You will most likely have a few days or a week of planning before the students actually arrive. Some of this time will be spent in meetings. However, much of this time will be spent alone in your room.

Sometimes it can be overwhelming to think about all of the preparations you need to finish before students arrive. Spend some time creating a checklist of everything you wish to accomplish. Realize that it is much easier to get things done before the students arrive on their first day of class than after classes begin.

You should also spend a portion of your planning week getting to know the school staff and the teachers around you. Introduce yourself and let the teachers around you know that you are new to the school. Ask them for advice. Many times, teachers will share information that you will not receive from administration or others. Further, by building these relationships from the beginning, you can have people to turn to when problems arise.