I started setting up my classroom a few days ago, and of course I was thinking about the first days of school, but what really guided my decisions was a vision of what my classroom would be like about ten weeks from now. By then I expect the room will have that certain "hum." It's hard to describe this hum—it's as much a feeling as something you hear or see—but I know it when it happens. That hum is a sign that everything has come together: we've built a strong sense of classroom community and the children have mastered the everyday routines that make things run smoothly.
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