Roadtripping

Roadtrips are my personal favorite. I don’t even care where we are going in all honesty. I appreciate and respect the process. Organize your loved ones, get into the car, have your playlists, snacks, and destinations ready to rock and roll, and enjoy until you reach your destination. If you are even luckier, you’ll have some unexpected twists and turns leading to an epic adventure or a fantastic story.  The beginning of the school year has a similar feeling for me. A blank slate or open road. Make sure my classroom is set up just the way I like it, decorate my space with my expectations, rubrics, word walls, national and state standards, and visual aides to encompass all learning styles. Let’s start driving. 

A successful start to the school year for me means making my expectations known right from the get go. Not only do I want my students to know what I’m expecting of them, but I want to know what they are expecting of me as well as their classmates. I am a firm believer in creating classroom expectations with each one of my classes. I share my four or five essentials before opening it up to my class to fill in the rest. I am constantly surprised at how seriously my students take this process and how it lays the foundation for my greatest hope for the year to come - buy in. As teachers, we can’t reach the heights we aspire to without a genuine and sincere buy in. A quote I share on the first few days to drive this point home “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” Now on day one, this just seems like a cheesy quote out of a Hallmark card. For me, it is the first crucial step in our group roadtrip. 

Teachers - start off successfully this school year. Buckle your seatbelts, print out your directions, and keep all hands and feet inside the car for the journey ahead. If you haven’t completed your rubrics for the school year, now is the time. If you need a hand in creating rubrics or your first unit plan, sign up for a meeting with me. I’d be honored to help you establish, strengthen, or reimagine your classroom protocols. While running through your class syllabus, share how soon the first checkpoint or assessment will be approaching. Let your kiddos know you mean business and they should too. If phones are frequent in your school building, have your students add the first assessment to their calendars. Cell phones can be a powerful tool for educational purposes. If this seems daunting and you have interest in a thinking partner, reach out and let’s hit the road together. 

Good luck this year,

Kevin