Back to School with Children’s Books

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 foundation is…
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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 we’re having…
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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 vary enormously…
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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 of a…
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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 grade. My…
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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 names goals…
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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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