Tips for Beginning the School Year

Starting the new school year is an exciting and stressful time for teachers. This page
(which is excerpted from The Cornerstone book) will help you plan and prepare for the
first day of school while maintaining your sanity.

Planning for the first weeks of school

If its any consolation to a stressed-out teacher in August, let me assure you, the start of
school is definitely the hardest time, and things WILL get easier as the school year
progresses! I think thats good news, because we as teachers get the worst part over
with right away. There are days in the beginning of the year in which you want to
collapse by noon because you are so exhausted/ Thats totally normal, even for veteran
teachers! So if youre close to having a nervous breakdown and school hasnt even
begun yet, be encouraged. There will be other stressful points in the year, certainly- but
by the end of September, youll be over the first- and biggest- hurdle. There is light at
the end of the tunnel!

Two misconceptions
When preparing for their first job, new teachers often talk to people and find resources
that guide them to make two mistakes in their thinking:

1) Planning for the very first day is the most important thing
2) Having back-to-school activities is essential
The truth is that creating, introducing, modeling, and reinforcing your procedures and
routines is the most critical task you will need to focus on and accomplish in the
beginning of the year. You will be setting the tone for your class throughout the first
several weeks of school. You will be constantly reinforcing your rules and routines
because you cant teach all of your procedures on the first day, and students need lots
of modeling and practice. Plan aheadwhat will you do on the SECOND day of school?
Its important to think out how you will reinforce your routines the following week, and
the week after that. (Dont worry, Ive created an entire section of my website thats
devoted to showing you how to create, introduce, and reinforce routines and
procedures).
The second misperception comes from the wealth of resources about what to do with
the kids on the first day of school. You teach them, thats what! Rules, routines,
procedures, and then academics as soon as possible. You dont need a bunch of
cutesy get-to-know-you games mixed in with curriculum litein fact, many principals
are cracking down on this tradition and insisting that new curriculum be taught on the
first day of school. Whether you think thats too extreme or not, the best teachers do get
procedures in place quickly so they can get down to business right away. You only have
your children for 10 months- you cannot afford to waste a week or two on back to school
activities. The exception to this is when those activities are educational, but that is
seldom the case- the purpose is generally to get kids acclimated and ready to learn. If
students know your expectations and procedures, and your classroom tone is safe and
inviting, students will adjust easily within your regular curriculum and routines.

Preparing for classroom and behavior management

The most important thing you can do is plan out your routines (the regular procedures).
All of them. Pencil sharpening, bathroom privileges, passing in papers, even stacking
chairs on desks at the end of the day. Figure out exactly what you want kids to do, and
how to communicate those expectations to them. The more specific you are, the less
room there will be for students to misinterpret or push the limits of what is acceptable.
Write down the procedures you plan in case you forget or if you are put on the spot, and
leave the list for substitutes so they can reference it when needed. Dont worry, you can
always change things later. Its better to say to students, You know? I dont thinking
this way is working, lets try this than to let the classroom be a free-for-all until you have
it all figured out. (By the way, even after thirty years in the classroom, you wont EVER
have it all figured out. I still try new procedures and routines every year, looking for the
optimal way to make my classroom run smoothly. Thats part of the art of teaching-
enjoy the possibilities!).

You cant teach it all the first day. You have to prioritize which routines must be taught
first thing, which can be taught later in the day, and which can wait for later in the
week. How to move about in the classroom (no running), where to hang coats and
backpacks, and hand-raising policies are things you will probably cover as the situations
arise naturally within the first half hour of the children being in the room. Later, you can
practice hall behavior, bathroom expectations, pencil sharpening routines, and rules/
conflict resolution. (With my Pre-K children I would talk about friendship and respect as
soon as the class was settled down, so that I could begin to model problem solving,
rather than spend the day intervening in conflicts. Young children are in school to learn
social skills, so I think that is appropriate. With elementary-aged kids, I generally wait
until the afternoon or the second day because they already have some knowledge of
what is appropriate and what isnt in school). In the afternoon, you can teach them how
to head their papers, homework procedures, and dismissal routines. On the second
day, you will explicitly reinforce what you have already taught, and add things such as
how to pass in papers, distribute supplies, and participate in teaching techniques you
plan to use (think-pair-share, partner reading, noise level monitoring devices, three-
before-me, etc.).

On the How to Create Class Rules page, youll learn the difference between rules and
procedures, how to set class rules/goals and introduce them to children in the beginning
of the year, and find guidelines for choosing logical consequences.

Guidelines for choosing back-to-school activities

Remember the purpose of your back to school activities- to set up an environment

conducive to learning and reinforce procedures and rules so that you can begin to teach
the curriculum as soon as possible. If an activity does not contribute to that goal, why
use it?
 If you are a beginning teacher (or a veteran who gets easily stressed out),
keep it very, very simple. You can always try those elaborate lessons later in the
year, or next school year.
Pick activities that require very little planning and prep work on your part,
and that use few materials. You dont want to be in the middle of a project and
realize you dont have tempera paint or pipe cleaners, because your students will
require your constant and full attention on the first day of school.
Choose several activities which your students can do independently, even
if its a simple word search or coloring page. You may not plan to use them, but if
an urgent issue comes up, you need to have something to engage the students. You
may also need a few minutes of down time for yourself.
The slideshow below features some excellent books to read aloud during the first week
of school. Many of them address students fears, while others help you set classroom
expectations. Ive also included a few teacher resource books that I think have great
back-to-school activities. Also, on the 5 Pro-Active Strategies page, Ive included book
recommendations specifically designed to help you set expectationstheyre great to
read during the first few days of school.

When to start teaching academic concepts

You can introduce academic concepts on the first day if you and your students are
ready, the second day at the latest. Your activities could be as simple as a Mad Minute
addition drill kids that love, a spelling game, or map activities- you dont have to get into
the text immediately, but do start working. The children are there to learn, not to get to
know each other- after the second day, let that part happen naturally.

Procedures and routines can be built right into academic lessons. For example, plan a
shorter-than-normal writing prompt so you can spend fifteen minutes teaching how to
head papers. Plan a brief math lesson using manipulatives so you can introduce the
items to the children and practice using them correctly first.

When and how to start reading group and center routines

This will depend on your comfort level, how well you have established routines, how
mature your group is, and of course, the requirements of your administration. Usually,
between the third and fourth weeks of school is about right. However, this is a slow
process. Its a critical part of two of the most important tasks you will tackle this year:
maintaining order in your classroom and teaching your students to read. It takes
considerable time and attention at the beginning of the year to make the process run
smoothly. I would advise you not to worry about reading groups before school starts,
because youve got more immediate matters to attend to.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if Ive forgotten to plan for a procedure or routine?

While its important to plan things out in advance, it just isnt possible to prepare for
every eventuality. The good news, whether you realize it or not yet, is that teachers are
good at thinking on their feet! Handle new situations as they ariseits better to have to
change a procedure than to not introduce one at all and let the kids run the show
however they want. Just remember that your students will have to un-learn any routines
you create (or dont create, and therefore dont enforce) once you know what you want
them to do. You can find information about planning for arrival/dismissal routines,
bathroom/hallway/water fountain procedures, collecting/distributing papers, and more in
the Routines and Procedures section of this website.
How do I prepare when I dont have a classroom or cant access it yet?
Sometimes you wont be able to do much until the last minute because you dont know
which school or grade level youll be in, or you cant access your room for some reason.
(One year my school was being painted and the contractors were behind schedule. The
estimated completion date was August 16ththe students first day of school!)

In those situations, the best thing to do is gather your ideas and plan your routines.
That year, I used my summer to do lots of research on word walls and morning
messages, plus I made centers that I knew second graders would need no matter what
the curriculum looked like (since I didnt have the documents yet). Try to get in contact
with other teachers in your district who can explain things to you. You can also go to
your school and school systems website. Take a look at your union contract (which is
probably available online) and take some time to get to know the district expectations
and your rights. If you read your contract, you can most likely find out how many hours
your workday is, how much planning time you are entitled to, how many mandatory
meetings can be held, and other info that is important to keep up with. You wont have
time to read that once school starts, so its a good thing to do early on. Theres no point
in stressing out or worrying, so take a deep breath and try to relax!
Help! Im panicking! There is no way Im going to get this all done before the first
day of school
I think every new teacher (and most veterans!) feel this way at the start of the year.
Teachers always go around asking each other, Are you ready? Are you ready? and we
all roll our eyes and say, No, even if I had another week I would still have a million more
things to do. The good news is, not everything has to be done before the first day of
school.

Remember: You dont have to grade anything right away. Dont stay after school the
first week marking papersget your room and lessons together! Its important not to let
things pile up, but prioritize. You have eight more weeks before grades are due.

What do I do with the supplies students send in?

Children come in on the first day of school with all kinds of cool supplies, half of which
werent on your list. Theyll also continue to bring in supplies during the first few weeks
of school, especially in impoverished communities in which parents wait to shop until the
payday after school starts. Have notebook paper and pencils ready to loan to those
who come to school with nothing in their backpacks and decide how you will handle
returning supplies youve lent out and the possibility of borrowing from other students.

What if school is starting and I feel like my classroom still isnt set up or
organized the way I want it?
Thats okay! Everything doesnt have to be in place right away. Setting up takes awhile,
and youll want to change things as you figure out how you want to use materials and
space. I like to rearrange all year long. It takes the pressure off me in August because I
know nothing is permanent, and I get to adapt things to accommodate the childrens
changing needs.

Is it normal to develop an eye twitch because Im on complete information

overload?
YES. Even veteran teachers who have been at the same school teaching the same
grade for years feel this way every Augustif you dont believe me, ask them! Teachers
have a TON of information thrown at them during the fall, and between technology
glitches, curriculum gaps, and procedural omissions and misinformation, EVERYONE
feels like theyre getting way more information than they could ever possibly retain. Take
good notes and keep your handouts organized and easily accessible (try taking your
notebook and teaching guides home at night to review). It wont be like this forever, I
promise! Usually by the second week, I feel like Im in my groove, and most new
teachers begin feeling this way sometime during the first quarter. There is an end in
sight!

The beginning of the year is the most physically and intellectually draining for everyone,
but you wont be falling into bed exhausted EVERY night for the entire year. Be
prepared to work extra hard now and you will reap the benefits quickly. And whatever
you do, remember that feeling overwhelmed is completely normal, and that even if other
teachers arent showing it, theyre experiencing beginning-of-the-year stress, too. Youre
not an idiot because youre unable to process everything the first time you hear it. Its
okay to do things wrong the first time, make lots of inadvertent mistakes, ask questions
that have already been answered, have people repeat themselves, and get them to
remind you of their names one more time.

Professiona
l Reading
Program

A public neighborhood within wildfirelessons.net called the

"Fireline Leadership Reading Room" was established as a forum
for students of fire to discuss books their local unit is reading
and/or wants to share with other members of the fire service. Join
today!

We have also developed a task, purpose, and end state for the
reading program to make its intent clear.

The Professional Reading Program is tasked with providing a

program and delivery system of literature designed to foster
leadership development at all levels of the fire service. It is here
as an additional tool to help develop current and future leaders
using reading to expand the breadth and depth of their leadership
skills. The end state of the PRP is a sustainable and adaptable
program that is engaged by leaders of all levels to support a
continued growth in leadership through reading.

2016 Reading Challenge

The WFDLP is issuing the 2016 reading challenge! The book

chosen as the primary focus for this year is Yes to the Mess by
Frank J. Barrett. Yes to the Mess is a book about leading well in
dynamic, complex environments, where conditions are frequently
changing, chaos and confusion are common, and innovation in
the face of adversity is needed. At its core, it's about how leaders
and followers can adapt and find success when things get
"messy," when plans fall apart and leaders are confronted with
new or unfamiliar obstacles and challenges. Using his experience
as a jazz musician, as well as examples from other areas of
business and industry, the author shows that adaptability and
innovation in groups is critical to success. While the examples in
the book are primarily from the business world, the ideas and
concepts apply well to wildland fire organizations.

The intent of the challenge is to promote the reading

and discussion of the book throughout the spring
and summer. Discussions are encouraged on
the WFLDP Facebook page, the Wildland Fire Lessons
Learned Center Fireline Leadership Reading Room,
and ready rooms, engine bays, and fire caches
across the land.

A new tool for 2016 and beyond is the discussion guide for this
and other titles.

Jazz and improvisation in leadership not your thing? Several other

books have been selected for this year's reading list, and more
will be added to the website throughout the year. Pick one and
start a discussion with your coworkers!

Happy reading!

Yes to the Mess discussion guide

Leading well in dynamic, complex environments, where
conditions are frequently changing, chaos and confusion
are common, and innovation in the face of adversity is
needed.

Brain Rules discussion guide

Leadership is at its core a human interaction.
Understanding human factors, including the way our
brains work to interpret what happens around
us, is an important part of being a competent leader.
It Worked for Me discussion guide
Colin Powell shares leadership and life lessons, notes,
observations, and insights that he has acquired over a lifetime of
experience in the military, the State Department, and his personal
life.

Turn the Ship Around discussion guide

The author explores how he empowered his followers to
be leaders at all levels in the high-stress operating
environment of a modern nuclear submarine.

Smokejumper discussion guide

The author takes readers alongside his personal journey
as a wildland firefighter, from his early years in California
to his time spent as a smokejumper in the Washington
Cascades.

If you have questions regarding the Professional Reading Program,

send an e-mail to BLM_FA_Leadership_Feedback@blm.gov.

Articles and official documents that are on the Web, such as

accident investigations, are linked here. Many can be downloaded
and printed. Many of the books are available in libraries. Most
books listed are currently available on the Web through various
sources such as Amazon at www.amazon.com or Barnes & Noble
at www.barnesandnoble.com or Books Price
at www.booksprice.com.

All branches of the United States military have professional

reading programs and a key part of those programs is the
recommendation that every leader read at least two books a year.
Many corporations have required readings for their supervisors
and managers. For several hundred dollars, a fire organization can
put together a good library from the titles on this list and
implement a reading program on their home unit. How many of
our young firefighters know what happened at South Canyon?
How many have read anything that discusses the principles of
 sound leadership? How many have read stories from other
disciplines or endeavors that describe leaders in action?

This is not busy work; this is not drudgery. These readings will
provoke reflection, discussion, and debate. The selected titles
have been chosen for their intrinsic excitement as well as their
content. Many of the books will be hard to put down. Let this be
your roadmap to an enjoyable and rewarding reading program.

The NWCG Leadership Subcommittee is the sponsor for this

resource.

The Critical Role of Classroom Management

Teachers play various roles in a typical classroom, but surely one of the most
important is that of classroom manager. Effective teaching and learning cannot take
place in a poorly managed classroom. If students are disorderly and disrespectful,
and no apparent rules and procedures guide behavior, chaos becomes the norm. In
these situations, both teachers and students suffer. Teachers struggle to teach, and
students most likely learn much less than they should. In contrast, well-managed
classrooms provide an environment in which teaching and learning can flourish. But
a well-managed classroom doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It takes a good deal
of effort to createand the person who is most responsible for creating it is the
teacher.
We live in an era when research tells us that the teacher is probably the single most
important factor affecting student achievementat least the single most important
factor that we can do much about. To illustrate, as a result of their study involving
some 60,000 students, S. Paul Wright, Sandra Horn, and William Sanders (1997)
note the following:
The results of this study will document that the most important factor affecting
student learning is the teacher. In addition, the results show wide variation in
effectiveness among teachers. The immediate and clear implication of this finding is
that seemingly more can be done to improve education by improving the
effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor. Effective teachers appear
to be effective with students of all achievement levels regardless of the levels of
heterogeneity in their classes. If the teacher is ineffective, students under that
teacher's tutelage will achieve inadequate progress academically, regardless of how
similar or different they are regarding their academic achievement. (p. 63)
[emphasis in original]

Researcher Kati Haycock (1998) uses the findings of this study and others
conducted by William Sanders and his colleagues (e.g., Sanders & Horn, 1994) to
paint a dramatic picture of the profound impact an individual teacher can have on
student achievement. The point is illustrated in Figure 1.1, which depicts the
differences in achievement between students who spend a year in class with a
highly effective teacher as opposed to a highly ineffective teacher.
According to Figure 1.1, students in the classes of teachers classified as the most
effective can be expected to gain about 52 percentile points in their achievement
over a year's time. Students in the classes of teachers classified as least effective
can be expected to gain only about 14 percentile points over a year's time. This
comparison is even more dramatic when one realizes that some researchers have
estimated that students will exhibit a gain in learning of about 6 percentile points
simply from maturationfrom growing one year older and gleaning new knowledge
and information through everyday life (see Hattie, 1992; Cahen & Davis, 1987). The
least effective teachers, then, add little to the development of students' knowledge
and skill beyond what would be expected from simply growing one year older in our
complex, information-rich society.

Good classroom management is inextricably linked to student discipline. All educators-from the
novice to the experienced expert- need to regularly practice good classroom management as a
way to reduce the need for student discipline.
At the heart of good classroom management is the understanding of students and their social
emotional learning needs. Educators must be always aware how social emotional learning
(SEL) can influence the quality of teacher-student relationships and how that relationship is a
part of any classroom management design.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire
and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage
emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and
maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
When the classroom is managed so that the academic and social emotional learning goals are
met, there is little need for student discipline. However, there are times when even the best
classroom manager could use a few tips to compare what they are doing with programs that show
evidenced based success.

Here are seven (7) classroom management components to review in reducing discipline
problems in order to leave educators with effective instructional time.
 Planning how to spend the blocks of time in a lesson is critical to good classroom
management.GETTY Images

1. Plan for Blocks of Time During the Day

According to Joyce McLeod, Jan Fisher and Ginny Hoover Key in their book Elements of
Classroom Management, good classroom management begins with planning the time
available.
Discipline problems generally occur when students are not engaged. To keep students engaged,
teachers need to plan for different blocks of time in the classroom:

1. Allocated time. The total time for teacher instruction and student learning;
2. Instructional time. The time teachers are actively teaching;
3. Engaged time. The time students are involved in a task on their own;
4. Academic learning time. The time teachers can prove that students learned
the content or mastered a particular skill.
Each block of time in the classroom, no matter how small, needs to be planned. There are
predictable routines that can help to structure the blocks of time in the classroom.

Reflecting as part of instructional practice will help inform future lesson plans in predicting
the time it takes for each instructional strategy you choose:
Predictable teacher routines: opening activities ("do nows",
anticipation guide, entry slips, etc.) can help ease transitions into class;
routine check for understanding, and routine closing activities.
Predictable student routines: partner practice, group
work, independent work
 2. Plan Engaging Instruction
According the published report Effective Classroom Management Teacher Preparation and Professional
Development (2007) by Regina M. Oliver and Daniel J. Reschly, Ph.D. sponsored by the National
Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality:

Highly effective instruction reduces but does not fully eliminate classroom behavior problems.

The study notes that instruction that is can both encourage academic engagement and on task behavior is
usually identified as having:

Instructional material that students find educationally relevant;

A planned sequential order that is logical related to skill development at students

instructional level;

Frequent opportunities for students to respond to academic tasks;

Guided practice;

Immediate feedback and error correction.

The National Education Association also offers posts with suggestions on how to motivate
students. These recommendations are based on the premise that students need to know why the lesson,
activity or assignment matters:
Give students a voice;
Give students a choice;
Make instruction fun or enjoyable;
Make instruction real or authentic;
Make instruction relevant;
Use the technology tools of today.
 There are transitions teachers can prepare for; and then there are distractions teachers can only
anticipate!. GETTY Images

3. Prepare for Disruptions and Be Flexible

A typical school day is loaded with disruptions, from the school announcement on the PA system to the
student acting out in class. Teachers need to be flexible and develop a series of plans to deal with
anticipated classroom disruptions. Once the flow of the lesson is interrupted to deal with disruptions, then
students are robbed of precious in-class time.
Prepare for transitions and potential disruptions. Consider the following suggestions:
1. Place lesson objectives and resources in an area of the classroom where
students can see what the lesson will be. If technology is available, tell students
where they can find information on the lesson online. If there is a fire drill or
lockdown, students already know where to access information.
2. Identify the usual times for student disruptions and mis behaviors, usually
at the start of the lesson or class period, when topics are changed, or at the wrap-up
and conclusion of a lesson or class period. Be ready to re-task students when they
go off the established routine(s).
3. Be ready for the behaviors outside of the classroom that are brought into
the classroom, especially at the secondary level when classes change. Greet
students by name at the door to get a feel for their moods/temprment. Prepare
students to engage immediately with independent opening activities.
4. Diffuse conflicts (student to student/student to teacher) in the classroom
through a series of steps: by re-tasking, by engaging in dialogue, by temporarily
placing student to complete a task in a designated "cooling off" area or, if the
situation warrants, by speaking to a student as privately as possible. Teachers
should use a non-threatening tone in private talks with any misbehaving student.
5. Sometimes removal from the classroom is a successful strategy. Should
this step be necessary, it is critical to alert the main office or guidance department.
Removal from the classroom can allow for a cooling off period for all parties, but it
should never become a routine practice.

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Classroom layout can help reduce discipline problems when teachers can easily access all areas to
supervise. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire
and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions,
set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive
relationships, and make responsible decisions. /GETTY Images

4. Prepare the Physical Environment

 The geography , or physical environment, of any classroom contributes to instruction and student
behavior.
As part of a good classroom management plan to reduce discipline problems, the physical arrangement of
furniture, resources (including technology), and supplies must achieve the following:

The physical arrangement eases traffic flow, minimizes distractions, and

provides teacher(s) with good access to students.
The classroom physical space is set to assist with transitions between
various classroom activities and limit distractions.
The classroom physical space supports quality student interactions for
particular classroom activities.
The design of the classroom physical space ensures
adequate supervision of all areas.
There are clearly designated areas for staff and students in the physical
space.
More

For successful classroom management to work, educators must be perceived as being fair and
consistent. Fuse/GETTY Images

5. Be Fair and Consistent

Students have a distinct sense of what is and what is not fair. Teachers must treat all students with respect
and treat all students equitably. One of the worst things that can happen in the classroom is the
student(s)'s perception that the rules are not enforced fairly or consistently.

There is a case to be made for differentiated discipline, however. Students come with specific needs,
socially and academically, and educators should not be so set in their thinking that all students should be
able to do the same thing behaviorally. Nor should all students suffer the same consequence when they do
not.
Bear in mind that zero tolerance policies have proven to be a failed experiment. Instead, the data shows
that putting a focus on teaching behavior rather than simply punishing misbehavior, educators can
maintain order and preserve a student's opportunity to learn.
Moreover, educators should not assume that because a student has disrupted a class everyday for a week,
she will disrupt it again today.

It is also important to provide students with specific feedback about their behaviors and social skills,
especially after an incident. More

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Setting high expectations is important to good classroom management. JGI/Jamie Grill/GETTY Images

6. Set and Keep High Expectations

Educators should set high expectations for behavior and for academics. There should be an expectation
that students will behave, not that they will disrupt.

Remind them of expected behavior, for example, by saying: "During this whole group session, I expect
you to raise your hands and be recognized before you start speaking. I also expect you to respect each
other's opinions and listen to what each person has to say."

According to the Education Reform Glossary:

The concept of high expectations is premised on the philosophical and pedagogical belief that a failure to
hold all students to high expectations effectively denies them access to a high-quality education, since the
educational achievement of students tends to rise or fall in direct relation to the expectations placed upon
them.

In contrast, lowering expectations -for behavior or for academics- for certain groups perpetuates many of
the conditions that "can contribute to lower educational, professional, financial, or cultural achievement
and success." More

Students should have a voice in creating classroom rules. Thinkstock/GETTY Images

7. Make Rules Understandable

Classroom rules must first align with the school rules. Classroom rules need to be regularly revisited, and
consequences must be regularly reviewed.