Reading aloud can be a powerful way to build community and shared understanding at the beginning of the school year. My classes and I used to laugh and talk all year about the picture book Table Manners by Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunsky, and the first chapter book we read together, The Year of Miss Agnes.
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AUG
30
2011
A New Teacher’s First Day
I was so nervous as I prepared for my first year of teaching! I worried that the kids wouldn't listen, their parents would think I was too young to teach, and the…
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AUG
22
2011
First Day Memories
I never loved the first day of school. My teaching depended so much upon knowing my students, and until I got to know them, I never felt entirely comfortable.Having said that, I do…
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AUG
18
2011
On the First Day, Less Is More
When I started teaching, I always planned way too much for the first days of school. It took me a while to learn to make the first day of school a comfortable,…
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JUL
19
2011
The First Six Weeks of School
The early weeks of each new school year offer teachers distinct opportunities and challenges. It is during this time—when expectations and routines are established, rules generated, and goals articulated—that the Read More…
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DEC
28
2010
Setting Good Goals
"My goal is to get into shape this year.""My resolution for this year is to get to know my students better.""I want to do more professional reading this year.""My goal is to…
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DEC
13
2010
Getting Invested in Routines
One key to success with routines is helping students understand that by following routines, they make their classroom and school a better place to be. When students understand this, they're more likely…
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NOV
29
2010
Interactive Modeling: Responding to a Signal
A step-by-step example of how it might look and sound for a teacher of older students to use interactive modeling. 1. Describe a positive behavior you will model “Sometimes when Read More…
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OCT
19
2010
Could This Be Your Classroom?
"... the first six weeks were rich with modeling, practicing and defining our class community and expectations. Children rose to the challenges and pulled together to be their best. We proudly celebrated…
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SEP
21
2010
Teachers’ Hopes and Goals
In the hustle and bustle of the beginning of back-to-school time, have you thought about your goals for learning and growth for this year? I recently talked with a principal who was planning…
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SEP
16
2010
Read-Alouds for Rule Creation
Classroom rules work best when students understand why rules exist and how rules will help them, as individuals and as a group. I have found several children's books over the years that…
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SEP
09
2010
Books for Back-to-School: School Poems
I’ve been having fun writing about books for the first few weeks of school, and today I have another collection of poems to share: Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other…
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SEP
07
2010
Clean Slates
This summer I spent a week working with a group of teachers in Denver who are embarking on an amazing adventure together. They had come from all over the country to teach…
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SEP
03
2010
I Want to Be a Dentist!
For teachers who use the Responsive Classroom approach, talking with students about hopes and dreams (or hopes and goals) is a key activity during the first weeks of school. This discussion launches…
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AUG
25
2010
Read-Alouds to Inspire Hopes and Dreams
By now you probably know how much I love children's books! Here are some that would be perfect for launching a discussion of hopes and dreams—the first step in the Responsive Classroom…
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AUG
16
2010
Read-Alouds for the First Day of School
The other day Jen Audley sent me a link to a blog entry about the first day of school that really got me thinking about the children who come to our classes…
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AUG
06
2010
Books for Back to School: Falling Down the Page
I love visiting bookstores, especially children’s bookstores, when I’m traveling. This summer, while I was on the road for work, I discovered lots of new books. (Truth be told, I also spent…
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DEC
31
2009
Revisiting Hopes and Dreams in the New Year
Reflection and goal-setting are often a focus for adults in January, when the beginning of a new calendar year prompts us to think about what we've accomplished and what we hope to…
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SEP
24
2009
Class Yellow Pages
Here's a beginning-of-the-year project that helps classmates get to know each other by "advertising" their strengths:Each student thinks of things they are good at in school and could help other students with.…
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AUG
18
2009
New Teacher’s Toolkit: First Days
From the day school starts, you'll probably have about a three day grace period when most children are going to be on their best behavior. After that they'll start to relax, and…
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AUG
01
2009
Knowing All Our Students: An Interview with Caltha Crowe
In your book Solving Thorny Behavior Problems, you write about teachers getting to know their students. Why is this so important, especially for children with behavior and learning challenges? Children Read More…
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AUG
01
2009
Interactive Modeling: Putting away test materials
A step-by-step example of how it might look and sound for a teacher to use interactive modeling. 1. Name the goal. State it as a positive behavior. “At the end Read More…
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APR
01
2009
My Hope and Dream for You
A few weeks before school ended last year, I wrote my fourth grade students notes stating a “hope and dream” for each of them as they moved on to fifth Read More…
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NOV
01
2008
A Fresh Start Leads to Learning
Last year's class, my twenty-third, was the most challenging of my teaching career. Most of the students were quite young for fifth grade, and several had a history of severe behavior problems.…
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AUG
01
2008
Hopes Make Goals Come Alive in a Speech & Language Classroom
Setting and working toward goals with students is a key element of my work as a speech/language pathologist. Each student I work with has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which Read More…
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AUG
01
2007
Learning Names At the Start of the Year
Caltha Crowe retired in June after 35 years of teaching. Most recently, she taught third graders at King’s Highway Elementary School in Westport, Connecticut. She is a certified Responsive Classroom consulting teacher.
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FEB
01
2006
Hopes, Goals, and Classroom Rules
On a winter afternoon, a group of third graders has settled down for a class discussion. Their teacher, Nancy Kovacic, holds the book the children made last fall—pictures and words embodying their…
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