Articles

  As seen in The First Six Weeks of School, 2nd edition!  “Peanut Butter, Grape Jelly” Peanut butter, grape jelly, peanut butter, jam Peanut butter, grape jelly, peanut butter, jam Peanut butter, grape jelly, peanut butter, jam I like peanut butter, yes, yes ma’am [Optional: repeat the lines above, substituting…

  In the first week of my teaching career, I had a colleague say to me, “You get only one chance to start the year off in a good place – if it starts off wrong, it will stay wrong.” As a new teacher, this statement really impacted me. I…

In June 2020, the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company released “COVID-19 and Student Learning in the United States” a report that outlined the alarming potential impact of school closures on learning. The report’s results were based on statistical models for school reopening timelines given three different epidemiological scenarios. In…

As the school year draws to a close, you’re probably thinking about ways to keep students engaged in their learning during the last weeks of school. But now is also a good time to reflect on the successes and challenges of the school year and consider how you’ll begin the…

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…

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 first day would be a disaster. But then, when the first day actually came, something happened that completely…

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 have many happy first day memories, including a funny story from my first day of teaching kindergarten.…

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, successful day—for my students and myself. Once I became more experienced, I pared down my first day plans…

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 and how thoughtful we need to be from the moment we meet them. Carol, the author, respectfully questions…

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 once they feel more comfortable, you can expect them to begin testing the rules, and you. Use your…

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. Answer: For the first few weeks of school, all children and adults wear name tags. During these early…

For students, teachers, and parents alike, few events bring more hope and nervousness than the start of a new school year. As the summer winds down, many teachers begin to have conflicting feelings about the year ahead. We’re at once curious about our new students and daunted by the challenge…

An exciting way to introduce classroom materials and learning areas slowly, safely, and with a sense of ownership and fun As eager kindergarten students enter the classroom on the first day of school, they see chairs and tables, a paper towel machine, a row of hooks for backpacks, and shelves…