First year secondary teachers, congratulations on your first teaching job! There is a lot to do to prepare for the year beyond curriculum stuff. You need to think about the following:

• Will you accept late work? If yes, under what conditions?
• How will you make sure students receive and turn in makeup work?
• How will students turn in assignments?
• How will you organize the papers that you need to grade, enter in the grade-book, file, document, or hand back?
• What are your classroom rules? Consequences for breaking the rules? Rewards for following them? How will you keep track of consequences and rewards?
• How will you deal with cellphones, smartwatches, tablets, etc.?
• How will you manage classroom supplies?
• What about your restroom policy? How will you handle students request to leave the classroom?
• How will you document and track frequent behavior issues or missing/incomplete work?
• How will you keep track of parent contact?
• How will you keep track of RTI you have implemented?
• How will you document accommodations or modifications that you have followed for students receiving such things?
• What is your cheating policy?
• What is your routine for starting class? Will you have a bell ringer activity? What about a routine for ending class? Will you have an exit ticket?
• Create a substitute binder or folder and put together emergency sub plans for times when you are unexpectedly too sick to come in.