For many of us, July 4 marks a milestone in our summer.........."Oh, no! Summer's halfway over!" For quite a few of us, summer being over means psyching ourselves up by August 1, because we start teacher workshops/workdays around the middle of that month. (Some of us, such as band directors, hardly ever have a summer, but your schedule will still be different:-)If you've fallen into the habit of sleeping til 10 and staying up to watch Leno or Letterman, now's the time to get yourself back in the school mode, or you'll have some problems that first week.

If you go right up to the last minute keeping on a summer schedule, then suddenly school is thrust upon you (i.e., you wait until the one or two days your district provides before trying to get ready, or you keep up with strange hours), you might experience some of the following physical symptoms: headaches by the end of the day (from stress, lack of sleep, or lack of air conditioning), drowsiness, lack of alertness, irritability, or stomach problems. You haven't given your body the chance to adjust itself to new sleeping patterns, getting used to warm rooms, or different meal schedules. Add that to the stress of not getting everything ready beforehand-let's face it: most contracted work days just DON'T give you enough time!-and you're priming yourself for a miserable first week. Prepare yourself!

Prepare Yourself Physically

• Start by going to bed a little earlier each night and getting up a little earlier each morning. Oh, well, so you didn't get all the closets cleaned this summer. You can still squeeze in a few things, but you will regret it if you don't adjust your sleep pattern by a few days before school starts
• If your room is not air-conditioned, start spending a little more time in warm rooms. Go to school for a little each day, or spend some time outside. Gradually increase the time, and don't forget to increase your fluid intake!
• Start your exercise regimen to adjust to the times you would have to exercise during school
• Adjust your eating habits and meals to reflect what your pattern will be like during school.

Organize Yourself

• If you need any copies made, NOW'S the time to do it, if your office copier is available. Beat the mad dash for the copier during workdays. Same goes for the laminator. Big jobs can be taken to a place like Kinko's. And, copy ahead! If there are things you know you're going to need during the year, copy them now and have them filed away. Don't wait til the teachers abuse the machine, and it breaks down in October!
• Type up the masters of as many tests or worksheets as you can think of, and save to a floppy for future use. They can always be adjusted later, and you won't have to come up with a complete test in January.
• Outline your overall goals for the year, and break down your objectives by quarter or season
• Decide on your programs for this coming year. Order your music
• Spend one full day getting your room (or rooms) in order. Go ahead and put up the bulletin boards, posters, etc. (Of course, if you have to work around maintenance, that's another story. But, do what you can). You might hate giving up a "free" day now, but you'll thank yourself during the hubbub, where you can sit back and actually make lesson plans while the other teachers are still frantic.
• Search the Web for great ideas. (See the links pages for sources.)
• Check ALL your equipment (sound system, stereos, VCR's, computers) to make sure they're in working order. If not, what better time to have them repaired so that you might actually get them back by the middle of September before you might really need them? Also, figure out your back-up plan.
• If you bought new computer programs for your kids, play with them so you can tell the kids how to use them!
• Fix up your sub folder. You might not think you'll need a sub in September, but things happen! Check here for some ideas. Seating chart can always be done later, and it's not the most crucial thing in a sub chart.

Summer's Not TOTALLY Over

These ideas don't mean I'm saying you should totally give up summer! You still need to treat yourself, even after school starts! Keep going to your local city outdoor theater performances. Keep making trips to Six Flags. Treat yourself to a picnic. After school starts, be good to yourself on the weekends. The weather doesn't end just because school preparations are going on. You won't feel as stressed, or resentful, if you do.

What a surprise to your students when you walk in smiling, not groggy, not grumpy, but ready to go! AND, don't forget on those first few days of school (if you don't have A/C, or even if you do!), keep that water bottle handy!