Back to School Resolutions {2014}

I haven't posted my Back to School Resolutions in a few years, so I thought I would post some of my Back to School Resolutions to help keep myself accountable!

School started exactly 1 month ago, and it has been a crazy busy month!
 

I think setting some goals/resolutions will help me be a better mom, wife & teacher this school year!

The beginning of the School year always feels like a fresh start, so now is a great time to set some goals! 

Here is what I have:

1.  Be in bed at 10:30 each night. I was going to say 10:00 but I am being realistic, it usually closer to 11:00 than 10:00. I have gotten much better. In years past, I was rarely in bed by midnight on school nights.

The next few resolutions #2 through #7 are taken from my "Not So Manic Monday" post {HERE}

2. Lay out my outfit & jewelry each night so that the mornings aren't so rushed.

3. Make & pack my lunch the night before (on days that I eat lunch at school)

4. Make coffee at night & use the automatic timer in the morning (Kevin always does this, thank you Kevin!)

5. Meal plan on Sundays so that I have our dinners figured out for the week.

6. Lay out the kids clothes/backpacks/lunches each night before bed.

7. On Sundays, I want to finish laundry & house cleaning for the week so that I start the week with a clean house.

I do pretty well with 2 through 7 during the first part of the week, but as the week goes on, sometimes things get CRAZY and by Thursday things feel chaotic & disorganized. I am
As a working mom with 3 kids, I need to keep myself organized so that our home can run as smoothly as possible, but trust me, things get crazy at times! 

My back to School Resolution for 2 through 7 is to keep this up during the whole entire week, not just the first part of the week!

8.  Shower at night so that mornings aren't so rushed. 

I don't know what it is about our house, but mornings are just nuts! If I shower at night right before bed then it somehow makes the morning go more smoothly.

I am NOT a morning person. At all. Waking up before 7am is painful for me. I am a night owl. No matter how early I go to bed, I just can't wake up early. Nor do I want to! Ha! Hats off to you early risers. I am not one of them. I would rather stay up until 1 or 2 am getting things done than wake up early. 

9.  Leave for school by 7:45 am  

(I only live 1 minute from my school and school starts at 8:15, so I want to be better about leaving earlier so I have time in the morning to chill/check school emails in my classroom before students arrive)

10. Make sure I am eating properly.

I don't know what it is with the first month or so of school, but I always forget to eat breakfast. I keep boxes of Luna bars in my desk at school, but I get so busy that I forget to eat them until 10 or 11. Then I get so busy picking up Claire at noon and Luke after that, then we get home around 1 and I put him down for a nap & get Claire her snack and the next thing I know it's almost 2 and I haven't had lunch yet. I need to get better at eating breakfast earlier and having healthy snacks accesible so that even if I don't have lunch until later I am not starving & hangry! Anybody else this way?!?

11. Stay on top of my grading.

Again, I do well with this the first month or so of school and then it starts to pile up. I have a rule that I won't bring any grading home. I like to keep my school stuff at school so that when I am home I can be present with my kids & help them with their homework, etc. That is the balance of working part time. I only teach in the morning because I want that time with my kids in the afternoon, so I want to be able to keep all school stuff at school. But this year, now that Claire is done at 12:15, I don't have as much time at school to prep & grade since I have to pick her up on most days. This first month of school I have been working like a crazy lady while I am at school trying to get things graded & prepped for the next day before I leave.

12. Get my email (school and personal) under control.

My email is a disaster. I won't even tell you how many emails I have in my inbox. I just can't keep up with email. I will do well with it & then I get behind on it. Ahhhhh!!! I am good with my school email because I have a rule that I will email parents/students back within 12-24 hours, but my personal email needs some serious help. Anyone have tips for staying on top of email?

13. Have a homework system in place for the girls.

Both girls have homework this year. They are so tired when they get home from school, but at the same time, they still need to get their homework done & not save it until the evening.

I am thinking that I will have Claire do hers while Luke is napping (and while Kate is still at school) and then after we pick up Kate at 3, we will have a snack and then I will make her start her homework. I just need to figure out how to keep Claire & Luke occupied & out of her way so they don't distract her. Tips anyone?!?

14. Help out in Claire's class or go on a field trip.

Last year I was able volunteer in Kate's class 2 times each month with math tiles because it was in the afternoon and Claire was in afternoon TK last year and my sister watched Luke while I helped out in Kate's classroom. This year, I am also able to help in Kate's classroom 2 times a month with math tiles because it's in the afternoon and my mother in law is able to watch Claire & Luke. But, I feel bad for Claire because she is in morning Kindergarten and goes the same hours that I teach. Therefore, I am not able to help out in her class this year. She REALLY wants me to help out and she knows that I help out in Kate's class, so I am trying to figure out what to do about this since she feels left out. The girls LOVE it when I help out & I think is it so fun.  I am planning on taking a day off this year to go on one of her field trips and maybe I need to take a day off to help out in her class as well.  #workingmomproblems

15. Enjoy the School Year.

I always start out the year with a pretty good attitude .But, as the school year goes on, I get tired and the kids get tired. By the Spring, I am counting DOWN for Summer. I want to try and keep my positive attitude for the whole year. I do enjoy teaching and I do feel I am called to teach, but sometimes, it is hard. Really hard. Dealing with 130 middle schoolers each day isn't the easiest job there is...and on top of that, I am teaching them math....which everybody loves....hahaha! I am naturally a positive person, so I want to keep that up even when things get rough!

 Anyone else have Back to School Resolutions?

I would also love to hear YOUR tips about staying organized during the School year!