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| A view of our new furniture! |
| Another view of the classroom. |
Tomorrow is the first day of school and I am excited, nervous, and happy, but most of all, feeling that "butterfly-stomach" anticipation of a new beginning with my incoming 4th graders.
As I try not to let my mind rest on, "Oh my gosh, what did I forget to do," I am taking this opportunity to remind myself of my intentions for tomorrow.
- First, and foremost, I want my students to feel the warmth of the classroom environment. I want them to sense the welcome, to know that the space belongs to them.
- I want to be calm and present with each student as I learn his/her name.
- Even though the beginning of school comes packed with discussions about classroom expectations, I want to allow room for spontaneity and playfulness as we go about our day.
- Daily reflection will become a part of our routines, with exit ticket type survey questions as a way for me to check in on the class and determine if any individual needs more attention from me.
- Making mistakes, celebrating them, and learning from them will become commonplace as I model my own silly mistakes on the first few days.
- Developing a class culture that promotes authenticity and risk-taking in learning will take time. I need to allow time for a daily class meeting to build rapport and trust, encourage collaboration, and help students refine their voices.
- Students will be more anxious than I am! I need to validate the range of feelings that returning to school can evoke.
- Parents will want to know what is going on in class. I intend to blog about our learning more often this year and share the great insights of our students.
