5 Back to School 2020 Hacks for Under $10

This school year is going to be an adventure. Whatever you decide is best for your students and family- there are some suggestions that I’ve seen as a mom and teacher that I think are pretty applicable across the board- some back to school 2020 hacks. And they’re pretty cheap!

****PSA**** I have seen a TON of super cute ads on FB and Instagram for cute, and on sale, shirts, masks, and supplies for back to school. BUT if you scroll down a little and look at the comments, MOST of them have been scams. They might have a full website up, they might have a few comments about how great it is and how quick it ships, but then you see the comments warning you that it’s just a scam. They take your money but don’t ship you a product. Some are real, but others are not- so please be extra careful when you’re buying something from a social media ad.****

5 Things to Help Students This Year

1) A lanyard or clip for their mask.

Even if you’re staying home and social distancing the likelihood is that they will still need a mask for other outings and that you’ll still be concerned about them dropping or loosing it. Even if they are just taking it off in the car, this is a way to keep up with them.

This is my favorite back to school 2020 hack that I’ve seen. You can clip a lanyard to one side of a mask loop, use glasses lanyards or necklaces (you’ll need a rubber band or something to hook them together), or a carabeaner hook on a beltloop to help kids keep track of their masks all day long. Little iron on decals can help masks be distinctive as well. And have a clip on the outside of their backpack too so you both can see that it’s there at the end of the day.

2) Springy shoe laces, or shoes without shoe laces.

As an early childhood teacher, shoe tying is a competitive sport for me. HOWEVER, NO ONE wants to be tying shoe laces that have been dragged all over everywhere this year. I don’t want kindergartners or tenth graders tying untied shoelaces in the hallway this year, or even myself! Don’t worry about your little ones missing out on the shoe tying skill- it will come and there are tons of ways to practice without tennis shoes with shoe laces.

3) Individual labels

Labeling everything at the beginning of the school year can be a big pain- but sharing school supplies can be germy. There are easy ways to label your students stuff though! Some fun washi (not as sticky) or duct tape on their pens and pencils, some pre-made name tags on their notebooks, a label inside of their mask. It’s effort up front that hopefully will pay off. PS baby bottle labels are great for more than just water bottles, they’re super sticky! Homeschooling? Labeling folders and spots for things can be super helpful up front too.

4) Buckets and Routines for Masks and Dirty Clothes

Once they step inside the house from being outside- what and where do their mask and dirty clothes go?? You don’t have to recreate fancy new nooks for everything- grab a couple of buckets and bins from dollar tree. Really the ultimate back to school 2020 hack is to get the kids involved in the cleaning process and practice everything now. Think about ease and convenience, just like where you want important papers to go.

5) Extra Distractions

Regardless of what schooling direction you have chosen this semester, there is a very high likelihood that your student will be spending extra time at home, even if you’re homeschooling. And also a good chance that you’ll need a break and want to have something fun and special to pull out of the closet for those days. Fun sensory stuff, chalk, puzzles you can color, special activity books, unique craft projects, canvases, a new game, etc… Grab a couple of things now so you aren’t scrambling for them later and you might still have room in the budget later to get something additional if you need it. The best school 2020 hack is back up plans and flexibility.

*) Other Back to School 2020 Hacks

*Hydration is essential to staying healthy- make sure you have reusable water bottles that are EASY to clean.

*Start practicing routines and habits NOW.

*Figure out how you are going to check in with each other emotionally. This can be as simple as a daily verbal check in, or putting a few circles up on the fridge. Everyone gets a magnet and the circles represent things like “I’m having a great day”, “I’m a little grumpy, give me space”, or “I need hugs”.

*Headphones!!! And a few, cheap, back up pair for when they get lost are going to be essential for homeschool, virtual school, or in person school.

5 Things to Help Teachers this Year:
Some back to school 2020 hacks for teachers…

1) Individual Dry Erase Cases

I’ve been trying to think of things that I usually make centers, or pass around, that can be individualized. Using old DVD cases as dry erase cases is a great hack. Easy to make, portable, individual, and markers stay in their own cases. These can be used at home too!

2) Desk Indicators

Something on their desk that indicates when they need help, and something on your desk that indicates when you need them to wait to interrupt you. Like a little laminated stop sign, or a circle with one red side and one green. This is great for in person but also for parents who are working from home.

3) Special Spots

Individual spots for work and books that aren’t smooshed together. Lets all give another cheer for IKEA magazine holders and Dollar Tree buckets. You can find a lot of little things to help you with back to school 2020 hacks at both of those places.

4) Loose Routines

When things are uncertain, it’s nice to have some structure. It can be super loose, but having a visual schedule out can be reassuring- especially for little ones. Even if you’ve never been one to have a visual schedule- this year is a good time to try it! Search visual schedules on Teachers Pay Teachers- there are free ones. This helps to set up some natural boundaries and expectations.

PS- Try having something exciting every day and taking regular brain breaks! It doesn’t have to be over the top. For us this can be as simple as getting out the play-doh center to as complicated as going on a nature walk or making a dessert (probably not using food in the school buildings this year- but at home, this is always a winner).

When your kids are doing school at home just search brain breaks for ideas on how to break up your day and classes. Remember that even at school or work we don’t usually work multiple hours straight through, we all need little breaks and switch ups throughout the day. Shorter bursts of productivity are generally more productive.

5) Extra Supplies and Plans

Almost every day and week of my ten+ year span of teaching- I have needed a back-up plan. Having a bag or box with extra, ready to go activities is invaluable. And teachers can ALWAYS use and will appreciate extra supplies, *but please follow store guidelines, if they ask you only to buy one sanitizer- don’t try to buy extra*. Especially your classroom teachers this year since they won’t be able to use as many communal supply boxes as they usually do.

***Looking to bless a classroom teacher this year??*** teachers will need more generic supplies, as well as things like extra sets of headphones, Giftcards are also helpful- I think there will probably be a lot of extra DIY trips to Home Depot this year. They might need classroom sets of hooks, individual water bottles (no water fountain use), and other individual mini size things. For the teacher themselves- lots of lotion and other self care items.

*) Offer grace, support and encouragement

For yourself, for your students, for eachother. It doesn’t take much to brighten someones day. I’ve made up my mind to put in extra work to be a good encourager this school year. My first goal is to work on praise phrases (besides my typical ‘awesome’, and ‘great job’) because my students won’t always be able to see me smiling at them or naturally read all my body language.

Back to School 2020 Encouragement!

We keep hearing the word unprecedented for a reason. A LOT of this school year will be new stuff. If you’ve been your kids teacher before, if you’re just now becoming their school teacher, if you are teaching at school, or if your student will have teachers at school- we’re all going to need grace and encouragement this year. This Jon Acuff quote has been my anthem throughout quarantine. (PS-find his YouTube channel here)

“Pivot, don’t panic. A crisis will teach you something you might not have voluntarily learned on your own.”

Jon Acuff

Practicing what you teach is not always a pleasant experience, but we know how carefully our kids eyes are watching us (yes, even those older teens!). We’ve got to come together and do our best to pivot, be flexible, and not panic. I’m reminding myself of the things I’m always saying to my kids and students…

1. It’s OK to make mistakes. Try, try again.
2. You won’t be able to do something perfectly the first time.
3. It’s OK to feel big feelings.
4. Be kind.
5. If it’s not working, try it a different way.

It’s certainly not going to be an easy school year, we’re all going to be navigating some form of grieving. But there can also be some amazing things that come out of it. I’m already looking forward to smaller class sizes and more outdoor time. We’re all going to have to be flexible, positive, learners this year. It can make us better teachers, and possibly better humans- if we let it. I love this quote from Bethany Hamilton’s ‘Be Unstoppable’ Book (PS-check out our review of her documentary here!)

“We can adapt and thrive in this challenging world, and we can bring hope to others in their challenges.”

Bethany Hamilton

Remember at the beginning of a new class or semester- when you get the syllabus that plans the WHOLE semester and it feels overwhelming and impossible? That’s what all the guidelines and possibilities and change feels like to me right now. And just like any other school year, I won’t feel totally prepared and everything is not going to go how I planned it. But just like the other years- it will work out!! More than that, I’m willing to bet that there’s going to be awesome results that we couldn’t have planned or foreseen.

So cheers to getting back to the basics and being flexible learners. Cheers to the 2020 school year. And cheers to bringing hope to our students and each other! Our children are certainly worth the positive effort.

Check out these posts too:

–10 ?’s to Ask Besides ‘How Was Your Day?’

–25 Board Games We Love

-Biblically loving our communities well

–Lessons from Brene Brown’s Netflix Special- The Call to Courage

Have a great back to school 2020 hack that you want to share with us?!?! Leave a comment below! And if you found this article useful, PLEASE SHARE it on social media!

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