Beginning of the School Year Fun
Happy Back to School! I know many schools are starting early this year, so if you already started school, congratulations on making it through the first day/week(s)! The first couple weeks are always so incredibly draining. I am not in a classroom this fall for the first time in many years so I am missing the first day anticipation and exhaustion! I’ve always loved setting up my classroom and writing students’ names on everything.
Usually, I join my students in writing a letter to myself on the first day of school. It’s always fun to look back on and be surprised about your assumptions, emotions, thoughts, fears, and hopes. I also have shifted to asking students to share a moment of joy or deliciousness instead of something they did this past summer. It’s more inclusive and avoids isolating students who didn’t travel or don’t feel comfortable sharing. I often model by sharing about eating something I cooked or something a family member or friend cooked for me. It’s more relatable and starts a conversation about food which is of course always a win for me..
If you are still setting up your classroom (especially your library) or thinking about curricular materials/read alouds, here is your Reminder: Representation Matters! If you are in one of the many states restricting and threatening teachers, carefully chosen read alouds might be a subversive way to allow all students and families to feel comfortable in your classroom, but I know many schools or districts are grappling with increased book banning as well.
I know many teachers who are still feeling a lot from last year on top of navigating new laws, book bans, and so much more. Try to think about ways to joyfully connect with students and rejuvenate yourself. A fun game that led to a few minutes of students giggling often uplifted me to get through another day of hybrid learning during the first year of the pandemic. Remember it’s important for kids to connect with each other as well. Building community is always key, but even more so this year after all of this isolation and disruption of the past few years.
One easy win is to get students’ names and faces up in or around your classroom as soon as possible. I like to have students “create their name” and take photos of them with their name creation on the very first day of school, then print the photos and put them on our bulletin board. It has some many benefits: it makes me feel happy, is great for visiting families to see (if you have an in person back to school night this year), and most importantly, helps students feel ownership over the classroom space. Name creation is also a high success activity to help students settle into being back at school.
When we went back to school last fall, students were really struggling to get through the full day for the first few weeks. We would consult and realize we needed to have quiet time to help them calm down and keep it together until dismissal. Often 5-10 minutes of quiet time after lunch or recess will end up saving a lot of teaching and learning time in the long run as it minimizes redirection later. My students loved the peaceful music and the freedom to choose any quiet activity they could do independently at their desks.
One other tool that always helped me is roadmaps and checklists. They are always helpful, but especially when settling into new routines and getting used to being back in school. I had a student who really struggled to stay engaged and kept asking what would happen next and when it was time for recess or lunch, so I gave him a personalized schedule in a whiteboard pocket so he could keep track himself and check off each class period when it was completed. He loved the tool and stopped asking for constant updates and was able to enjoy whatever was happening once he was freed from the anxiety of not knowing what to expect.. At the very least, writing a “roadmap” detailing each step of the lesson/period on the board helps me stay on track! It is also so useful for co-teachers or anyone else who comes into your classroom. My third graders loved reading the roadmap, checking things off, and adding something celebratory at the end if we finished (who doesn’t love a 30 second dance break?) all our tasks. They also loved when I had acronyms or used previously taught vocabulary words so they felt “in the know” and could explain what something meant to visitors. They also knew we would start every single lesson together by reading the roadmap and that routine really worked for them. It’s a great way to model organization, goal setting, and planning.
Wishing all teachers and students a joyful and peaceful start to the school year (or as close to one as possible for you). I hope you find some moments of humor and are kind to yourself during this exciting and intense time. Happy Teacher New Year!