.
The goal of this kit is to prevent delays from starting class and reduce the effect of interruptions. It is designed to help students stay in class when they would otherwise miss important instruction because of a missed meal or unexpected leak.
Make Poll Everywhere part of your back-to-school updates
It doesn’t matter whether this is your first year teaching or if you are returning to campus for your second or third decade. It’s still okay to be excited about the upcoming semester and nervous about having everything in order. Make sure you have enough time to review your syllabus, policies, and lesson plans to make sure they support your students.
Transform your classroom into an interactive learning environment with Poll Everywhere. Whether you're looking to move beyond traditional lecture-based instruction or make lessons more dynamic, Poll Everywhere offers a range of activities ideal for higher education. Empower your students to engage actively and improve knowledge retention. See how Poll Everywhere can enhance your teaching strategies and create a more engaging semester.
