Getting Started

I decided to start as basic as possible because I want my students to feel like they have ownership of this space. I want them to see themselves within these learning walls and give them choices to support them with how they learn best. What I think works may not serve all learners. Also, making decisions together will support us with building community. 

A classroom library is in place but the books are not sorted. I hope the kids will naturally decide on a system. Lots of teaching moments can from this...types of genres, author series, alphabetical order, and more. My personal materials are unpacked but are not labelled. I will have the students label them. Most of the writing that is displayed in the classroom will come from the students. They will also help to make decisions on how to organize the materials. If they have a hand in all of this organization they are more apt to use the books and materials, and have an awareness of what is available to them.

The math kit provided by my Board has not been unpacked. This will be one of my math lessons. We will unpack together and the students will have an opportunity to explore all of the materials. During this time we will discuss the importance of using manipulatives and how the manipulatives can support math concepts. I want to students to realize that the manipulatives are thinking tools, and using them is not seen as a sign of weakness. They will be incorporated into almost everything we do. My focus this year will be making math and other kinds of learning very visual.

The bulletin boards have been covered with butcher paper and invitations are attached to them (What Should We Do With This Space to Help Use Learn? and Let's show our thinking and learning here!). My goal is to use some of the boards as documentation panels to show our thinking and how it evolves. We will start with growth mindset and building community and then go from there. 

The students will arrive to find paper on their desks and a note on the board inviting them to create a name tag for their lockers and their desks. I will invite them to choose their own lockers, and their own desks. They will know immediately that they have choices in their learning and in their learning space. Let the community building begin!