Source: 
At this very moment, our soon-to-be students are gearing up for the first day of school.
Some are working meticulously to put together the perfect, stylish combination of clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Others are fretting about which friends will in their classes and how strict their new teachers will be.
As an educator, I do my own kind of worrying about the beginning of the new school year. For example…how do I establish a businesslike, yet fun and engaging atmosphere? How can I get to know my students’ strengths, interests, and struggles? How can I foster effective communication with students and their families?
Like any teacher, I want to have everything up and running the moment the first kiddo walks through the door. With this goal in mind…here are a handful of tools for getting the 2017-18 school year off to a good running start.
Getting the Word Out to Students and Parents
Bloomz is another free mobile and web app that connects parents and educators in a secure, social, private environment. Parents sign up to be notified via SMS/TEXT messaging, and can read posts in their preferred language with one-click translations of 80 different languages.
Teachers can use it to help parents to sign up for volunteer events and message one or more individuals without sharing anyone’s cell phone number. It can also be used as an efficient way to manage and provide reminders for calendar events, such as parent-teacher conferences.
Beginning with the End in Mind
As teachers, we all want each school year to be better than the last. We want our class to be more organized and more efficient, and most importantly…to help our students attain success.
Doing so will require us to do a bit of footwork before the first bell rings. In the days leading up to the new school year, why not spend a bit of time exploring tools for streamlining lesson planning, connecting/staying in touch with students, and gathering information about how they learn? That way, we – and our kids – can hit the ground running.
To view the full article click here.