September 7, 2023 · back to school
This wonderful piece by the inspirational Carla Shalaby: Are We Teaching Care or Control? inspired me to write about class contract creation. I prefer “class contract” or “community agreements” over saying rules as rules feel more draconian and compliance focused, while agreements or a contract as a community emphasizes how we are all working together and sharing accountability for OUR community and space. For a deeper discussion about compliance vs care, we’ve used The Wedding Portrait (listed below). I am out of the classroom for another year, so won’t be putting these ideas to work just yet. Here is a post from 2018 back in the days when Gabby and I were co-teaching: Creating Our Class Contract! Some essential components of class contract creation for me are hopes and dreams or some type of reflection and goal setting, multiple read alouds, and starting with students’ ideas about
back to schoolbeginning of the school yearcontract creation
August 18, 2023 · back to school
All photo credits from Goodreads.com It always feels like I (Nina) blinked and back to school is upon us again all of a sudden, but this summer time passed even faster than usual. I don't know how we are here already - it still feels like it should be July to me! And so many of my teacher/school friends are already back at work somehow. If you already started school or went back to work, hope you are having a smooth as possible start to the school year. This will be my second fall in a row out of the classroom, and while I have some adventures coming up that I’m excited about (more about that in a future post) and love the extra time with my little ones, it is always bittersweet as Teacher New Year is so exciting, nerve-wracking, and just so many emotions as once. I may not be planning back to school read alouds for my own classroom, but I’m still excited about lots of new books! Here
back to schoolbeginning of the school yearread aloudbook recommendations
September 1, 2022 · back to school
Back to school read aloud with a detailed roadmap on the board behind me. 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
back to schoolbeginning of the school yearresponsive classroom
August 25, 2021 · curriculum
A virtual example “Shelfie” my co-teacher made last Fall. ORGANIZATIONAL Online calendar template for planning: while paper planners are wonderful, this past year I realized having everything online helped me feel reassured and less helpless when we had to suddenly quarantine or wait for test results. It’s also less to keep track of and carry back and forth, and especially useful if you are co-teaching as you can easily share the document and track changes in real time. I personally use these online calendar templates and turn them into Google Docs, but many different formats or platforms would work depending on what is easiest for you. My co-teacher and I really like the commenting and tagging options on Google Docs. I would be lost without my calendars as they have EVERYTHING on there from basic lesson plans to students’ birthdays to my dentist appointment. Anecdotal notes: as
back to schoolonline toolsvirtual toolsname activitiesfamily involvement
August 9, 2021 · book review
Cover image from Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena, published earlier this year. While “teacher new year,” as I call the beginning of the school year, is normally my favorite time of year, I am having a hard time with the uncertainty surrounding the beginning of the school year and am still processing everything that happened last year. I’m sure many others are feeling the same way (including lots of our students!). However, it is August already, so back to school is around the corner. So I am thinking about books I want to read to my students at the beginning of the year or have read in years past as sharing books with kids is always something I enjoy, whether it’s done at a distance, virtually, or side by side! These are books that came to mind or that I’ve used in the past, but obviously the possibilities are endless. Hopefully this list will help you with some back to
booksread aloudback to school
August 14, 2020 · curriculum
Reading Sherman Alexie’s Thunderboy Jr. to my class a few Septembers ago! I (Nina) am preparing to go back to work after my extended maternity leave. This is shaping up to be an unpredictable and unprecedented school year, but I hope my students and I can still find joy in learning and getting to know each other. My school has decided that we will start the year fully remote, although we are small (and independent) so we are lucky to have an option of some in-person small group meetings to meet students and parents, do some technology training, and distribute materials at the beginning of the year. Conceptualizing distance learning has been challenging for me. In August of 2018, I wrote about some of my favorite ideas to start the school year and I am trying to think about how I can still do some of those activities with my students, maybe with a new twist! I try to think about the
back to schoolbeginning of the school yearcommunity buildingget to know youname activities
August 29, 2018 · curriculum
Setting up our classroom for the new school year! I know many teachers have already had their first day (or week) of school and I’m sure you had lots of wonderful activities, read alouds, get to know yous, and interactions planned. I am planning for my first day of school next week and reflecting on some of the activities I’ve used in the past that I know I want to use again. Here are some of my favorites: Name related activities : Name activities are the best. They provide an opportunity for you to learn about your students and ask them how they would like to be addressed in class. They also create a chance for you to share something about yourself while learning about students’ identities. Here are some of my favorites: Create your Name : this activity was inspired by SEED. Have your students create their name in a way that feels good to them, using whatever materials you have on
back to schoolsocial emotional learningcurriculumMath
August 17, 2017 · Uncategorized
Message from two students on the last day of school (names removed for privacy). As the beginning of the new school year approaches (or Teachers’ New Year, as I like to call it), memories and reflections from last year always pop up as we decide what we want to keep, adapt, and get rid of as we start anew. This year, Gabby and I are moving from teaching 5th grade to teaching 3rd grade, so the calculation is even more complex. The first way we close the year is by literally closing a book. We also finished our class read aloud, Walk Two Moons, on the very last day of school, which felt perfect - Walk Two Moons (if you haven’t read it, RUN and pick it up!) has a complex, multi-faceted ending with lots of emotions, just like the end of the school year. It also reminded me for the umpteenth time how much I love read alouds and how they are an essential teaching and learning tool, but also
back to schoolend of the yeartraditionscommunity building
August 26, 2016 · curriculum
We were so excited to visit the Alta Gracia factory and meet with employees! And we're back to continue our reflection on preparing for the upcoming school year. In this post we want to share with you some of the things we want to change for the upcoming school year. Change is constant, and we are excited to take it on, even as it brings some discomfort (and often a little extra work) into our lives. As Emily Style says, "Half the curriculum walks in the room with the students on the first day.." Which to us means that this list will most definitely get a whole lot longer and intricate as the year progresses! We are going to try… Mini-home groups: We already made a push to have affinity groups at our school. We now run an affinity group for 3-5th graders that we feel has brought so much life and love to our students of color. We love it so much that we have been wondering how to bring
back to schoolservice learningactivism
August 20, 2016 · Uncategorized
One of our class "pets" serving as an audience member while students practice their stories! It is that time again (ahhh how does it happen so fast?!) We know many of our fellow teachers and friends have already begun.. To those colleagues we wish you a joyful, honest, and growth-filled school year! This summer was full. On a global and national level, it was full of pain, confusion, and fear. There is also Olympic excitement. There are protests continuing on for the Dakota Access Pipeline… The list goes on. For us personally and professionally, the summer was full for those aforementioned reasons, and also because we traveled a lot, went to a few conferences, and listened a lot. We see summer as an integral part of educator reflection. As we head into the school year, we want to share with you the kinds of questions we ask ourselves to prepare for the amazing humans we will foster
back to schoolreflection