I love back to school activities that build classroom community and encourage positive energy. Sharing books with students is one of my favorite ways to do that. Although I teach 5th grade, I always tell my class that they are never too old for picture books and stories. They are never too old to be read to. After sharing these books, we display them on top of our bookshelves to enjoy. I love to watch students reread them all through September during quiet reading time.
The Energy Bus for Kids is a sweet story about finding positivity in every day. The bus driver has “rules” she teaches her riders like “create a positive vision” and “no bullies allowed.” After we read this book, I ask all of the students to make license plates that display one word that will “guide” them for the school year. You can find all kinds of activities to support this book here, including the template I used for the plates.
My kick-off to reading always includes Thank you, Mr. Falker, a personal narrative written by the wonderful Patricia Polacco. It is the story of learning to read and struggling to do so, even through 5th grade when she finally has a teacher who brings the “magic” of reading alive for her. After reading this, I ask the students to be brave about asking for help. We discuss the simple truth that everyone needs help with something, no matter how “smart,” how “experienced,” or how old you are.
If you haven’t read the delightful story, Wolf, pick it up straight away. The main character is a wolf who plays into his stereotype at the beginning of the story … that is, until he finds himself at an “educated” farm with animals who are appalled that cannot read. It is the cutest tale, complete with a great opportunity to make a loud wolf scream to delight your students. Of course, at the end, the wolf becomes a reader and spends lazy days reading with his friends with spectacles upon his nose. After reading, we consider what good readers do and build anchor charts for our wall.
Another September topic in my classroom is the development of a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset means believing that you can improve and you can grow, but that to do so it takes practice, effort, reflection, and hard work. Salt in his Shoes is the childhood story of Michael Jordan. I am happy to report that my students still know who this basketball star is. Therefore, I feel not so old. Win, win! When Michael is frustrated with his height as a young boy, his mother puts salt in his shoes. It’s the first thing she thinks of when he begs her for a way to grow taller. Yet while he’s waiting for the salt to work, he practices diligently each and every day on his b-ball skills. Sure enough, months of practice prove to be the key to his success in a big game with his older brothers one fall. As a class, we discuss the things we may have a “fixed mindset” in and how we can possible work toward changing that mindset to one that is more open, a “growth mindset.” We set academic, social, and personal goals for our first trimester of school. I end our growth mindset week with a calm morning of coloring. Check out this site for mindset doodle pages.
I love every book Peter Reynolds writes. This is his newest, and it’s a great follow-up to your classroom growth mindset conversation. The message is that each and every child has something to share in some way. If you don’t feel strong in math, you may have something to say with paint on a canvas. If you aren’t a writer, you might have something to say with your ability to help others and make friends.
Of course, after all of this good book talk, I must revisit the first community-building project we did which had nothing to do with literacy at all and everything to do with tween-engagement and technology. Our bulletin board started like this:
Then, we added fun little iPhones all over and created our “life in apps.”
It’s all about balance. A little of this, a little of that. But the most important thing about the beginning of school is dedicating time, every day, to creating a community of learners and friends who are happy, safe, and ready to be students.
Finally, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Colorado Department of Education’s newsletter this September. I have learned that I reflect through writing. I only wish I had more time to do so as an educator. Check it out if you wish. To all of the teachers out there, be good to yourselves and thank you for choosing this profession.
