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My favorite end-of-year teacher tip I learned from my first team was to build a first week of school box while packing up your room. It’s one of those simple things I would have never thought of that makes back-to-school so much easier!
In this post, I’m breaking down what goes into my first week of school box and why each item matters.
Prefer to watch instead of read? You can watch the full video here.
Table of Contents
What is a First Week of School Box?
A first week of school box is a box that you make yourself for your first week of school. Back to school hits and this is the box you pull out.
First you will need some kind of box or container. Over the years, I’ve upgraded to a nice storage container, but I definitely started off with just a plain cardboard box. You do not need anything fancy. This is really about having everything in one place and ready to go come back to school season.
What Time Frame Does The Box Cover?
My first week of school box is really a first two weeks of school box, because I’ve included things for myself for the first week of teachers back to school, as well as the actual first week of school.
I go in order of what I need, and everything lives in this one box. A first week of school box holds everything you need for:
- Teacher back-to-school prep week
- Meet the Teacher night
- Classroom setup
- The first week of school
- Planning
- Materials
- Copies
- Systems
It’s one place for everything so you’re not scrambling or having to open 5 tubs just to find your stapler.
Teacher Back-to-School Prep Supplies
The first thing I always need when I get back to school are the items I will use to create my bulletin boards.
Bulletin Board & Display Tools
- Stapler
- Staple remover
- Double-sided tape
- Painter’s tape/tacks
- Amazing Work Coming Soon Posters
If I already know my bulletin board themes, I also pre-print letters, decor, and materials and put them in bags inside the box so they’re ready to hang.
My Meet the Teacher Folder
I keep a folder with all my Meet the Teacher materials:
- Postcards
- Year overview
- Planning sheets
- Notes
- Prep lists
- Photo Props
Family Forms & Communication
- Meet the Teacher letters
- Questionnaires
- Volunteer forms
- Transportation forms
Some schools provide these, some don’t. I keep master copies just in case. And once you’ve been at a school, you know what you need and what you don’t.
First Week of School Planning Materials
First Week Plan
The first thing I pull out is my first week of school planning page. This is where the full first week plan lives. I do go ahead and prep this at the end of the previous year.
Anything on that plan gets:
- Copied
- Pulled (think books and craft supplies)
- Prepped
- Added to the box
Student Activities & Read Alouds
I prep and store:
- Read aloud books
- Get-to-know-you activities
- First-day materials
Copies & Send-Home Items
- Coloring sheets
- All About Me pages
- Craft pages
- Student bags
- Papers I’ll send home or that go in folders
Systems That Run In the Background
Birthday Prep Materials
I love to be prepared because I’ve had student birthdays fall in the first week of school. I get together things like:
- Birthday treats
- Birthday balloons
- Pencils or straws
- Birthday list sheet
- Birthday bulletin board
When I get my class list, I just write birthdays and I’m done.
New Student Kits
I keep gallon bags for new students that include:
- Name tags
- Cubby tags
- Numbers
- Crayons
- Folders
When a new student arrives, I’m not scrambling. Everything is ready. I just pull out the bag and everything I need for a new student is inside.
Team and Personal Touches
Team and Teammate Gifts
Each year, I prep small teammate gifts. This year, I’m doing socks with a printable tag. Everything is printed, cut, and ready. All I have to do is add the gift.
A Gift for My Future Self
My last item is a gift for myself.
It might be:
- A note
- A snack
- Earrings
- A headband
- A small surprise
Nothing that melts, because AC is off all summer. I love coming back and finding something I left for myself.
How to Build Your Own Personalized First Week Box
You won’t know exactly what to include until you’ve been through a back-to-school season.
After each year, I update my list:
- What did I scramble to prep?
- What did I forget?
- What did I wish I had ready?
I add it to my list and save it for the next year.
That’s how the box gets perfected over time.
Final Thoughts on a First Week of School Box
This box saves:
- Time
- Stress
- Decision fatigue
- Mental energy
You walk in.
Open the box.
Start.
For more classroom teacher tips, check out these posts:
Save These First Week of School Box Ideas
Save this post so you can come back to these first week of school box ideas at the end of the year when your brain is fried and your classroom is half in boxes. Just pin it to one of your favorite teaching boards on Pinterest. That way, when back-to-school season rolls around, everything you need to prep smarter, not scramble harder, is right there waiting for you.
