Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock...
The summer clock is winding down and school is getting ready to start. The temps were a bit cooler today and it is already feeling like fall--let's hope temps can stay a little warmer for a while longer.
What a busy week! Monday began with a visit from UDL guru Allison Posey. Allison gave the staff some nice insight into the importance of UDL. We then headed into 4 different sessions dealing with different aspects of UDL. Some of our fantastic staff led the sessions, as well as one session led by Allison. We were also given a nice amount of work time in the afternoon to work with collaborative teams to problem solve topics of our choice. One topic my team worked on was soft-starts to the school day, which is a new adventure for us.
For as long as I have been in Sheboygan Falls, the mornings before school consisted of the students being out on the playground until the bell rang. We are one of the largest elementary schools in the state, so this means there are A LOT of kids outside at one time. This year, however, we are trying something different. Starting at 7:30, the students will be coming into school as they arrive and going to their classrooms. It will be pretty sporadic, as kids have arrived before school anytime from 7:15 (hopefully not having access to the playground will limit this) to when the bell rings at 8:05 (and, for some, after 8:05). The soft-start is meant to provide the students with a calm start to help them prepare for the day. It won't be an academic time, but rather a time to take care of routines and have breakfast. I'd be lying if I said this hasn't been a touchy subject in our school community. Change can be hard, especially when it has been one way for a long time. There are pros and cons to every situation depending on your standpoint. I fall into the category of wanting the soft-start to the day, but I do understand the viewpoints of those who aren't big fans of the idea. Will it mean that I will need to be responsible for monitoring some of the students an additional 30 minutes a day? Yes. Will it mean that I will have less opportunity to do some of my before-school prep due to said monitoring? Yes. But I want to see how the soft-start affects the students' general energy level and preparedness for the day. There are some students that have a tremendous amount of energy racing through their bodies; recess and playing outside is important for these kids. But at the same time, I have to wonder if the amount of activity that was happening on our playground before school led to some of the heightened energy levels at the start of the day for these kids. Not to mention the arguments and spats that happen on the playground and then transition into the classroom even before the school day has begun. So I say bring on the change, and let's see what happens...
Monday afternoon included supply drop-off for the students. I think I was more excited than the students due to my new classroom arrangement and seating, but there were some surprised looks on their faces. Here's a pic of the new seats:
I've done away with assigned seats. When the students come into the classroom during the soft-start, they can choose where they want to begin their day. Launching my classroom this year is going to include many discussions on personal choices to help us learn. Different people learn in different ways. What works for some doesn't work for others. My goal is to help the students see that they can make the choices that are best for them. I'm guessing that this is going to take a while...
The rest of the week has pretty much been work time in my room and helping Matt, the new 3rd grade teacher, get acclimated (being a new teacher at the beginning of the year has to be like having brain-overload at all times, but Matt will do a great job). I think I have about a half-day before I am ready--just need to put the finishing touches on a few things. I didn't really have to be at school yesterday and today, but I like to ease into the new school year. Come Tuesday morning, the summer clock will hit zero and the new school year will be here. I'll let you know how the first few days go...
What a busy week! Monday began with a visit from UDL guru Allison Posey. Allison gave the staff some nice insight into the importance of UDL. We then headed into 4 different sessions dealing with different aspects of UDL. Some of our fantastic staff led the sessions, as well as one session led by Allison. We were also given a nice amount of work time in the afternoon to work with collaborative teams to problem solve topics of our choice. One topic my team worked on was soft-starts to the school day, which is a new adventure for us.
For as long as I have been in Sheboygan Falls, the mornings before school consisted of the students being out on the playground until the bell rang. We are one of the largest elementary schools in the state, so this means there are A LOT of kids outside at one time. This year, however, we are trying something different. Starting at 7:30, the students will be coming into school as they arrive and going to their classrooms. It will be pretty sporadic, as kids have arrived before school anytime from 7:15 (hopefully not having access to the playground will limit this) to when the bell rings at 8:05 (and, for some, after 8:05). The soft-start is meant to provide the students with a calm start to help them prepare for the day. It won't be an academic time, but rather a time to take care of routines and have breakfast. I'd be lying if I said this hasn't been a touchy subject in our school community. Change can be hard, especially when it has been one way for a long time. There are pros and cons to every situation depending on your standpoint. I fall into the category of wanting the soft-start to the day, but I do understand the viewpoints of those who aren't big fans of the idea. Will it mean that I will need to be responsible for monitoring some of the students an additional 30 minutes a day? Yes. Will it mean that I will have less opportunity to do some of my before-school prep due to said monitoring? Yes. But I want to see how the soft-start affects the students' general energy level and preparedness for the day. There are some students that have a tremendous amount of energy racing through their bodies; recess and playing outside is important for these kids. But at the same time, I have to wonder if the amount of activity that was happening on our playground before school led to some of the heightened energy levels at the start of the day for these kids. Not to mention the arguments and spats that happen on the playground and then transition into the classroom even before the school day has begun. So I say bring on the change, and let's see what happens...
Monday afternoon included supply drop-off for the students. I think I was more excited than the students due to my new classroom arrangement and seating, but there were some surprised looks on their faces. Here's a pic of the new seats:
The rest of the week has pretty much been work time in my room and helping Matt, the new 3rd grade teacher, get acclimated (being a new teacher at the beginning of the year has to be like having brain-overload at all times, but Matt will do a great job). I think I have about a half-day before I am ready--just need to put the finishing touches on a few things. I didn't really have to be at school yesterday and today, but I like to ease into the new school year. Come Tuesday morning, the summer clock will hit zero and the new school year will be here. I'll let you know how the first few days go...
I enjoyed this post Tom! Good luck with your first day! Great idea talking to kids about personal choices and learning differently!
ReplyDelete-Bill Raudabaugh