5 Practices for the first few weeks of school
It’s that time of year when you walk into the room and the scent of freshly sharpened pencils and the promise of unchartered territories permeates the air. The time when fresh notebooks crackle with elaborate doodles and curiosity fills the room. The time when you get a chance to set the stage, turn stories into lessons, written assignments into works of art, and watch scholars blossom into the stars of their own learning journey. So, pull back the curtain and step onto the stage for an epic educational journey. Hold on! Before you dive head first into the magical rollercoaster of education thrill ride, don’t forget to apply these 5 practices to your classroom within the first few weeks of the new school year.
Start with a “Getting to Know You” activity. Building relationships with your students is a foundation of effective education. Connections extend beyond instruction and involve forming an environment of trust, respect, and communication. Investing time and effort toward getting to know your students helps to create a comfortable space for learning, and supports your teaching practices to meet the individual needs and interests of each student. You can also use some of their interests when developing lesson plans; but that’s a different article (wink, wink). Just like you’re getting to know your students, don’t be afraid to open up and let the students learn a little about you.
Have a discussion about the rules and consequences. Devoting time at the beginning of the year is crucial for maintaining a positive classroom environment. Establishing a foundation and clear expectations promotes respect, teamwork, and a healthy space for everyone to learn and develop. Provide an opportunity for students to engage in a discussion about the importance of rules and their contribution to the classroom environment. It is equally important to discuss the consequences that relate to the rules. Frame the consequences as a natural outcome of choices and actions or causes and effects. Remember to incorporate grade-level appropriate rules, consequences, and scenarios. Set the stage to pave the way for a successful academic school year.
Take a tour of the classroom. This is the fun part. Touring the classroom sets the tone for the year and helps establish a sense of belonging and community. Think of it as show and tell. Gather the students to a central meeting place, such as the carpet, and explain that they will engage in a tour to become familiar with the different areas in the classroom and resources that will be used throughout the year. As you facilitate the tour, point out the key areas like the library, supply station, writing center, etc., and how they can access and utilize them. Emphasize the importance of the different spaces and the learning journey they are about to embark on. During the tour encourage students to ask questions, as they will definitely be curious!
Model your routines and procedures. Establishing clear and consistent routines for a positive learning environment can the tone for the year. Explicitly demonstrate each routine or procedure in kid-friendly, bite-sized information. Articulate the purpose of each and how it contributes to the organization and efficiency of the classroom. Use verbal and visual supports to ensure students have a good idea of each routine and procedure. You can also use students as actors and actresses when introducing and practicing the routines. I guarantee, they’d love to be a part of the drama. Some of the routines and procedures you may want to practice are:
How do I sit like a scholar at my desk?
How do I sit like a scholar on the carpet?
How do I ask for materials?
How and when do I ask my teacher questions?
How do I line up to transition out of the classroom?
How do I stand in line in the hallway?
The stations suggested in Practice #4.
How should I play during recess?
Can I eat lunch wherever I want?
What am I doing while the teacher reads aloud to the class?
How do I write a heading on my paper?
I finished my work, now what?
When and where do I turn in homework?
Of course, not all of the routines and procedures you will cover throughout the year are listed above, but they are the most frequently used. One golden rule to remember, never assume students received and understood the information the first time it was presented. Be prepared to practice repeatedly over the next several weeks.
Set up reading and/or writing notebooks. This notebook(s) is an invaluable tool that should be used to foster and develop students’ literacy skills. The students will refer to it several times during the school day and throughout the school year. You should establish a clear distinction between their literacy notebooks and other content notebooks. Personally, I prefer for students to have a separate reading and writing notebook. However, I’ve seen combined literacy notebooks that work just as well. Within the reading notebook, develop a table of contents to include the story or objective of the week and the page it can be found on. Make sure students number their pages, and you’ll need to decide if you want them to write on the front and back of the pages or not. Separate the writing notebook in half. One half should be used for grammar skills and the other half used for brainstorming ideas, writing drafts, editing, and revising. It’s your choice to include a table of contents or not for the writing notebook.
It is important to provide guidance on how to use these important tools effectively. This means teaching them how to organize their learning by modeling with your teacher journals. You’d be surprised by the number of students in elementary schools who use their journals as a reference tool when it’s organized.