June 11, 2024 • 39 mins
🎙️ Welcome to another exciting episode of the Lazy Learning Land Podcast! I’m your host, S-Dot, bringing you 15 years of experience from the trenches of challenging school environments. Today, we're unlocking the secrets to starting your school year on the right foot by setting the tone during the critical first week.
🔥 In this episode, discover:
- Key strategies for a smooth start: silent starts, golden rules, fostering collaboration, and more.
- Common pitfalls to avoid, like overloading on icebreakers or jumping straight into content.
- Proven strategies for setting expectations and modeling routines that will sustain you through the school year.
🎧Tune in to learn how to create a strong foundation that will carry you and your students through the school year with confidence and ease.
💡Ready to transform your first week of school? Listen now and be prepared to start strong and finish even stronger! Like, follow, and subscribe to stay updated on all our latest tips and tricks.
🎙️Comment below with your classroom goals and how you plan to implement them.
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https://virtuallyimpossible.net/first-week-of-school-for-teachers-start-the-way-you-want-to-end/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
You are now tuned into Virtually Impossible Presents Lazy Learning Land Podcast,
where we teach teachers how to be lazier, yet more effective,
to increase student performance to decrease teacher burnout and stress.
I'm S-Dot, your hostess that always gives you the mostest while doing the least,
(00:26):
also Also known as the queen of working and not working.
With over 15 years of experience working at the hood schools.
And I absolutely love it.
I'm here to share with you the tricks of the trade that I've developed over
the years. That will make your life as a teacher so much easier.
And even help you fall back in love with the profession again.
(00:51):
Today's episode is sponsored by the Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Podcast, where we skip all the fluff and give you the real deal applicable stuff.
You can listen to episodes on Apple podcast, Spotify, our heart radio,
Amazon and Samsung music.
And of course on the pod bean app now for today's episode.
(01:18):
Hello, hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Today's podcast episode is dedicated to talking about the first week of school
for teachers and starting the way you want to end.
I promise you by this episode, you guys are going to be so inspired and just
ready to go ahead and plan out that first week. You're going to know what your goals are.
(01:42):
You're going to know what you want to train your students to do because you
are going to set them up for the rest of the school year.
So let's get into it.
Now, we all know the first week of school, it is like a really rare occasion
for any teacher to feel 100% ready when the first day of school comes.
(02:02):
The biggest mistake I feel that teachers make during the first week of school
is they put all this time and energy into icebreakers, getting to know their students' activities.
Activities, kumbaya, all this stuff, right?
Or even worse, they spend majority of their time deciding that they are going
(02:23):
to dive directly into content.
I mean, people are doing full-blown lessons the first week of school that are on grade level.
To me, that is so cray-cray, but we'll get into why I feel that way in a moment.
Now, to me, the only content that you should be concerned with is the content,
the task that you are going to expect your student and how you're going to expect
(02:47):
your students to carry those tasks out.
So what tasks are they going to be doing throughout the year?
And what are the expectations that go along with it?
That is the only content in my book that you should be teaching.
So to me, what really should be taking place the first week of school is modeling
any routines and activities you plan to do at any point during your school year,
(03:10):
as well as modeling, saying,
writing, repeating.
All the expectations that go along with those different activities.
So I'm glad you guys are still with me. We are going to work on how to start
the way you want to finish.
So this is going to be a combination of my experiences, plus asking you to kind
(03:32):
of plug in your thoughts and your experiences, because by the time this episode is over,
I promise you, you are going to feel so inspired and so ready to plan out that
first week because you're going to know exactly what you want to accomplish.
So let's take a moment. I want you to sit and visualize. alive?
If your classroom was the perfect classroom, if it was running the most perfect
(03:55):
way possible, what would your classroom look like? What would it sound like?
And how would you like for your classroom to run? What is the fluidity?
How are things going from task to task? And I want you to write these things down.
So if you need to pause, pause, pause, I guess, and write these these things
(04:16):
down. Really take a moment before you move forward because I promise you having
that information as we go through the next things is really going to help.
But in case you're kind of still trying to figure it out, is there a specific
theme you want your classroom to look like?
Are your students sitting in rows or are they in groups?
Do you have alternative seating or cool down zones?
(04:37):
What are your students saying? Are your students collaborating or are they working individually?
Are they teaching each other? Are your students making presentations?
Are you in control of everything or are the students more independent,
more hands-on in helping the classroom run by completing various tasks, including teaching?
(05:02):
So I'm going to chime in with some of my goals that I tend to have for each
year in my secondary math class.
Now, I did say a math class, but again, a lot of the stuff can truly be tailored
to any subject area, especially as long as it's in the secondary.
But even for those of you in primary, this exercise is still very beneficial,
(05:24):
even though your day today may look a little bit different.
So my five goals. So the first one is I need a silent first five minutes of
class, which is usually their bell work time.
The second one is I need adherence to my golden rules.
The third thing, I have a goal of wanting a collaborative culture.
(05:45):
My fourth thing is I absolutely love rotations and stations. expectations.
And the fifth thing is I want to create a risk-free learning environment that
is just highly involved with the growth mindset.
And once I know my goals, I then strategically plan out how to fit them into my first week.
(06:07):
And certain goals have to be modeled on a daily basis that first week of school.
So once you know what your goals are, you have to implement them starting that
first week, essentially because they are going to be daily practices and requirements,
for my class or for your class throughout the entire school year.
So now we're going to get into, now that you know your goals,
(06:30):
how can you start to implement your goals in the first week so that you can
have a smoother sailing rest of the school year?
Okay, so my first goal is a silent first five minutes of class,
especially during the bellwork time.
So my vision for this, how I vision this happening in my perfect classroom is
(06:52):
I need to steal a few moments to take attendance, respond to emails, answer phone calls.
And as soon as students enter my classroom, I need them to read the smart board
and begin working on whatever their bellwork assignment is. while they are working,
I also need my students to be working quietly and independently.
(07:14):
And I would like for my students to use their notes if the bell work is actually content related.
So the implementation. Now that I know what I want to see throughout the year,
how can I start implementing that the first week of school to make it happen?
And the key to that is the students must know that the SMART Board is their go-to upon entry.
(07:38):
And in order to foster that culture, the very first day of school,
I have bellwork posted for them.
So as they're coming into the classroom and I'm greeting them,
I'm saying, hey, take a seat, get out your supplies, go ahead and read the SMART
Board and start working on the tasks that's on the SMART Board.
(07:58):
So from day one, from the jump, they are working off of that smart board.
And sometimes for that first, you know, first day, first week stuff,
I have them fill out an information card, like their name, their birthday,
you know, sports activities, favorite color, just little information cards.
Some people may have those like information sheets, but either way,
(08:21):
it's just something that they know that they are to do when they come in.
Other times I just have them write on a specific topic.
Yes, it's a a math class, but I do have my students write. But regardless of
what it is, my students just need to know that there is something for them to
do and how they figure out that there's something to do is by reading it off that smart book.
(08:42):
The type of bell work I give varies the first week of school.
I try to mix it up. I include the different variations of bell work that they're
going to see kind of throughout the school year.
So I never keep it exactly one thing.
So I may start off with the first day with the index card. Then I may include
some math problems that they should have been able to solve from two or three
years, two or three math classes earlier in their education.
(09:04):
It may be a digital task like filling
out a google form or getting set
up with specific materials for the activity for the
day just a list of materials to get out you know labeling their piece of paper
or certain way you know something but either way just to know that they have
instructions and I also lay out the expectation that during the first five minutes
(09:30):
of class during that bell work time,
it is to be done quietly and independently.
I let them know that from day one. And as a matter of fact, I repeat that every
single day at the beginning of every single class period, because I want to
make sure that they know that I'm in business with that.
And I even told them that whispering still counts as talking,
(09:52):
even if they need to borrow something to write on or to write with from a classmate,
that there's some universal gestures just for pen, pencil, paper.
I need them to use those universal gestures during my first five minutes.
Now, the key to me implementing this or you implementing something similar is
to continue this daily for the first week of school.
(10:16):
And well, honestly, you're gonna continue it daily for the entire year.
Even if your bell work sometimes is take out a piece of paper,
take out a piece of pencil, label the paper this and sit quietly until I start the class.
That's still bell work and they should still be expected to do that quietly and independently.
So just every day, always have something for them to do, whether it's academically
(10:38):
based, whether it's setting up for the day based, writing based,
whatever the case may be.
But just make sure that you keep that consistent, because if that's your expectation
for the entire year, you really want to set that tone the first week.
All right. So now my second goal, my second goal is adherence to my classroom golden rules.
(10:59):
So the vision. I like to say I run a pretty tight ship.
I mean, yes, I work in the hood, but I write less than five discipline referrals
every single school year.
My students, they self-correct or their classmates assist in redirecting each other.
When I get new students, they seamlessly fall in line with the classroom culture
(11:23):
that's already established.
Now, how do I go from that vision to actually implementing it,
to making it happen in real life?
Well, prior to the first week of school, I post my numbered,
all my golden rules have numbers on them. Okay. They're numbered.
I post my numbered golden rules
at the front of the class, above my smart board, above my whiteboards.
(11:47):
It's at the front, honey, where their eyes usually are the majority of the day or the class period.
And after bell work the first day, I go over my golden rules,
but I don't just go over those golden rules the first day.
I go over them explicitly like the first three days.
And then I go over them explicitly the first day of the second week of school.
(12:10):
Because, you know, we get that revolving door, students, the guidance counselors
making schedule changes.
But I make sure that I go over those.
And if you would
like to know more about how posting
your classroom basics or your golden rules is
a game changer you have to absolutely check out my post on avoid looking like
(12:32):
a fool and post your golden rules well post your classroom rules but anyways
so my top rules that seem to save me a great deal of headache now I do have
11 golden rules I'm going to share with
you my top golden rules that do save me a lot of headache during the year because I have them posted.
(12:53):
Game changers. My tardy policy. What does being tardy look like or what does
being on time to my class look like and what's the expectation for my students when they are tardy?
My limited restroom passes and my no-go parts of the period.
So I limit my restroom passes to two passes per her nine weeks.
(13:13):
That's me. Some teachers do three. Cool. Good for you.
But I also have no-go parts to the period where I tell my students,
hey, I'm not letting you go to the restroom.
If up at the board teaching a lesson or addressing the entire class,
that's not restroom time.
Because that's something that every student needs to hear, including you.
I post the personal electronics policy, the school policy, the county policy,
(13:37):
my classroom policy, the food and drink policy, whether they're allowed to eat
or drink, have gum or candy, et cetera. All that is posted.
And the growth mindset and effort policy is also one of my golden rules that I have posted.
But the key, you know, how do I get my students to self-correct?
(13:59):
How do I get my students to correct others?
How do I write less than five referrals per school year?
And referencing your
posted golden rules daily the
first week of school is really really important and even
touching on them again during the second week is important and hitting them
(14:21):
again after you've come back from a break you know if you had a three-day weekend
or if we just came back from the Thanksgiving holiday the winter break spring
break I go back over those jokers again but But whenever I'm going over those
golden rules the first week.
I make my redirection of students general.
So I don't call specific people out and quote unquote shame them about not following my rule.
(14:48):
I make it very general. I give general reminders as I see my students out of
compliance, allowing them that window of opportunity to check themselves.
I reference the rule number and I point to it as I give the redirection.
So I say, you know, hey, I see a few of you guys are not following rule number
four. So just go ahead and take a look up here.
(15:10):
Remind yourself of what rule number four is. And if you see that you are not
in compliance with that, just go ahead real quick and just kind of shift gears.
But throughout the year, you know, redirect your students with ease.
Like by having your golden rules posted, it makes redirection so easy because
all I have to say without missing a beat is Jenny, rule number three.
(15:30):
Now, Jenny's going to look up at rule number three. Jenny's going to read it.
She's going to reflect on how she's breaking rule number three,
and then she's going to fix it.
And I get to keep going with whatever I was doing.
And whenever I get new students, I usually pick a neighboring classmate of theirs
to go over the golden rules with them.
(15:51):
So now they're kind of making a little friend, but it's, you know,
it's reiterating what culture I have in my classroom for those students that are just joining us.
All right, the next one, goal number three, a collaborative classroom culture.
Goal number three, a collaborative classroom culture.
(16:11):
The vision of this, okay, what this looks like in my mind is my students are
working harmoniously together.
My stronger students are tutoring.
My not so strong students, my lower performing students are actively asking
questions and getting help from their peers.
Everyone in the group works together using critical thinking and problem-solving
(16:32):
skills in order to complete academic-based tasks.
So again, how do I move from a vision into implementation?
The easiest way to foster a highly collaborative culture is to start group conversations,
group activities, group games, all of that stuff during the first week.
(16:53):
Having your students work collaboratively two to three days during the first
week seems to be the sweet spot.
Make note that the activities do not have to take the entire period in order
to be considered collaborative.
Collaborative so you can mix those in and take 15 minutes
and do a collaborative activity does not have to be the entire period but you
just want them to get accustomed to group conversations group activities group
(17:17):
games collaboration and ideally you kind of want to start small that first week
and build yourself up because you know you've got those kids that have anxiety,
sometimes it's a new school they don't know people in the class because their
friends sit and get your class period, so on and so forth.
So you don't want to just, you don't want to make it extremely uncomfortable.
Do start small and talk to your students about what good collaboration looks
(17:44):
like, what good collaboration sounds like.
I tend to circulate the classroom during those activities and I go to each group
and I make sure I give praise for things that I see and hear that show good collaboration.
And then I also make sure that I redirect if I see some things that I,
(18:04):
you know, are not favorable to, you know, good collaboration and group work.
I also make it known daily during that first week that they will be working
together on a regular basis,
on a weekly basis, at least two to three times per week, if not more,
(18:25):
Or throughout the entire school year, they're going to be working in groups.
So they should go ahead and try to be open-minded because it's not going anywhere.
But again, for tips on how to seamlessly incorporate small group games into
your class, I do have a post.
(18:46):
It's called the rules to rule playing games in small groups.
So if you're trying to create that collaborative culture and you're not quite
sure how to implement it seamlessly without all of those extra classroom management
issues, you definitely want to check that one out.
Or if you're like, yeah, lady, that sounds great in theory that your whole class is kumbaya.
(19:08):
Working together. But what about those jokers that absolutely refuse to work
in groups because they don't like people, they don't like this person or that person specifically?
Whatever. How do you handle that, missy? Well, don't worry. I got a post for you too.
And it is called Collaborate or Else.
So you can find both of these after you finish this podcast episode.
(19:31):
Go ahead and scroll through and find those.
And I'm sure there's something in there for you. But I want to tell you the
key to creating that collaborative culture.
You want to keep the focus on how to properly collaborate.
That first week, if the content is too challenging, meaning you're trying to
have these students work on grade level material while they're still learning
(19:56):
your procedures and expectations,
a lot of your students are going to shut down in order to avoid feeling embarrassed
because it's something that they, the content is freaking them out.
Being in a new class is freaking them out.
Having you as a new teacher is freaking them out. It's just a lot going on.
So you have to be willing to take away some of that anxiety.
(20:17):
Please, please, please, please, please avoid having content that is too difficult.
Make sure that you reiterate your expectations repeatedly, heatedly, that you give feedback,
positive feedback and redirective feedback as the kids are learning what your expectations are.
(20:40):
Reiterate what you want to see, what you want to hear. Make sure to give the
feedback and make sure you circulate in order to be able to do that.
But in terms of content, I cannot stress this enough.
Try using something that allows each student to share their thoughts,
process each other's ideas and start building towards a solution.
(21:00):
So if you're going to absolutely feel like you have to use academic content,
consider using items that are at least two grade levels below what you should
be teaching those particular students.
Now, for me, I tend to do things like brain teasers,
puzzles, riddles, things that are just a little bit more fun that they just,
(21:22):
you know, it's fun fun for them to try to figure out while they're learning
how to operate in my collaborative classroom environment.
The fourth goal I have is to implement rotations or stations,
however you like to call it.
But my vision for this is I have a minimum of three different stations going on at the same time.
(21:44):
And usually there's a digital station, a collaborative station that's more so
paper-based and a teacher-led station.
Students are working on the task at their specific stations without me having
to prompt them or to go to each specific station to get them started.
While the students are working, they are on task, they are on topic.
Groups are able to rotate to the next station in a non-chaotic manner.
(22:08):
That's my visions in a perfect classroom. Now, how do I go from that vision
into actual implementation?
Well, what is taking place at each of the stations can be mixed and matched
based on teacher preferences, content, so on and so forth.
But what I make sure to model for my students is when they come into the classroom,
(22:31):
they need to know that they are looking at the SMART board.
And from the board, they are going to find their name and they are going to
move to sit and start working at the appropriate location on the appropriate assignments.
When they come in, they find their name. They're like, oh, I'm supposed to be
sitting at the green group. Green group is over here.
(22:51):
Awesome. And at each station, I have instructions posted on the wall or the
task is already on the desk in the area that they're going to be working at.
And I make sure that I list any supplies that they need. I let them know if
it is an individual or collaborative assignment.
(23:12):
I let them know whether it is going to be digital based, paper based or a combination of both.
I also put the protocol for getting help.
So maybe they have questions or they're confused or they need help on the problem.
What is the protocol for getting help from myself or from their peers?
And I also let them know on that same sheet what I will be checking as part of their grade.
(23:37):
So I'll outline everything is at their station and I try to make sure that they
don't really need me for nothing.
Because, again, I have a teacher led station that I'm running,
so I'm not available on call. so I try to do my best to minimize that.
I make sure that there is a timer displayed so that the students are aware of
how much time they have remaining at that particular station.
(23:59):
And prior to rotating to that next station, I restate the direction or the order that they're going in.
I reiterate how much time they have to be seated, settled, and starting on their
new station assignment.
I also remind them that the transition should be quiet it and that they should
(24:20):
also be keeping their hands to themselves.
Yes, I teach high schoolers, but I can guarantee you that they love to pull
people's ears, ponytails, poke people, step on people's shoes.
They still like to do stuff like that. So even in a high school environment,
I have to say you need to quietly transition and keep your hands to yourself.
(24:40):
All right. Now, some teachers do like to use a transition song.
Wrong. Simply put, you know, just have some way to make sure that there's an
indicator for your students to know that one, it is time to transition and that
there's an indicator that the transition time is now over and that they should be settled.
So, you know, some teachers do chants, some teachers do a song,
(25:03):
some teachers do gestures.
Make it your own. We just have some indicator to to hold the students accountable.
And even though I may be utilizing a teacher-led station, always make sure that
I create points where my group that I'm working with is working on a task.
(25:23):
And I'd say, okay, I'm gonna give you guys three or four minutes.
I want you guys to work together and I want you to do this or you're gonna work
by yourself for the next three to four minutes. I'm gonna go check on my other groups.
And when I come back, I expect to see this problem either fully done or at least
partially done so I can give you some feedback,
something along those lines, but just a way where I can step away from my teacher-led
(25:44):
group and still go and check in on the other groups.
Once I'm done checking on those other groups, again, I pop back and I check
on my teacher-led group.
So what is the key to implementing these rotations and stations,
especially setting it up during the first week of school?
(26:05):
Again, people, the focus should be on the process of what and how to do rotations,
not so much on the content.
Stop trying to give these kids great level work the first week of school.
Make the task something they can complete in the time allotted.
You could have them doing origami at one station, coloring a page on this station,
(26:27):
doing a journal entry at this station, whatever.
Just making sure that they understand how to get to their station,
how to know what they're supposed to do at their station, go through the process
of working at the station and going through the process of transitioning to the next station.
That's the focus, not so much the content.
(26:49):
Another key to implementing these rotations and stations that first week,
monitor, give praise and redirect your students as you circulate.
You have to be hands on, y'all. Try to keep redirection general and praise specific.
So if you see someone doing something wrong, make a general statement.
Hey guys, remember that you're supposed to be reading your task card at your
(27:11):
station to know what you're supposed to be doing.
That's where you get your instructions but that's general
even though there are only maybe one kid that's lost and
confused of what they're supposed to be doing keep redirection general
but keep praise specific man i want
to give a shout out to the ucf group because they are all seated got seated
(27:32):
on time they're reading the task card together and they're really trying to
make sure they understand what they're supposed to be doing great job ucf group
something like that so the The reason why you want to keep redirection general,
but your praise specific is it allows students to self-correct themselves without feeling isolated.
But then it also motivates them because now their group is like,
(27:53):
okay, let's get it together because we want the next shout out.
And just be willing to sound like a broken record. Another key to implementing
something this complex is just repetition is pertinent and know that you're
going to repeat yourself 101 times per period.
Also, another key to implementing this is try to be as organized as possible
ahead of time. Have the instructions already posted.
(28:16):
Have the materials provided.
The more organized you are, the easier it will be for your students to fall in line.
When you are frantic, when you are confused, when you are chaotic,
I promise you, your darling students that want you to love them so very,
very much, because it's the first week and everybody wants to be like my new
(28:38):
teacher, They are going to start, and I'm using quotations, y'all.
They're going to start helping you by making up their own things,
which we all know turns out to be the farthest thing from helpful.
So keep your kids from helping you by making sure that you're organized as possible
(28:58):
during these implementation stages.
All right. All right. Goal number five. My last goal.
Last but not least is creating a culture of growth mindset and a risk-free learning environment.
So those both kind of are enmeshed. The vision I have for that is students are
willing to try any question I put in front of them.
(29:20):
They may not like making mistakes, but they understand mistakes are great learning tools.
When given feedback, students are willing to make corrections and willing to
reflect on their errors. They are determined and persistent to understand the
process and not simply trying to get the quick answer.
(29:41):
So that's my vision. How do I move from vision into implementation?
It looks a little bit like this.
The first week of school, as my students work on various styles of tasks,
I always drive home a very specific idea.
And that is the idea that I do not give two flying flippity flips about the right answer.
(30:02):
My goal and my focus is not on the right answer.
I only care that they tried, that they corrected and that they reflected.
I teach my students early on that I primarily care about them participating
in the learning process and keeping a positive mindset.
Because sidebar, if they are willing to participate fully in the learning process
(30:26):
and are willing to keep a positive growth mindset, the learning will naturally happen anyway.
But back to implementation. We discuss the growth mindset.
We discuss what does that look like? What does growth mindset sound like?
We also watch a couple of videos on it, and I try to soothe their anxiety about
school being based on right or wrong.
(30:47):
I try to get them comfortable with making mistakes, including making some mistakes of my own.
And let me tell you, some of them I make on purpose to see if they're paying attention.
But other times I just genuinely be messing something up. I'll be wrong.
And I tell them, you know, this one was not on purpose, y'all.
All, I was just wrong. Good catch.
(31:07):
And I even throw them some extra credit if they catch my mistake.
If they catch my genuine mistake that I really wasn't trying to make,
I give them extra credit for that.
Anywho, but when talking about creating a risk-free learning environment,
it best happens when I make sure that their grade on assignments and their grade
(31:28):
in the class is primarily based on how much they engage with the learning process
and how much they demonstrate a growth mindset.
So part of this happens by only allowing wrong answers to count against them on a quiz or a test.
And I explain that concept so much more in greater detail in my post,
no risk, great reward, the risk-free learning environment.
(31:51):
So if you want to kind of dive a little bit deeper into that and get more details
on what that really looks like, sounds like, and how to create that in your
classroom, Feel free to check that out after this episode.
But the key to creating that growth mindset, that risk-free learning environment,
starting with the first week, is when utilizing this type of teaching style,
(32:12):
you cannot be flip-floppy, okay?
You have to be very consistent with that mindset on a day-to-day basis.
Majority of your students' grades will need to come from their willingness to
try, to correct, and to reflect. So, yes, it's like more so participation points,
but it's based on their participation in the learning process.
And you subtract points only when they do not fully engage in that learning
(32:38):
process or they are no longer operating in that growth mindset process.
If they did not correct their paper or if they just absolutely decided they
weren't going to try in the first place, or maybe they tried once or twice,
but then they gave up, they should lose points for that.
Or maybe they tried and corrected their paper, but they weren't willing to reflect
(32:59):
on the mistake they made.
Well, they should lose points for that because they have to reprogram their brain.
So all of that is a part of the learning process and they get points along the
way for doing the learning process fully.
As I like to tell my students, they are throwing away free points when they
don't fully engage in that learning process or when they refuse to stay in that growth mindset.
(33:21):
Yes, a quiz or test should be graded for accuracy. I mean, they are actual assessments.
However, I allow everything else to be practiced. And if you do that,
too, then the results will blow your mind as far as getting especially low performing
students or kids that hate your class, hate your subject, hate school in general.
You will be surprised at how much participation you get out of those students.
(33:45):
But you are going to have to constantly repeat your growth mindset and your
learning process expectations.
And I say you have to repeat that on a daily basis. Reason being is because
most teachers don't operate in this fashion.
So the concept is really hard for
many students to trust it's very foreign to them
and well at least until
(34:07):
they see that you mean what you say and say what you mean
you're gonna have to just repeat that until you've proven yourself to them and
they trust it and they believe it and they fall into place with it naturally
but if you are looking for some risk-free secondary math activities check out
the virtually impossible teachers pay teacher store for some secondary math,
(34:28):
self-checking, self-grading, color change activities.
But in conclusion, okay, your first week of school, starting with the end in mind,
Most states have a nine to 10 month school year. That is a long time to be with your students.
And you have to decide how you want your school year to look.
(34:49):
And I am pretty sure no teacher ever sets out to have a chaotic year.
And I'm talking no teacher sets out to have one of those years where their students
are just unruly and don't listen.
The best way to prevent that is to start with the end in mind.
Do not be so hell-bent on teaching grade-level content the first week of school.
(35:11):
The first week is when 99% of your students are going to be on their P's and
Q's, their best behavior.
They want to make a good impression and win you over.
So use this time as to your advantage.
Like while their brains are willing to be sponges, fill their sponges up with
(35:32):
all the rules, all the procedures and all the expectations for the various activities
you are going to require of them throughout the school year.
Use that time to model, to expect and to redirect.
I'm going to say it one more again. Use that time to model, to expect and to redirect. Correct.
When you do this early on, it sets a tone and creates all churs.
(35:57):
OK, it creates those cultures from those visions that y'all have.
It makes those visions reality.
It also eliminates a lot of resistance down the line because you have been doing
certain things all along from the beginning.
Even if you start something out in small doses like the rotations,
you start them off the first week of school, but they don't see it again until
(36:20):
the third week of school. at least you've already started them out with it. Just starting with,
The end in mind, even in small doses, they have seen it before,
they have heard it before, they have experienced before, and they are less likely to resist.
You are less likely to get backlash or shut down.
Consistency is key. Your first week of school should be similar to your last
(36:44):
weeks of school, and so should all the other weeks between.
Avoid, please y'all, avoid starting things that you know you cannot be consistent
with. It makes you less trustworthy in the eyes of your students.
So remember, it is easier to create a classroom culture when it is the only
culture that your students have ever known you as their teacher to have.
(37:10):
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Virtually Impossible Presents
Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Comment below some of your goals you want for your classroom and how you plan
to start Start them off that first week of school.
If you have a goal, but you are unsure how to start setting it up,
drop a comment below so our community can love on you with responses.
(37:34):
Since there is strength in lazy, be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to this
podcast, my blog on virtuallyimpossible.net, no apostrophe, and our social media
platforms, Pinterest and Instagram.
Instagram virtually underscore I'm underscore possible for IG and virtually
(37:56):
I'm possible on Pinterest.
So you can feel at home among other lazy learners.
This is your girl S-Dot signing off.
And until next episode, remember to live long and lazy and never, ever work too hard.
You are now tuned into Virtually Impossible Presents Lazy Learning Land Podcast,
where we teach teachers how to be lazier, yet more effective,
to increase student performance to decrease teacher burnout and stress.
I'm S-Dot, your hostess that always gives you the mostest while doing the least,
(00:26):
also Also known as the queen of working and not working.
With over 15 years of experience working at the hood schools.
And I absolutely love it.
I'm here to share with you the tricks of the trade that I've developed over
the years. That will make your life as a teacher so much easier.
And even help you fall back in love with the profession again.
(00:51):
Today's episode is sponsored by the Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Podcast, where we skip all the fluff and give you the real deal applicable stuff.
You can listen to episodes on Apple podcast, Spotify, our heart radio,
Amazon and Samsung music.
And of course on the pod bean app now for today's episode.
(01:18):
Hello, hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Today's podcast episode is dedicated to talking about the first week of school
for teachers and starting the way you want to end.
I promise you by this episode, you guys are going to be so inspired and just
ready to go ahead and plan out that first week. You're going to know what your goals are.
(01:42):
You're going to know what you want to train your students to do because you
are going to set them up for the rest of the school year.
So let's get into it.
Now, we all know the first week of school, it is like a really rare occasion
for any teacher to feel 100% ready when the first day of school comes.
(02:02):
The biggest mistake I feel that teachers make during the first week of school
is they put all this time and energy into icebreakers, getting to know their students' activities.
Activities, kumbaya, all this stuff, right?
Or even worse, they spend majority of their time deciding that they are going
(02:23):
to dive directly into content.
I mean, people are doing full-blown lessons the first week of school that are on grade level.
To me, that is so cray-cray, but we'll get into why I feel that way in a moment.
Now, to me, the only content that you should be concerned with is the content,
the task that you are going to expect your student and how you're going to expect
(02:47):
your students to carry those tasks out.
So what tasks are they going to be doing throughout the year?
And what are the expectations that go along with it?
That is the only content in my book that you should be teaching.
So to me, what really should be taking place the first week of school is modeling
any routines and activities you plan to do at any point during your school year,
(03:10):
as well as modeling, saying,
writing, repeating.
All the expectations that go along with those different activities.
So I'm glad you guys are still with me. We are going to work on how to start
the way you want to finish.
So this is going to be a combination of my experiences, plus asking you to kind
(03:32):
of plug in your thoughts and your experiences, because by the time this episode is over,
I promise you, you are going to feel so inspired and so ready to plan out that
first week because you're going to know exactly what you want to accomplish.
So let's take a moment. I want you to sit and visualize. alive?
If your classroom was the perfect classroom, if it was running the most perfect
(03:55):
way possible, what would your classroom look like? What would it sound like?
And how would you like for your classroom to run? What is the fluidity?
How are things going from task to task? And I want you to write these things down.
So if you need to pause, pause, pause, I guess, and write these these things
(04:16):
down. Really take a moment before you move forward because I promise you having
that information as we go through the next things is really going to help.
But in case you're kind of still trying to figure it out, is there a specific
theme you want your classroom to look like?
Are your students sitting in rows or are they in groups?
Do you have alternative seating or cool down zones?
(04:37):
What are your students saying? Are your students collaborating or are they working individually?
Are they teaching each other? Are your students making presentations?
Are you in control of everything or are the students more independent,
more hands-on in helping the classroom run by completing various tasks, including teaching?
(05:02):
So I'm going to chime in with some of my goals that I tend to have for each
year in my secondary math class.
Now, I did say a math class, but again, a lot of the stuff can truly be tailored
to any subject area, especially as long as it's in the secondary.
But even for those of you in primary, this exercise is still very beneficial,
(05:24):
even though your day today may look a little bit different.
So my five goals. So the first one is I need a silent first five minutes of
class, which is usually their bell work time.
The second one is I need adherence to my golden rules.
The third thing, I have a goal of wanting a collaborative culture.
(05:45):
My fourth thing is I absolutely love rotations and stations. expectations.
And the fifth thing is I want to create a risk-free learning environment that
is just highly involved with the growth mindset.
And once I know my goals, I then strategically plan out how to fit them into my first week.
(06:07):
And certain goals have to be modeled on a daily basis that first week of school.
So once you know what your goals are, you have to implement them starting that
first week, essentially because they are going to be daily practices and requirements,
for my class or for your class throughout the entire school year.
So now we're going to get into, now that you know your goals,
(06:30):
how can you start to implement your goals in the first week so that you can
have a smoother sailing rest of the school year?
Okay, so my first goal is a silent first five minutes of class,
especially during the bellwork time.
So my vision for this, how I vision this happening in my perfect classroom is
(06:52):
I need to steal a few moments to take attendance, respond to emails, answer phone calls.
And as soon as students enter my classroom, I need them to read the smart board
and begin working on whatever their bellwork assignment is. while they are working,
I also need my students to be working quietly and independently.
(07:14):
And I would like for my students to use their notes if the bell work is actually content related.
So the implementation. Now that I know what I want to see throughout the year,
how can I start implementing that the first week of school to make it happen?
And the key to that is the students must know that the SMART Board is their go-to upon entry.
(07:38):
And in order to foster that culture, the very first day of school,
I have bellwork posted for them.
So as they're coming into the classroom and I'm greeting them,
I'm saying, hey, take a seat, get out your supplies, go ahead and read the SMART
Board and start working on the tasks that's on the SMART Board.
(07:58):
So from day one, from the jump, they are working off of that smart board.
And sometimes for that first, you know, first day, first week stuff,
I have them fill out an information card, like their name, their birthday,
you know, sports activities, favorite color, just little information cards.
Some people may have those like information sheets, but either way,
(08:21):
it's just something that they know that they are to do when they come in.
Other times I just have them write on a specific topic.
Yes, it's a a math class, but I do have my students write. But regardless of
what it is, my students just need to know that there is something for them to
do and how they figure out that there's something to do is by reading it off that smart book.
(08:42):
The type of bell work I give varies the first week of school.
I try to mix it up. I include the different variations of bell work that they're
going to see kind of throughout the school year.
So I never keep it exactly one thing.
So I may start off with the first day with the index card. Then I may include
some math problems that they should have been able to solve from two or three
years, two or three math classes earlier in their education.
(09:04):
It may be a digital task like filling
out a google form or getting set
up with specific materials for the activity for the
day just a list of materials to get out you know labeling their piece of paper
or certain way you know something but either way just to know that they have
instructions and I also lay out the expectation that during the first five minutes
(09:30):
of class during that bell work time,
it is to be done quietly and independently.
I let them know that from day one. And as a matter of fact, I repeat that every
single day at the beginning of every single class period, because I want to
make sure that they know that I'm in business with that.
And I even told them that whispering still counts as talking,
(09:52):
even if they need to borrow something to write on or to write with from a classmate,
that there's some universal gestures just for pen, pencil, paper.
I need them to use those universal gestures during my first five minutes.
Now, the key to me implementing this or you implementing something similar is
to continue this daily for the first week of school.
(10:16):
And well, honestly, you're gonna continue it daily for the entire year.
Even if your bell work sometimes is take out a piece of paper,
take out a piece of pencil, label the paper this and sit quietly until I start the class.
That's still bell work and they should still be expected to do that quietly and independently.
So just every day, always have something for them to do, whether it's academically
(10:38):
based, whether it's setting up for the day based, writing based,
whatever the case may be.
But just make sure that you keep that consistent, because if that's your expectation
for the entire year, you really want to set that tone the first week.
All right. So now my second goal, my second goal is adherence to my classroom golden rules.
(10:59):
So the vision. I like to say I run a pretty tight ship.
I mean, yes, I work in the hood, but I write less than five discipline referrals
every single school year.
My students, they self-correct or their classmates assist in redirecting each other.
When I get new students, they seamlessly fall in line with the classroom culture
(11:23):
that's already established.
Now, how do I go from that vision to actually implementing it,
to making it happen in real life?
Well, prior to the first week of school, I post my numbered,
all my golden rules have numbers on them. Okay. They're numbered.
I post my numbered golden rules
at the front of the class, above my smart board, above my whiteboards.
(11:47):
It's at the front, honey, where their eyes usually are the majority of the day or the class period.
And after bell work the first day, I go over my golden rules,
but I don't just go over those golden rules the first day.
I go over them explicitly like the first three days.
And then I go over them explicitly the first day of the second week of school.
(12:10):
Because, you know, we get that revolving door, students, the guidance counselors
making schedule changes.
But I make sure that I go over those.
And if you would
like to know more about how posting
your classroom basics or your golden rules is
a game changer you have to absolutely check out my post on avoid looking like
(12:32):
a fool and post your golden rules well post your classroom rules but anyways
so my top rules that seem to save me a great deal of headache now I do have
11 golden rules I'm going to share with
you my top golden rules that do save me a lot of headache during the year because I have them posted.
(12:53):
Game changers. My tardy policy. What does being tardy look like or what does
being on time to my class look like and what's the expectation for my students when they are tardy?
My limited restroom passes and my no-go parts of the period.
So I limit my restroom passes to two passes per her nine weeks.
(13:13):
That's me. Some teachers do three. Cool. Good for you.
But I also have no-go parts to the period where I tell my students,
hey, I'm not letting you go to the restroom.
If up at the board teaching a lesson or addressing the entire class,
that's not restroom time.
Because that's something that every student needs to hear, including you.
I post the personal electronics policy, the school policy, the county policy,
(13:37):
my classroom policy, the food and drink policy, whether they're allowed to eat
or drink, have gum or candy, et cetera. All that is posted.
And the growth mindset and effort policy is also one of my golden rules that I have posted.
But the key, you know, how do I get my students to self-correct?
(13:59):
How do I get my students to correct others?
How do I write less than five referrals per school year?
And referencing your
posted golden rules daily the
first week of school is really really important and even
touching on them again during the second week is important and hitting them
(14:21):
again after you've come back from a break you know if you had a three-day weekend
or if we just came back from the Thanksgiving holiday the winter break spring
break I go back over those jokers again but But whenever I'm going over those
golden rules the first week.
I make my redirection of students general.
So I don't call specific people out and quote unquote shame them about not following my rule.
(14:48):
I make it very general. I give general reminders as I see my students out of
compliance, allowing them that window of opportunity to check themselves.
I reference the rule number and I point to it as I give the redirection.
So I say, you know, hey, I see a few of you guys are not following rule number
four. So just go ahead and take a look up here.
(15:10):
Remind yourself of what rule number four is. And if you see that you are not
in compliance with that, just go ahead real quick and just kind of shift gears.
But throughout the year, you know, redirect your students with ease.
Like by having your golden rules posted, it makes redirection so easy because
all I have to say without missing a beat is Jenny, rule number three.
(15:30):
Now, Jenny's going to look up at rule number three. Jenny's going to read it.
She's going to reflect on how she's breaking rule number three,
and then she's going to fix it.
And I get to keep going with whatever I was doing.
And whenever I get new students, I usually pick a neighboring classmate of theirs
to go over the golden rules with them.
(15:51):
So now they're kind of making a little friend, but it's, you know,
it's reiterating what culture I have in my classroom for those students that are just joining us.
All right, the next one, goal number three, a collaborative classroom culture.
Goal number three, a collaborative classroom culture.
(16:11):
The vision of this, okay, what this looks like in my mind is my students are
working harmoniously together.
My stronger students are tutoring.
My not so strong students, my lower performing students are actively asking
questions and getting help from their peers.
Everyone in the group works together using critical thinking and problem-solving
(16:32):
skills in order to complete academic-based tasks.
So again, how do I move from a vision into implementation?
The easiest way to foster a highly collaborative culture is to start group conversations,
group activities, group games, all of that stuff during the first week.
(16:53):
Having your students work collaboratively two to three days during the first
week seems to be the sweet spot.
Make note that the activities do not have to take the entire period in order
to be considered collaborative.
Collaborative so you can mix those in and take 15 minutes
and do a collaborative activity does not have to be the entire period but you
just want them to get accustomed to group conversations group activities group
(17:17):
games collaboration and ideally you kind of want to start small that first week
and build yourself up because you know you've got those kids that have anxiety,
sometimes it's a new school they don't know people in the class because their
friends sit and get your class period, so on and so forth.
So you don't want to just, you don't want to make it extremely uncomfortable.
Do start small and talk to your students about what good collaboration looks
(17:44):
like, what good collaboration sounds like.
I tend to circulate the classroom during those activities and I go to each group
and I make sure I give praise for things that I see and hear that show good collaboration.
And then I also make sure that I redirect if I see some things that I,
(18:04):
you know, are not favorable to, you know, good collaboration and group work.
I also make it known daily during that first week that they will be working
together on a regular basis,
on a weekly basis, at least two to three times per week, if not more,
(18:25):
Or throughout the entire school year, they're going to be working in groups.
So they should go ahead and try to be open-minded because it's not going anywhere.
But again, for tips on how to seamlessly incorporate small group games into
your class, I do have a post.
(18:46):
It's called the rules to rule playing games in small groups.
So if you're trying to create that collaborative culture and you're not quite
sure how to implement it seamlessly without all of those extra classroom management
issues, you definitely want to check that one out.
Or if you're like, yeah, lady, that sounds great in theory that your whole class is kumbaya.
(19:08):
Working together. But what about those jokers that absolutely refuse to work
in groups because they don't like people, they don't like this person or that person specifically?
Whatever. How do you handle that, missy? Well, don't worry. I got a post for you too.
And it is called Collaborate or Else.
So you can find both of these after you finish this podcast episode.
(19:31):
Go ahead and scroll through and find those.
And I'm sure there's something in there for you. But I want to tell you the
key to creating that collaborative culture.
You want to keep the focus on how to properly collaborate.
That first week, if the content is too challenging, meaning you're trying to
have these students work on grade level material while they're still learning
(19:56):
your procedures and expectations,
a lot of your students are going to shut down in order to avoid feeling embarrassed
because it's something that they, the content is freaking them out.
Being in a new class is freaking them out.
Having you as a new teacher is freaking them out. It's just a lot going on.
So you have to be willing to take away some of that anxiety.
(20:17):
Please, please, please, please, please avoid having content that is too difficult.
Make sure that you reiterate your expectations repeatedly, heatedly, that you give feedback,
positive feedback and redirective feedback as the kids are learning what your expectations are.
(20:40):
Reiterate what you want to see, what you want to hear. Make sure to give the
feedback and make sure you circulate in order to be able to do that.
But in terms of content, I cannot stress this enough.
Try using something that allows each student to share their thoughts,
process each other's ideas and start building towards a solution.
(21:00):
So if you're going to absolutely feel like you have to use academic content,
consider using items that are at least two grade levels below what you should
be teaching those particular students.
Now, for me, I tend to do things like brain teasers,
puzzles, riddles, things that are just a little bit more fun that they just,
(21:22):
you know, it's fun fun for them to try to figure out while they're learning
how to operate in my collaborative classroom environment.
The fourth goal I have is to implement rotations or stations,
however you like to call it.
But my vision for this is I have a minimum of three different stations going on at the same time.
(21:44):
And usually there's a digital station, a collaborative station that's more so
paper-based and a teacher-led station.
Students are working on the task at their specific stations without me having
to prompt them or to go to each specific station to get them started.
While the students are working, they are on task, they are on topic.
Groups are able to rotate to the next station in a non-chaotic manner.
(22:08):
That's my visions in a perfect classroom. Now, how do I go from that vision
into actual implementation?
Well, what is taking place at each of the stations can be mixed and matched
based on teacher preferences, content, so on and so forth.
But what I make sure to model for my students is when they come into the classroom,
(22:31):
they need to know that they are looking at the SMART board.
And from the board, they are going to find their name and they are going to
move to sit and start working at the appropriate location on the appropriate assignments.
When they come in, they find their name. They're like, oh, I'm supposed to be
sitting at the green group. Green group is over here.
(22:51):
Awesome. And at each station, I have instructions posted on the wall or the
task is already on the desk in the area that they're going to be working at.
And I make sure that I list any supplies that they need. I let them know if
it is an individual or collaborative assignment.
(23:12):
I let them know whether it is going to be digital based, paper based or a combination of both.
I also put the protocol for getting help.
So maybe they have questions or they're confused or they need help on the problem.
What is the protocol for getting help from myself or from their peers?
And I also let them know on that same sheet what I will be checking as part of their grade.
(23:37):
So I'll outline everything is at their station and I try to make sure that they
don't really need me for nothing.
Because, again, I have a teacher led station that I'm running,
so I'm not available on call. so I try to do my best to minimize that.
I make sure that there is a timer displayed so that the students are aware of
how much time they have remaining at that particular station.
(23:59):
And prior to rotating to that next station, I restate the direction or the order that they're going in.
I reiterate how much time they have to be seated, settled, and starting on their
new station assignment.
I also remind them that the transition should be quiet it and that they should
(24:20):
also be keeping their hands to themselves.
Yes, I teach high schoolers, but I can guarantee you that they love to pull
people's ears, ponytails, poke people, step on people's shoes.
They still like to do stuff like that. So even in a high school environment,
I have to say you need to quietly transition and keep your hands to yourself.
(24:40):
All right. Now, some teachers do like to use a transition song.
Wrong. Simply put, you know, just have some way to make sure that there's an
indicator for your students to know that one, it is time to transition and that
there's an indicator that the transition time is now over and that they should be settled.
So, you know, some teachers do chants, some teachers do a song,
(25:03):
some teachers do gestures.
Make it your own. We just have some indicator to to hold the students accountable.
And even though I may be utilizing a teacher-led station, always make sure that
I create points where my group that I'm working with is working on a task.
(25:23):
And I'd say, okay, I'm gonna give you guys three or four minutes.
I want you guys to work together and I want you to do this or you're gonna work
by yourself for the next three to four minutes. I'm gonna go check on my other groups.
And when I come back, I expect to see this problem either fully done or at least
partially done so I can give you some feedback,
something along those lines, but just a way where I can step away from my teacher-led
(25:44):
group and still go and check in on the other groups.
Once I'm done checking on those other groups, again, I pop back and I check
on my teacher-led group.
So what is the key to implementing these rotations and stations,
especially setting it up during the first week of school?
(26:05):
Again, people, the focus should be on the process of what and how to do rotations,
not so much on the content.
Stop trying to give these kids great level work the first week of school.
Make the task something they can complete in the time allotted.
You could have them doing origami at one station, coloring a page on this station,
(26:27):
doing a journal entry at this station, whatever.
Just making sure that they understand how to get to their station,
how to know what they're supposed to do at their station, go through the process
of working at the station and going through the process of transitioning to the next station.
That's the focus, not so much the content.
(26:49):
Another key to implementing these rotations and stations that first week,
monitor, give praise and redirect your students as you circulate.
You have to be hands on, y'all. Try to keep redirection general and praise specific.
So if you see someone doing something wrong, make a general statement.
Hey guys, remember that you're supposed to be reading your task card at your
(27:11):
station to know what you're supposed to be doing.
That's where you get your instructions but that's general
even though there are only maybe one kid that's lost and
confused of what they're supposed to be doing keep redirection general
but keep praise specific man i want
to give a shout out to the ucf group because they are all seated got seated
(27:32):
on time they're reading the task card together and they're really trying to
make sure they understand what they're supposed to be doing great job ucf group
something like that so the The reason why you want to keep redirection general,
but your praise specific is it allows students to self-correct themselves without feeling isolated.
But then it also motivates them because now their group is like,
(27:53):
okay, let's get it together because we want the next shout out.
And just be willing to sound like a broken record. Another key to implementing
something this complex is just repetition is pertinent and know that you're
going to repeat yourself 101 times per period.
Also, another key to implementing this is try to be as organized as possible
ahead of time. Have the instructions already posted.
(28:16):
Have the materials provided.
The more organized you are, the easier it will be for your students to fall in line.
When you are frantic, when you are confused, when you are chaotic,
I promise you, your darling students that want you to love them so very,
very much, because it's the first week and everybody wants to be like my new
(28:38):
teacher, They are going to start, and I'm using quotations, y'all.
They're going to start helping you by making up their own things,
which we all know turns out to be the farthest thing from helpful.
So keep your kids from helping you by making sure that you're organized as possible
(28:58):
during these implementation stages.
All right. All right. Goal number five. My last goal.
Last but not least is creating a culture of growth mindset and a risk-free learning environment.
So those both kind of are enmeshed. The vision I have for that is students are
willing to try any question I put in front of them.
(29:20):
They may not like making mistakes, but they understand mistakes are great learning tools.
When given feedback, students are willing to make corrections and willing to
reflect on their errors. They are determined and persistent to understand the
process and not simply trying to get the quick answer.
(29:41):
So that's my vision. How do I move from vision into implementation?
It looks a little bit like this.
The first week of school, as my students work on various styles of tasks,
I always drive home a very specific idea.
And that is the idea that I do not give two flying flippity flips about the right answer.
(30:02):
My goal and my focus is not on the right answer.
I only care that they tried, that they corrected and that they reflected.
I teach my students early on that I primarily care about them participating
in the learning process and keeping a positive mindset.
Because sidebar, if they are willing to participate fully in the learning process
(30:26):
and are willing to keep a positive growth mindset, the learning will naturally happen anyway.
But back to implementation. We discuss the growth mindset.
We discuss what does that look like? What does growth mindset sound like?
We also watch a couple of videos on it, and I try to soothe their anxiety about
school being based on right or wrong.
(30:47):
I try to get them comfortable with making mistakes, including making some mistakes of my own.
And let me tell you, some of them I make on purpose to see if they're paying attention.
But other times I just genuinely be messing something up. I'll be wrong.
And I tell them, you know, this one was not on purpose, y'all.
All, I was just wrong. Good catch.
(31:07):
And I even throw them some extra credit if they catch my mistake.
If they catch my genuine mistake that I really wasn't trying to make,
I give them extra credit for that.
Anywho, but when talking about creating a risk-free learning environment,
it best happens when I make sure that their grade on assignments and their grade
(31:28):
in the class is primarily based on how much they engage with the learning process
and how much they demonstrate a growth mindset.
So part of this happens by only allowing wrong answers to count against them on a quiz or a test.
And I explain that concept so much more in greater detail in my post,
no risk, great reward, the risk-free learning environment.
(31:51):
So if you want to kind of dive a little bit deeper into that and get more details
on what that really looks like, sounds like, and how to create that in your
classroom, Feel free to check that out after this episode.
But the key to creating that growth mindset, that risk-free learning environment,
starting with the first week, is when utilizing this type of teaching style,
(32:12):
you cannot be flip-floppy, okay?
You have to be very consistent with that mindset on a day-to-day basis.
Majority of your students' grades will need to come from their willingness to
try, to correct, and to reflect. So, yes, it's like more so participation points,
but it's based on their participation in the learning process.
And you subtract points only when they do not fully engage in that learning
(32:38):
process or they are no longer operating in that growth mindset process.
If they did not correct their paper or if they just absolutely decided they
weren't going to try in the first place, or maybe they tried once or twice,
but then they gave up, they should lose points for that.
Or maybe they tried and corrected their paper, but they weren't willing to reflect
(32:59):
on the mistake they made.
Well, they should lose points for that because they have to reprogram their brain.
So all of that is a part of the learning process and they get points along the
way for doing the learning process fully.
As I like to tell my students, they are throwing away free points when they
don't fully engage in that learning process or when they refuse to stay in that growth mindset.
(33:21):
Yes, a quiz or test should be graded for accuracy. I mean, they are actual assessments.
However, I allow everything else to be practiced. And if you do that,
too, then the results will blow your mind as far as getting especially low performing
students or kids that hate your class, hate your subject, hate school in general.
You will be surprised at how much participation you get out of those students.
(33:45):
But you are going to have to constantly repeat your growth mindset and your
learning process expectations.
And I say you have to repeat that on a daily basis. Reason being is because
most teachers don't operate in this fashion.
So the concept is really hard for
many students to trust it's very foreign to them
and well at least until
(34:07):
they see that you mean what you say and say what you mean
you're gonna have to just repeat that until you've proven yourself to them and
they trust it and they believe it and they fall into place with it naturally
but if you are looking for some risk-free secondary math activities check out
the virtually impossible teachers pay teacher store for some secondary math,
(34:28):
self-checking, self-grading, color change activities.
But in conclusion, okay, your first week of school, starting with the end in mind,
Most states have a nine to 10 month school year. That is a long time to be with your students.
And you have to decide how you want your school year to look.
(34:49):
And I am pretty sure no teacher ever sets out to have a chaotic year.
And I'm talking no teacher sets out to have one of those years where their students
are just unruly and don't listen.
The best way to prevent that is to start with the end in mind.
Do not be so hell-bent on teaching grade-level content the first week of school.
(35:11):
The first week is when 99% of your students are going to be on their P's and
Q's, their best behavior.
They want to make a good impression and win you over.
So use this time as to your advantage.
Like while their brains are willing to be sponges, fill their sponges up with
(35:32):
all the rules, all the procedures and all the expectations for the various activities
you are going to require of them throughout the school year.
Use that time to model, to expect and to redirect.
I'm going to say it one more again. Use that time to model, to expect and to redirect. Correct.
When you do this early on, it sets a tone and creates all churs.
(35:57):
OK, it creates those cultures from those visions that y'all have.
It makes those visions reality.
It also eliminates a lot of resistance down the line because you have been doing
certain things all along from the beginning.
Even if you start something out in small doses like the rotations,
you start them off the first week of school, but they don't see it again until
(36:20):
the third week of school. at least you've already started them out with it. Just starting with,
The end in mind, even in small doses, they have seen it before,
they have heard it before, they have experienced before, and they are less likely to resist.
You are less likely to get backlash or shut down.
Consistency is key. Your first week of school should be similar to your last
(36:44):
weeks of school, and so should all the other weeks between.
Avoid, please y'all, avoid starting things that you know you cannot be consistent
with. It makes you less trustworthy in the eyes of your students.
So remember, it is easier to create a classroom culture when it is the only
culture that your students have ever known you as their teacher to have.
(37:10):
Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Virtually Impossible Presents
Lazy Learning Land podcast.
Comment below some of your goals you want for your classroom and how you plan
to start Start them off that first week of school.
If you have a goal, but you are unsure how to start setting it up,
drop a comment below so our community can love on you with responses.
(37:34):
Since there is strength in lazy, be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to this
podcast, my blog on virtuallyimpossible.net, no apostrophe, and our social media
platforms, Pinterest and Instagram.
Instagram virtually underscore I'm underscore possible for IG and virtually
(37:56):
I'm possible on Pinterest.
So you can feel at home among other lazy learners.
This is your girl S-Dot signing off.
And until next episode, remember to live long and lazy and never, ever work too hard.
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