The Efficient English Teacher

By August, most teachers have forgotten at least half of the brilliant ideas they had in May.

The bulletin boards come down. The books get boxed up. The classroom gets cleaned. Then summer happens. Somewhere between pool days, family vacations, and finally catching up on sleep, all those great plans for next year disappear.

Before locking the classroom door for the summer, spend an extra hour or two helping future-you out.

August-you will be grateful.

Table of Contents

• 1. Leave Yourself a Letter
• 2. Take Photos of Everything
• 3. Create an “Open First” Folder
• 4. Label Every Single Box
• 5. Make a Supply Inventory
• 6. Clean Up Digital Files
• 7. Save Your Best Student Examples
• 8. Write Down Next Year’s Reading Recommendations
• 9. Leave Yourself a Technology Cheat Sheet
• 10. Purge Without Guilt
• 11. Start a “Next Year Ideas” Document
• 12. Set Up One Small Gift for August-You
• One Final Thought
  • Before You Go…

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1. Leave Yourself a Letter

Open a Google Doc and write a quick note to yourself.

Include things like:

• What worked really well this year
• What absolutely did not work
• Students who helped shape your thinking
• Units that need revision
• Supplies that ran out
• Ideas to try next year

The ideas for next school year feel obvious right now. They won’t in August.

2. Take Photos of Everything

Walk around the room and snap pictures of:

• Bulletin boards
• Anchor charts
• Classroom library organization
• Desk arrangements
• Station setups
• Favorite displays

These photos become a lifesaver when trying to recreate systems months later.

3. Create an “Open First” Folder

Whether digital or paper, create one place that contains:

• First week lesson plans
• Seating charts
• Classroom procedures
• Icebreakers
• Reading surveys
• Parent communication templates

The first week arrives quickly. Having everything together reduces stress.

4. Label Every Single Box

Future-you is not a detective.

Write specific labels.

Instead of:

“ELA Stuff”

Try:

“Book Club Materials”
“Independent Reading Conferencing”
“Poetry Unit Supplies”
“Anchor Chart Markers”

Specific labels save hours.

5. Make a Supply Inventory

Before everything disappears into cabinets, make a quick list.

Count:

• Sticky notes
• Pens
• Markers
• Highlighters
• Chart paper
• Notebooks

August is a terrible time to discover there are only two working dry erase markers left.

6. Clean Up Digital Files

This might be the most important task on the list.

Create folders for:

• Reading
• Writing
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Independent Reading
• Assessments
• Parent Communication

Delete duplicates.

Rename files clearly.

7. Save Your Best Student Examples

Student work is one of the most powerful teaching tools available.

Create folders for:

• Strong essays
• Strong CER responses
• Strong one-pagers
• Strong projects

Remove names and save them.

August-you will thank June-you when students ask, “What does an A paper look like?”

8. Write Down Next Year’s Reading Recommendations

Students tell us about books all year.

Keep a running list of:

• Books students loved
• Books students hated
• Books that sparked discussion
• Books that collected dust

These notes make classroom library decisions much easier.

9. Leave Yourself a Technology Cheat Sheet

If there is a tech tool that took forever to learn, write down the process.

Canvas tricks.

Google Forms shortcuts.

AI prompts.

Gradebook procedures.

Anything that made life easier.

Don’t trust memory.

10. Purge Without Guilt

Not every worksheet deserves another year.

If something hasn’t been used in three years, let it go.

Classroom space is valuable.

So is mental space.

11. Start a “Next Year Ideas” Document

Create a document and dump every random thought into it.

Podcast ideas.

Novel ideas.

Project ideas.

Classroom setup ideas.

Professional development ideas.

No organization required.

Just save the thinking before summer wipes the slate clean.

12. Set Up One Small Gift for August-You

Leave something behind that will make returning easier.

A first-day checklist.

A stack of fresh sticky notes.

A favorite set of pens tucked into a drawer.

A welcome note to yourself.

A ready-to-go emergency lesson.

Teaching is hard enough. A small act of kindness in June can make a busy August morning feel a little lighter.

One Final Thought

Most teachers spend June cleaning for the custodians.

The smarter move is spending a little time preparing for the person who will walk back into that room in August.

That person is tired.

That person is overwhelmed.

That person has forgotten half of what happened this year.

Help them out.

Future-you deserves it.