Key points:
- A positive classroom culture helps students feel safe to learn and grow
- Room to grow: Creating a classroom culture built for success
- How we designed a space where students connect, collaborate, and flourish
- For more news on classroom culture, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub
There’s a wise quote that says, “Kids don’t care about your expectations until they know you care about them. Connection is the foundation everything else stands on.”
As an educator, I firmly believe this to be true. Students decide very quickly when they walk into a classroom whether that space feels safe, calm, and worth engaging with. The attitudes and impressions they form this week of school will go on to direct their actions for the rest of the year. That’s why I refer to the first five days of school as “The Big 5” – these are the days when teachers lay the foundation for the entire classroom.
So, as we approach the new school year, how can we ensure that the first 5 days of class are memorable, meaningful, and set a positive trajectory for our students? Here’s some advice on how to structure the first 5 days of school:
Day 1–Welcome & Connection: Start the day by greeting every student at the door. Follow this up with a quick get-to-know-you activity so that students can become acquainted with their classmates. Have the students sit in a circle to foster better discussion and connection. The goal for today is to keep things calm and predictable. Make every student feel seen, safe, and glad to be there.
Day 2–Teaching the Routines: Teach students the classroom’s daily routines by modeling them step-by-step and out loud. Give them examples and non-examples to show them how each routine should work. Be sure to leave time for questions as well, so students understand the people, places, and things you are talking about. Never assume they already know.
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