School Morning Routine

I have always believed that your mornings can set you up for success. This has been particularly true for my years teaching in the classroom and remains true as a tech coach and STEM teacher. I wanted to share with you my current morning routine when I get to school. I will also share some changes I have made this year switching to a tech coach role.

Tech Coach Morning Routine

The first thing I do when I get into my classroom is turn on my computer to allow it time to boot up. My school laptop tends to be sluggish in the morning so this is the first thing I do to get it warmed up while I continue my routine.

Next, I unpack my bags. I put my lunch in my mini-fridge and hang my coat. I will put away any items I have brought to school and if I left anything out I will clean off my workspace to start fresh.

After unpacking, I am trying to start my day by checking my calendar for meetings and identifying 1-2 main to-do items. I will update my daily schedule at this point as needed. I always write down my meetings and to-do list on paper and I leave this paper under my laptop stand so I see it all day.

By now my laptop is usually warmed up and I check email for any new tech support requests or last minute meetings. I will add these to my schedule and to-do list as needed. If there are tech emergencies I will handle those now. Learn more about how I plan for tech emergencies here. Once I attempt to clear my inbox I start on my to-do list.

Student Arrival

When we are in-person I offer Chromebook checkout for students who forgot their device and need one for the day. While I am waiting for students I will work on small paperwork tasks or replying to emails. If we are remote only I offer a coffee chat via Zoom for teachers to drop in and ask technology questions or drop in and chat. I have really enjoyed this. It gives me a chance to catch up with colleagues and answer individual questions. I love using the screen share in Zoom so teachers can show me exactly what they are seeing and I can guide them through the steps.

Before COVID, I would stand in the hallway with my coffee and greet students. I hope to be able to return to this since I have missed greeting students and the hugs each morning. However, wearing a mask makes it hard to drink my coffee so I have focused on other things this year.

Classroom Teacher Morning Routine

When I was a classroom teacher I did everything through checking my email. I would also check my messaging app for parent messages. While my computer was warming up I would also write our schedule on the board and just tidy up any thing in the classroom that needed it.

During arrival, I would stand in the hallway with my coffee and greet students as they came in. I would chat with colleagues and answer any student questions. My students always had morning work on their desk to complete after they unpacked.