Setting the Tone for the New School Year

A new school year is a fantastic opportunity to mindfully and consciously emphasize what matters to me as a teacher in my classroom community. The Student Historians (and Study Skills students) in my classes have:


  • sat in tables, not rows, to help strengthen our learning community
  • had the opportunity to either reacquaint themselves with their classmates or meet a new student
  • discussed what they believe the ideal classroom, student, and teacher should look and sound like
  • realized that I try to be flexible when it comes to locker and restroom passes (no coupons from me)
  • know that it matters to me that they belong to a school club/sport/activity
  • understood that teamwork is valued
  • had practice with activities that are creative, open-ended, and challenging 
  • realized that leadership matters, whether it's sitting with a new student at lunch or helping with classroom jobs
I've been thinking a lot about the concept of "what I teach". As much as I love History and love teaching it I fully realize that teaching curriculum isn't as important as teaching Middle Schoolers. They need someone that will help them build their confidence. They need practice in the art of "making a good decision", not perfecting compliance. 

It's been a good start to the year. 




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