Back to School for Teachers

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Notes from the Backpack Podcast


Back to School 2019

Back-to-School for Teachers

It’s Back-to-School season and PTA is committed to making the 2020-2021 school year a huge success for teachers and administrators. You make a positive impact in children’s lives every day, and your work and influence extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom.

Find innovative ideas and extensive resources to help you throughout the year. Our programs bring families, schools and communities together to build genuine relationships and support student success and their overall well-being.

Back to School for Teachers

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How PTA Can Help Teachers

Partner with parents who are invested in the achievement of children in your classroom and entire school. Here’s a list of ways PTA can support your efforts.

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Help Parents Make Sense of State Assessments

Parents at your school have questions about the new standards-aligned state assessments. Help them find answers with this toolkit and training and support from your state PTA.

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How to Talk to Families About ESSA

Parents haven't always been included at the decision-making table when it comes to their kid’s education. Here are six ways you should be engaging families as part of ESSA or any new education initiative (en español).

Bookmark these tools and resources to help you stay ahead throughout the school year.



Seven Ways to Welcome LGBTQ Families As Young People Head Back To School


The Human Rights Campaign has helpful tips for teachers to make sure classrooms are inclusive.

What Do You Say to ‘That’s So Gay’ & Other Anti-LGBTQ Comments?


This resource from the Human Rights Campaign shares important things teachers should say and actions they can take in response to anti-LGBTQ comments.

Human Rights Campaign



Questions & Answers

Teacher Asking a Question

How can I help advocate for causes important to my school?

Make your voice heard: take action and let congress know what matters! We make it easy to find and write to your officials.

How could I help our school put together an action plan for improvement?

Work with your local PTA to enroll your school in the National PTA School of Excellence program.

What are ways I can celebrate diversity and inclusion in my classroom?

Glad you asked! Throughout the year, you can celebrate in the classroom by following our Every Child in Focus calendar.



Classroom Help from Office Depot

Start the School Year Right: From School Supplies to Routines

Are you ready for the new school year? If you’re looking ahead to starting some new routines, you can check out our tips that can help you prepare to start the school year right.

Tips to Engage Your Students in Learning

Classroom rewards can help increase class participation and encourage your students to reach higher. Learn how to effectively utilize a reward system for your students.

Create a Clutter-Free Classroom

Keeping the classroom clean is a challenge when your focus is on educating young minds. If your clutter is out of control, here are a few simple ways to organize classroom supplies.

Inspiring Classroom Decorating Ideas

The decor of your classroom can help your students feel excited about coming to school each day. Here’s some decorating ideas that you and your students will love.

Reign in the Chaos: Organization Strategies for Classroom Supplies

Take advantage of a few simple classroom organization ideas to minimize the chaos that tends to take over many elementary school classrooms.

Creative Storage and Displays to Tame Classroom Clutter

Classroom organizers reduce the time it takes to look for papers and supplies. Here are some tips and tricks that will make it easy to find what you need.


Education News

Stay up-to-date on the issues that affect today’s children and topics to help build a deeper connection with families.

  • The Magic of Using Loose Parts to Learn New Cultures

    Our Children Magazine, September 23, 2018
    Try something different in the classroom this year. See how teachers can create simple environments that capture and honor their students’ identities through play and exploration.

  • What Happens When Meditation Replaces School Detention

    Our Children Magazine, January 18, 2019
    Some schools in Baltimore, Md., are practicing meditation instead of detention, and the results are changing students’ lives.

  • Get a Healthy Start on the School Year

    Our Children Magazine, September 19, 2016
    Being back in school means it’s also cold and flu season. Did you know that 38 million school days each year are missed due to the flu? Create a healthy classroom with these simple Healthy Habits from Lysol.

Who’s Who in School


Help families know who to go to in their school community with this fun activity. It will help build strong relationships throughout the school year! Also available in Spanish.


Teachers in PTA



Make Your Classroom Dreams Come True

Are your goals bigger than your budget? There’s a grant for that! We have grants and awards to support and celebrate your goals and new ideas. Check them out!


Awards & Grants

NEA Articles

Check out these articles from the National Education Association.

Parent-Teacher Conferences


Parent-teacher conferences can be stressful—for you and parents—but with proper planning and organization you can lay the groundwork for a productive relationship that will benefit your child. Explore these resources for advice on getting the most from your parent-teacher conferences.

Finding it for Free


Every year creative educators stock their classrooms when tight budgets leave little money for supplies. We asked teachers for their tips on finding free materials for the classroom. Check out these savvy educators' tips on scoring no-cost classroom resources.

Parents in the Picture


Schools that leverage parents’ relationships  can build networks of active parents. Need more ideas on how to do it? Read these examples on how to build partnerships with parents and volunteers that last beyond "Back to School Night."

The Overzealous Parent


Successful partnerships with parents are critical to student achievement, and are key in transforming public schools into true communities. There’s a catch, of course. For all those rewarding relationships, it’s likely that among each year’s pool of parents are the few who are, well, too involved. Find out how to take control with these tips and you'll win over those overzealous parents.


Back-to-School Navigation

PTA Leaders

 

Get all the templates and tools you need to make this a winning school year.

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Parents

 

Help your kids—and the whole family—get back in the school groove.

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Students

 

Use these resources to guide you to your best school year ever!

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Teachers

 

Try these ideas and tools to build genuine relationships with your families.

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