Back to school checklist for SBMs
Back to school checklist for SBM
Now that the first few hectic weeks of back to school have passed, it is important for SBMs to ensure they plan their year ahead effectively for the school to run smoothly. There is still so much for SBMs to do and plan but it can be a struggle after a tiring couple of weeks back. At GLS, we understand this busy back to school period and are here to assist SBMs with planning the rest of the school year.
We have created a back to school checklist that SBMs can use as guidance now the first few weeks are done. Focusing on personal care which is often forgotten by many SBMs as we believe to be able to help schools, SBMs must look after themselves first. Followed by school things to do and others too to ensure the whole school and SBMs themselves, are prepared for the rest of the school year.
Free downloadable back to school checklist for SBMs
We have a downloadable back to school checklist for SBMs so that they can print off and check off once completed the various tasks. Download our back to school checklist here.
Personal care
As an SBM it is very easy to put the school first and become overwhelmed in copious amounts of workload. Here at GLS we think it is vital to have a reminder about yourselves and we want to ensure that SBMs all over begin to think about themselves too. We have a personal care checklist as part of the back to school checklist that SBMs should start to think about and strive to achieve the tasks.
These personal care tasks are only simple and easy to fit into busy schedules which is perfect for SBMs. Making small changes every day to look after wellbeing leads to a more productive work life as well as enabling SBMs to feel happier in their role. This part of the back to school checklist is crucial to work on every day. Begin your journey to better mental health and a happier working life by finding time to include these activities:
Make time for thought and reflection
Dedicating time in the day for thought and reflection is essential for SBMs. Doing this allows SBMs to see what has happened during the day or previous days, and how to make small changes to ease the situation and create less stress.
Take notes every day of what you have reflected on and store safely to look back on.
Listen to music
Try to squeeze in time to listen to music every day. Music is a very powerful tool when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. It aids to improve cognitive performance and helps to reduce stress. Plus, music boosts memory and task endurance which is key for SBMs. Music will guarantee to be an ultimate mood lifter and will clear busy minds to then focus on work.
Have a regular sleep every night
This task may seem like a tough one to stick to and work on as SBMs can struggle to ease their minds for sleeping. However, ensuring that you have a regular sleep every night has multiple benefits, mainly reducing stress and increasing productivity.
Racing minds and stressful days impacts on the ability to sleep. To help unwind, try taking a soothing bath whilst listening to music or a podcast. This relaxes the mind and allows it to focus on something other than work.
To assist you to stick to a bedtime routine, use a sleeping app or the alarm feature on your phone to set a bedtime and waking up time where an alarm will notify you.
Practice mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness is the ultimate stress reliever and can also lead to a stable, relaxed mindset. This is perfect to start incorporating into busy working days to clear your mind and help you to manage stressful situations in the future.
Mindfulness takes elements of stress away and turns negative feelings into positive ones, leading to a happier mental state.
The best way to try practicing mindfulness is by using the headspace app. This is perfect for SBMs as each session is in bitesize chunks that you can access at any time when needed.
Make time to go outdoors
Spending time outdoors helps reduce stress levels and lifts moods. It is important for SBMs to get fresh air during their busy days to improve their mental well-being. This could be a quick walk at lunch around the school grounds or a long walk once the school day is done. The outdoors assists with clearing the mind which SBMs need as the heavy workload can take a toll.
Schedule no electronics time
In this modern age, technology drives our lives and can negatively impact our moods. It is good for SBMs to schedule some time in the week or day to use no electronics. Whether you opt for a small amount of time after work or a full day when not working, scheduling no electronics time can lift your mood.
Social media can take a toll on everyone and often is a place where we compare ourselves to others which lowers our mental state. Taking a break allows SBMs to spend time with loved ones and banish worries or comparisons that they may find on social media. This leads to feeling more refreshed and having a positive relationship with electronics.
Take time to do something you like
SBMs often find themselves drowning in their work life and not spending time doing things they enjoy. To balance your work and personal life, and ultimately improve your mental health, schedule time to do something you like. This can be anything big or small. Doing this improves your mood as well as allowing you to take a break from work.
Hydrate (8 glasses of water)
Being hydrated is an essential way to help your mental health and wellbeing. Ensure that throughout the school day, you keep hydrated and drink plenty of water. Fit in the eight glasses of water a day recommendation to enable you to work efficiently as well as boost your mood.
To ensure that you drink the recommended amount of water per day, use a water bottle that you can take to work and even use at home.
For more advice on how to manage your mental health and wellbeing read our 2-part blog: tips for managing your mental health part one and tips for managing your mental health part two.
School things to do
For a successful school year, SBMs must plan out what needs to be done for the school. This can start to be done thoroughly as the first few weeks of back to school are done. It is difficult to plan the whole school year in the first few weeks due to the rush of being back, but now you can start to tick off that back to school checklist properly.
Make sure to include the following tasks to plan efficiently for your school:
- Plan activities for the first day/ week- something the whole school can do.
- Think of fun icebreakers for new children- plan this with your staff to stay on school brand and help children settle in.
- Create a new seating plan- work with your staff to ensure that their classrooms run efficiently.
- Plan out your vision of the classroom display- get involved in your teachers display plans and let them assist you for the school displays too.
- Introduce yourself to new staff- ensure that any new staff are welcomed by you.
- Label all classroom equipment- ensure your staff label their new equipment and even label them before you hand them out to each classroom.
- Organise your desk- ensure your working space is clean and tidy
- Make a hand washing station- set up hand washing stations around the school to keep everyone safe
- Review the year’s syllabus- see what has changed to ensure you can drive your staff in the right direction for teaching.
- Catch up on any new school procedures- remind yourself what has been decided to change and inform your staff immediately, so they are updated.
Other things to do
As an SBM it can be difficult to include everything for the preparation of the school year. Here at GLS, we want to make sure that you don’t forget the little things. Here’s a list of the other things to do that are important but often forgotten due to the hectic nature of the job role.
- Outline your goals for the year
- Organise your filing centre- tidy files reduces stress and helps find important information.
- Workout how you’ll manage your work/life balance
- Find new easy recipes for quick and easy lunches
- Plan out your personal routine
- Head outline for new ideas and strategies
- Buy a book for lunch downtime
- The night before work- get a good night’s sleep!
Back to school can be a very busy time for all SBMs, planning and preparing the school year is often difficult. Use our back to school checklist to organise the rest of the year now everything is slowly settling down in your school. Alleviate stress and worries and work more productively from taking time to organise the year.
