The Ultimate Back-to School Toolkit For Elementary Teachers

July 27, 2026•5 min read

The first weeks of school set the tone for the entire year. Before students arrive, there are three areas that can make the biggest difference in creating a smooth, successful school year:

Classroom setup
Parent communication
Teaching classroom routines

That's exactly why I created this free Back-to-School Toolkit.

Download the FREE Back-to-School Toolkit

Inside you'll get:

Classroom Setup Checklist

Parent Communication Log

4-Step Classroom Routines Guide

Download The Free Toolkit → The Ultimate Back-to-School Toolkit

5 Simple Classroom Setup Tips for Elementary Teachers

Let's start with your classroom setup. A thoughtfully organized classroom can make the first weeks of school much smoother. It supports classroom management, encourages student independence, and helps prevent problems before they begin.

1. Set Up Your Furniture First

Before organizing supplies or decorating, get your classroom furniture into its permanent locations. Student desks, your teacher table, bookshelves, and learning spaces where you want them. This creates the foundation for everything else you'll set up.

2. Student Supplies

Make sure you know which supplies your school provides before heading to the store. Preparing a simple list of first-week essentials ahead of time helps eliminate last-minute stress and keeps your classroom running smoothly.

3. Copies

Plan your lessons for the first week and make your copies ahead of time. You will thank yourself during those busy first days of school.

4. Bulletin Boards:

Decide which bulletin boards you’ll use this year and prepare the background paper, borders and titles ahead of time. Leave space to display student work and classroom learning throughout the year.

5. Designate a Beginning-of-the-Year Storage Spot

Pick out an out-of-the-way spot, maybe the top shelf of a cabinet, for your Beginning of the Year Storage Spot. Keep extra student supplies and one copy of each form you used the first week of school.

Want the Complete Classroom Setup Guide?

Discover more classroom organization tips, planning ideas, and strategies to help you feel prepared before students arrive.

Read the full blog → 5 Simple Steps For Setting Up Your Elementary Classroom

Once your classroom is ready, it's time to build strong partnerships with families. Positive parent communication during the first weeks of school helps establish trust and creates a foundation for a successful year.

5 Parent Communication Tips for Elementary Teachers

Creating a strong home-school partnership can make your entire school year run more smoothly. These five simple strategies helped me communicate more confidently with families while building trust from the very beginning.

#1 Make a Positive Parent Contact The First Week of School

During the first week of school, make a point to send a note, text or make a phone call with a positive observation for each student. When parents hear from you first about something positive, it builds trust and makes future conversations much easier.

#2 Use “I’m Just Letting You Know…”

Using a non-judgemental phrase when communicating with parents shows that you are keeping them informed about what is happening in the classroom, but you are not asking the parent to do anything. The situation has already been handled.

#3 Be The First One To Connect

Make it a point to be the first one to connect with parents the same day a situation has happened. I have found parents are much more willing to listen when they know the teacher is aware and handling a situation, rather than first hearing about it from the student.

#4: Keep Helpful Parent Communication Phrases Nearby

I was nervous the first few years of teaching when I called parents. So, to combat this, I created a list of phrases and kept it near my phone so I could glance at it during the phone. This strategy helped me keep the conversation on track and made sure I phrased things in a helpful way.

#5: Parent Communication Log

A Parent Communication Log helps you keep track of conversations, follow-up actions, and important information throughout the year. You'll find one included in the free Back-to-School Toolkit.

Want More Parent Communication Tips?

Learn additional strategies, examples, and communication ideas that help build strong partnerships with families throughout the school year.

Read the complete guide → 5 Parent Communication Tips For Elementary Teachers

With your classroom organized and strong family communication in place, the final step is teaching students exactly what your expectations look like.

Consistent routines help students become more independent and allow your classroom to run more smoothly from day one.

4-Step Strategy for Teaching Classroom Routines

The first weeks of school are the perfect time to teach classroom routines. When students know exactly what to do, your classroom becomes calmer, more predictable, and more independent.

One strategy I use every year is this simple 4-step strategy for teaching classroom routines. When students know your expectations, your classroom will run smoothly without interruptions.

Here are the steps for introducing a daily classroom routine:

Describe The Routine: Talk about what you expect this routine to sound like and look like.
Model: Show your students what the routine should look like. I also throw in a couple of examples that are not appropriate, so we can compare.
Students Model: Ask one-two students to model the routine. Then discuss briefly what went well and how this routine helps the class.
Practice: Practice as a class. Then talk about what went well, and if anything needs improvement.

Remember, routines aren't taught once—they're practiced consistently. I repeat this four-step process for every classroom routine during the first two weeks of school, and longer if my class needs additional practice.