Start Up

The first days of a school year always challenge me. Often, I feel like I'm not, you know, getting anywhere. Last week (northeastern Massachusetts schools often begin before Labor Day unlike many districts inside of Route 123), was no different. As my students came into the classroom I came to the panicked realization that they weren't even aware of the expectations for arrival routines!What to teach that first day when there are so many critical and essential things to be taught when there are so many essentials? As an enthusiastic Daily Five fan, applying the 10 Steps to Independence to basics seems natural -- we've applied it to walking in the hallway, to getting started on the day and closing off  a good day's work, even to fire drill practice.We've got a long way to go before the day moves seamlessly. But we are well on the way to student independence, to building an environment in which I can trust students to make good choices about their learning - an in which my  students can trust me to guide them when needed.