Back to School Shopping Free Printables for Teachers

First Day of School Teacher Gift Tag

Do you need a new computer? My middle schooler has been using a very old computer that barely works. I knew we needed to purchase a new computer very soon so I have been doing tons of research, trying to find the perfect computer for him. While doing my back to school shopping last week, I was so surprised when I saw HP computers for sale. I stopped to talk to a sales associate and I was so impressed by the great prices and the wide variety of models to choose from. All the HP computers might not be at your local Walmart, so be sure to look online as well. You can even order a computer online and then pick it up at your local Walmart store.

Back to School Shopping for a New Laptop

I chose the new HP Pavilion Notebook Model #15-AU020WM, a wireless mouse, and a power strip, and also some really cute school supplies, all at Walmart. I love so many things about this computer. But before I give this computer off to my 7th grader, I had so much fun making some really easy teacher gift tags.

My 7th grader will be using this computer every day at school and it will help him stay organized and hopefully produce his best work in all his classes. My favorite features of this computer are:

Long battery life (at least 7 hours per charge).
Gold color is stylish and also very thin and lightweight (just over 4 pounds!).
Incredible audio experience for videos and movies by Bang & Olufsen.
Excellent features to help my son be creative and achieve more with this computer.

Today I want to help you get your Middle Schooler ready to go back to school. I will walk you through, step by step, how to take advantage of the last few weeks of summer. Also, I will share with you a free printable so you can make a simple gift for your student to give to his or her new teachers. Start the year off on the right foot with a sweet treat for your teacher.

Buy your new HP Computer before school starts. You need to set up everything and make sure your student knows how to use it. You also might want to put on some parental controls and make sure those are working as well. Don’t leave your computer purchase to the last minute! Learning and practicing on the computer takes time. Make sure you also buy other important necessities like a power strip and a wireless mouse. You want to be fully prepared for school way before it actually starts!
Practice typing! Your child might be using their first personal computer. Learning how to type is the key to success. Practicing typing during the summer is fun and can be a really important way to spend your summer vacation. Your child will be thankful that it will not take them hours to type up a paper. We enjoy www.typingpal.com but there are many other options as well.
Set up a quiet workspace for homework. Your middle schooler is ready to show some independence. No more homework at the kitchen table! Middle school students need a quiet space to concentrate, do homework, and plug in their computer to recharge after school. If you set up a quiet area for your child to work in, you will be impressed with their results!
Buy your school supplies early and buy some to donate too. Do not leave school supply shopping to the last minute. Stores are sold out and the lines are super long. (Trust me, we did this one year and we could not find anything on our list (the green folder I am thinking of you) and we wasted an entire day looking for supplies. Buy a few extra supplies and maybe a backpack. All the banks and offices near me are collecting extra school supplies to give to children in need. You can start teaching your children to give back at a very young age. Do a good deed while buying your school supplies this year, buy a few extra for a child in need.
Take pictures of acceptable school outfits for school. Your middle schooler might be a fashionista and know how to put together an outfit better than you do. Getting dressed in the morning is more difficult for some kids. My son puts together some crazy outfits. I take photos and print out lots of acceptable outfit combinations for him and I put all of the photos inside his closet. When he wakes up in the morning to shower, he looks at the photos and chooses an outfit and then gets himself dressed. This will minimize the morning arguing and will keep him from going back upstairs to change his clothes.
Move the bedtime earlier starting 2 weeks before school starts. In my house, an early bedtime is a joke during the summer. The kids can sleep in until noon so they stay up way too late. But school is coming and early wake-up times are quite hard to handle when you are exhausted. If you start moving up their bedtime only 10 minutes per day over the 14 days until school starts you should be right at a good bedtime. My middle schooler has been going to bed at 11 pm but I really want him to go to bed at 9 pm for the school year. 14 days before school starts we make bedtime 10:50, then 13 days before school bedtime is 10:40 and so on. It really works!
Discuss expected behaviors on electronic devices and on the computer. You might even ask your middle schooler to sign a tech contract. Be ready to discuss the dos and donts of having a personal computer and or a phone. Have your student sign a contract with you and make sure that your expectations are followed and what the punishments are if they are not followed. The contract should list all of this information very clearly.
Create some cute gifts for your new teachers. Your child will be nervous to go back to school and meet all new teachers. A great way to help them break the ice is to print these adorable printable teacher gift tags. You can attach this printable to a mug, mason jar, travel coffee cup, or like I did to a small bottle. Fill it with candies or cookies. Homemade or store bought, it doesn’t really matter. It is the sweet sentiment that is important.

I hope you feel ready to make the most of the rest of your summer vacation. Take the time to get yourself organized and use your time wisely! Think about how prepared you will feel the day before school starts.

Make sure you check out all the awesome computers that are offered at Walmart at this link. You can also see all the creative ways to explore HP Computers with #BTSwithHp. Leave me a comment below, what is one way you make sure your kids are ready for school?