As the 2024-2025 school year gears up, teachers across the globe are wondering what do I need to do? What do I need to purchase? What do I do on the first day?
As a teacher of 24 years, I have these questions every year. I grab a notebook and make a list.
What are some things I need to do?
1. Set up my classroom
I first think about what I want it to look like. I try to change it every year. I start by sketching out what I want my room to look like. I go stand in the middle of the chaos and clutter of materials and began moving things around the room. I get them in one place and step back and look. Sometimes I go out of the room and come back or either just leave and come back the next day. Is this what I wanted? Usually my first arrangement is never my final arrangement. I move things around, thinking about flow of traffic, visibility of say the dry erase boards, desk and meeting areas. I think about how to arrange things so I have room to move around easily.
Once I set up my room, I sit down and think what needs to be done and then I prioritize them. Here is the list I have for this year:
1. Library set up
2. Reading Nooks
3. Professional Books to read
4. Materials for Stations
5. Small group meeting area
6. Supplies I need
7. Toolkit Exemplar Notebooks
8. Room arrangement
9. Bulletin Boards
4. Materials for Stations
5. Small group meeting area
6. Supplies I need
7. Toolkit Exemplar Notebooks
8. Room arrangement
9. Bulletin Boards
10. Additional furniture I may want to incorporate into the decor
11. Curriculum
12. Technology
11. Curriculum
12. Technology
One of my first priorities now that I am in Middle school was setting up my Classroom Library. I determing where I will place it in the classroom, and how many bookcases I will need. I than pull all my books off my library and start sorting my Fiction and Nonfiction books. I do several more sortings to make sure the books represent my classroom makeup. I create an anchor chart of the rules and post for everyone to see. Every year, I relabel and regroup my baskets.
The possible sorts are by: author, series, genres, topics, and categories. Within each of these baskets, they are different reading levels, I put the level on the inside of the books, because the levels are for the teacher not the student. This becomes part of my conferring data and analysis. I make sure to have an easel, a basket of materials, and a basket of read aloud books centrally located in the library or close towhere students gather for the min lesson. Lastly, I create a plan of action to present the library to the students.
I then focused in how I wanted my Small Group reading area to look. I find a table or desk, stack trays for dcuments, baskets for supplies and and mentor text.
I think of Management and organization. I group the desk allowing for student interaction and collaboration. I create a materials basked and job list in the middle of the desk. In the basket are sentence stips, writing utensils, color pencils, scissors, highlghters, sticky notes , accountable talk cards, and discussion cards.
These are the Group Jobs I use. I create cards for each of these and tape them around the materials basket.
Recorder-
Table Leader /Facilator
Materials manager/Reporter-
Materials manager/Reporter-
Time Keeper
I think about ways to utilize technology. Students have their own chromebooks in our district, which is a blessing and a curse. I love using Padlet, Peardeck, Google slides and Flipgrid as a way of providing differentiation for scholars. Students have access to the school online library where they can read and create bookbags of books, they are all assigned to a Canvas class, where teachers post modules of resources and assignmetns. During the Summer, I set up my beginning of the year module as well as a Book suggestion module, where I create slideshows representing books from different genres and cultural backgrounds.
I think about ways to utilize technology. Students have their own chromebooks in our district, which is a blessing and a curse. I love using Padlet, Peardeck, Google slides and Flipgrid as a way of providing differentiation for scholars. Students have access to the school online library where they can read and create bookbags of books, they are all assigned to a Canvas class, where teachers post modules of resources and assignmetns. During the Summer, I set up my beginning of the year module as well as a Book suggestion module, where I create slideshows representing books from different genres and cultural backgrounds.
I often spend the Summer rereading book for the first unit of study. I always look briefly over them and mark or list things that I may need to copy for the students. I list learning targets, and then search for read alouds to use for mini lessons and instruction.
I look at data from last year and begin forming small groups. I look at their Reading Level and study the Reading continuum and figure out where to start. I match it with the units of study and sketch out possible lessons and/or activities. This changes when school starts, It just kind of gives me a starting point.
However, It's the first day of school. Now what?
My main goal is building Relationships with students. I read books, we play games, we complete surveys, prompts while introducing myself to them through powerpoints sharing personal and related reading materials that can build bridges and connections to students.
I look at data from last year and begin forming small groups. I look at their Reading Level and study the Reading continuum and figure out where to start. I match it with the units of study and sketch out possible lessons and/or activities. This changes when school starts, It just kind of gives me a starting point.
However, It's the first day of school. Now what?
My main goal is building Relationships with students. I read books, we play games, we complete surveys, prompts while introducing myself to them through powerpoints sharing personal and related reading materials that can build bridges and connections to students.
I provide construction paper, markers,, crayons and instruct students they can create a poster, a book mark or something of their choice to introduce themselves to their table mates, and the class. These visuals become my first bulletin board for the year.
I plan to talk about Mindset, setting goals, classroom routines, management of materials and procedures. I use books to introduce the concept and then we do an activity. We engage in practice academy in relation to rules and procedures. There are two types of mini lessons I engage in during the first few weeks of school.
1. Management and Procedural - for classroom
2. Management and Procedural- for Reading Workshop
I usually take the first three weeks, as stated building community and relationships while weaving in an out of management and procedural expectations as I engage in content instruction. We revisit rules, routines and procedures daily until they become automatic. Some are written on anchor charts, some are just referred to daily as reminders as needed.
Book Suggestions:
Mindset: I never Make Mistakes, The Girl That Never Makes Mistakes or Brain Elasticity
Behavior: Mrs. Nelson is Missing, My Mouth is a Volcano, Each Kindness,
Library/Reading The Librarian of Baszra, The Library Card,Mrs. Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind
Other books I have used before
The worst Day of my Life Ever
Have you filled a Bucket today
The Day You Begin
Thank you Mr. Faulkner
A Letter from Your Teacher
Our class is a Family
All Are Welcomed
How to Read a Book
How to Read a Book
Patricia Polacco and Eve Bunting books are great to use even in the Middle school setting.
Do you need more support or guidance in setting up and using the classroom library follow my blog, check out my social media sites:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-lawson/
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