Latest / Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies / 211. The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School

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211. The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School · Teacher Approved: Elementary Teacher Tips & Strategies

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  Heidi: This is episode 211 of Teacher Approved.
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  You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
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  educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
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  Heidi.
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  Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
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  Window, where we give research based and teacher approved
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  strategies that make teaching less stressful and more
• 0:22
  effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from
• 0:26
  each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
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  Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
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  the show.
• 0:36
  Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
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  episode, we're talking about the three biggest goals for your
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  first three days of school, and sharing a teacher approved tip
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  for creating classroom jobs that actually matter.
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  Heidi: But first, it's time for try it tomorrow, a favorite
• 0:52
  quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily,
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  what is our suggestion for this week?
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  Emily: This week, try writing your future self a little note,
• 1:01
  grab a card or a sheet of paper and then just spend five minutes
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  writing an encouraging note that you can read on the first day of
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  school. In episode 209, we talked about stocking your first
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  day survival kit, and adding a thoughtful note to yourself can
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  be the perfect touch.
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  Heidi: And if you want to go above and beyond, take a few
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  more minutes and write first day of school notes to your
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  teammates as well. So often as teachers, we have to cheer for
• 1:23
  ourselves, as you well know. So it can really mean a lot when
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  someone else makes the effort to cheer for us, too.
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  Emily: If you like this idea or anything else that we share here
• 1:33
  on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star
• 1:35
  rating and review? Ratings and reviews are one way that new
• 1:39
  listeners find us, so every rating and review is really a
• 1:42
  huge help to us, and we see them all, and they make us so happy.
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  Heidi: Now, over the years, Emily and I have created an
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  extensive library of back to school products. To help you
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  find the tools that will make the start of your new year
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  easier, today we are spotlighting our first day of
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  school lesson plan and planning guide for the first week of
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  school. That's quite the name.
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  Emily: This is the perfect addition to what we are talking
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  about in today's episode. If you are a teacher who wants to be
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  intentional about making the first few days as impactful as
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  possible, this planning guide is exactly what you need.
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  Heidi: You start with setting your back to school goals and
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  making a plan for how to meet them in the first week of
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  school, and then we will help you craft the perfect schedule
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  and flesh it out into a minute by minute script.
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  Emily: And this seems like a lot of work up front, but we will
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  guide you through it one step at a time, and then you can extend
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  this process to plan the rest of your first week too.
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  Heidi: Alright, you ready to talk about back to school?
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  Emily: Yep, let's do it.
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  Heidi: Before anyone has that little panic attack we all get
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  when we hear those words in July, don't worry. You know we
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  are not about to load up your to do list with must do's or
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  complicated suggestions.
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  Emily: Yeah, no way. Around here, we love to dive into the
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  heart of things, so you'll have the clarity to cut through all
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  the competing demands and know what's most worthy of your time
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  and energy. So in today's episode, we're talking about how
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  to build a foundation that will anchor your classroom culture.
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  If you want a year where kids engage, cooperate and thrive,
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  start here.
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  Heidi: And that foundation is not about filing systems or cute
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  name tags, it's about how your students answer three crucial
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  questions in those first few days. Am I safe? Am I seen? And
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  am I needed?
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  Emily: Even though kids can't articulate it, these three
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  questions are always running through their minds when they
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  walk into a new classroom. And if the answer to any of these
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  questions is no, or I'm not sure, then that student isn't
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  really available for learning.
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  Heidi: And it does make a lot of sense, if you think about it, if
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  you walked into a new job and you weren't sure if your boss
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  was kind or if your coworkers cared about you, or if your work
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  actually mattered, how much would you be able to focus on
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  doing your best?
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  Emily: Yeah, probably not very much. So today, we're going to
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  walk through how to intentionally address each of
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  these needs in your first three days. And the beautiful part,
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  you don't need any special materials or complicated
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  systems. You just need to be purposeful about what you're
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  already doing.
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  Heidi: Now all three of these elements, being safe, being seen
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  and being needed, should obviously be woven through every
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  single school day, but we're going to focus on one primary
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  goal each day to make sure that we are really hitting it home.
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  Emily: Day one is all about safety, day two is all about
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  being seen, and day three is all about being needed. So let's
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  dive into what this looks like in real classrooms with real
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  kids.
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  Heidi: And we're going to kick off day one with that crucial
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  question, am I safe? When a child feels unsafe, physically,
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  emotionally or even just uncertain about what's expected,
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  their brain goes into survival mode, and a brain in survival
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  mode can't learn.
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  Emily: Safety in the classroom isn't just about physical
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  safety, though that's obviously important. It's about
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  predictability, clear expectations, and knowing that
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  this adult in charge is calm, kind and competent.
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  Heidi: One of the fastest ways to create that sense of safety
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  is through teaching procedures clearly and calmly. I know, I
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  know, we know, procedures might sound like the most boring way
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  to launch a school year. But think about how you feel when
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  you walk into a new restaurant and you aren't sure, are you
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  supposed to seat yourself? Are you supposed to wait to be
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  seated? And maybe the sign says you're supposed to wait to be
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  seated, but there's nobody there, and so then how long do
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  you wait around? Yeah, it gets real awkward, real fast.
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  Emily: Oh, yeah, that is the worst. It's so uncomfortable.
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  Like, what am I supposed to be doing? And like, even worse, if
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  you're at the restaurant and you need to go to the bathroom and
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  you don't know where the bathroom is. So that is how our
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  kids feel when they don't know the expectations. So spending
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  time on day one teaching things like how to enter the classroom,
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  where to put their backpack, what to do if they need a
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  tissue, that is not time wasted, that is building a sense of
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  security.
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  Heidi: The way you teach procedures matters just as much
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  as the procedures themselves. Your voice should be calm and
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  encouraging. Take your time. We're going to smile. Use
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  phrases like, let me show you how we do this in our classroom,
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  instead of here's the list of rules for how to do this.
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  Emily: We have a whole system for teaching procedures in a
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  supportive, collaborative way. We call it the tell, try, tally,
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  talk method. We talked about this in detail back in episode
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  75 so revisit that episode if you want all the deets.
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  Heidi: We also have a set of tell, try, tally, talk Google
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  slides that you can edit to use with any procedure you need to
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  teach. We give you the full scaffold for the lesson. So
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  really, all you have to do is add your own steps
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  Emily: You can't teach every procedure on day one, obviously,
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  and you will melt your students brains if you try. So if you
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  want to create the greatest sense of safety, it's important
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  to start by teaching the procedures your students will
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  need first.
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  Heidi: Yes, and we always recommend leading off with your
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  bathroom procedures first, and then your attention signal.
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  After that, you can introduce each procedure before students
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  will need to use it. So you teach your recess procedures
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  before you send your kids out to recess. Teach students how to
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  get to specialty classes before specialty time. That gives
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  students a predictable structure and predictability creates
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  peace.
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  Emily: Another key part of creating safety on day one is
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  introducing yourself as a person, not just as the teacher.
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  So share something about yourself. Maybe you have a dog
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  named Charlie, or you love to read mystery novels, or you're
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  learning to play the ukulele. If any of that is true, you sound
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  really fun.
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  Heidi: And we definitely want to know more about the ukulele.
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  Emily: Yeah.
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  Heidi: Kids need to see that you're a real human being who's
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  approachable and kind. I used to always share a story about
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  something I was excited about or something that made me nervous,
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  because kids need to know that adults have feelings too.
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  Emily: Yeah, the book First Day Jitters is great for this,
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  because it opens the conversation about feelings on
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  the first day and that the teacher has feelings too.
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  Heidi: And I also really love the book A Letter from your
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  Teacher on the First Day of School. It helps kids see that
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  you're on their side and you are committed to providing a caring
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  space for them to learn and grow. And if you're interested
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  in either of those books, I will make sure to put a link in the
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  show notes.
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  Emily: As you're going through the day, be mindful of your tone
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  and body language. Kids are incredibly perceptive. They can
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  sense if you're stressed or overwhelmed or not really happy
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  to be there. So take a deep breath, slow down your speaking
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  pace, and genuinely show them that your class is a great place
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  to be.
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  Heidi: By the end of day one, every child should be able to
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  walk into your classroom tomorrow morning and know
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  exactly what to do, where to go, and that you are a safe person
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  to be around. That is the foundation that you're going to
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  build the rest of the week on.
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  Emily: Now let's move on to day two, and helping students know
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  am I seen. Once kids feel safe, they need to know that you see
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  them as individuals. So day two is about shifting the focus from
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  here's how we do things, to here's who you are, and I'm
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  excited to know you.
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  Heidi: Start building that bridge by finding ways for
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  students to tell you about themselves, whether it's a short
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  writing prompt like three things to know about me, or a partner
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  interview, or a share your favorite things circle. Look for
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  opportunities to invite real sharing and connection.
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  Emily: I always did some get to know you activities on the first
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  day, but I leaned more heavily into it on the second day. I
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  also gave students opportunities to get to know each
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  Heidi: Yeah, that's so important. Community building
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  isn't just about the teacher student relationship, it's about
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  helping kids feel connected to their classmates too. So an
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  activity like Find Someone Who is a classic for a reason, but
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  any low pressure fun activity works here too.
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  Emily: One thing to keep in mind is to watch out for your little
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  introverts. It's so easy to let your more outgoing students
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  dominate the sharing time, while your quieter kids fade into the
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  background.
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  Heidi: Yeah, make sure to plan some activities that give
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  students space to pause before they have to answer. As an
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  introvert, please do this. Having students write their
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  sharing on a sticky note first, or creating small groups where
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  everyone gets a turn can relieve anxiety for your quieter kids.
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  The goal is for every single child to have a moment where
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  they share something about themselves and feel truly heard.
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  Emily: You might not have everyone's favorite color
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  memorized by the end of day two, but every student should be able
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  to say, my teacher is interested in me. That sense of being seen
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  and known is what transforms a group of individual kids into
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  the beginning of a classroom community.
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  Heidi: And that brings us to day three, and that final crucial
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  question, am I needed? By this point, students know they are
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  safe. They've had moments of being seen, and now we need to
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  hear you matter to this class, and we are better because you're
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  Emily: And this is the day for talking about how everyone has
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  here.
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  something valuable to offer. This might be introducing
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  classroom jobs, but it's so much bigger than just who's going to
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  water the plants.
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  Heidi: It's really about helping kids understand that their
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  choices, their words, their actions, they all impact the
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  kind of classroom community that you have together. They're not
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  just passive bystanders. Their actions ripple outward to
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  everyone, helping a classmate, following a routine, showing
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  kindness. These choices affect everything.
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  Emily: One thing that fits so well on day three is having a
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  conversation about what kind of classroom you want to create
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  this year. Have kids reflect on what it means to take care of
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  each other and identify ways they can contribute positively.
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  Heidi: And don't forget to explicitly tell students that
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  they're needed and that you're glad they're there. Try saying
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  things like, I'm so glad you're part of our classroom, or your
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  ideas make us all better, or I need your help to make this the
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  best year ever.
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  Emily: By the end of day three, every student should feel like
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  they belong, like they matter, and like they have something
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  important to contribute to your classroom community. A class
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  where kids feel needed becomes a class where kids help each
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  other, and that's when the magic happens.
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  Heidi: Now, if you are thinking, Okay, this sounds lovely, but I
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  have curriculum to cover and standards to meet. Can I really
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  spend three whole days on relationship building? Try to
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  zoom out your focus a bit. This isn't time taken away from
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  learning. This is learning. You're teaching some of the most
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  important lessons of the year, how to be part of a community,
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  how to treat others with respect, and how to see yourself
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  as a valuable contributor.
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  Emily: Plus every minute you invest in building this
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  foundation will save you hours throughout the year in behavior
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  management issues, classroom disruptions, and trying to
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  motivate disengaged students. A classroom built on safety,
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  connection and belonging is a classroom where learning
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  thrives. It's where kids take risks, ask questions, help each
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  other and show up as their best selves.
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  Heidi: So as you are planning those first few days, ask
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  yourself, How will my students know they're safe in my
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  classroom? How will they know I see them as individuals? And how
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  will they know that they are needed and valued?
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  Emily: The activities you choose, the way you structure
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  your time, the words you use, let it all be intentional about
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  prioritizing the feeling of safety, inviting students to be
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  seen, and showing them that they are needed. If you build from
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  that foundation, the rest of your school year will be built
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  on solid ground.
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  Heidi: We would love to hear how you create that sense of safety,
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  connection and belonging in your classroom. Come join the
• 13:21
  conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.
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  Emily: Now for our teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where
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  we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters
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  and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is
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  create classroom jobs that actually matter. Can you tell us
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  more about this, Heidi?
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  Heidi: I would love to. So at the start of the school year,
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  one of our main goals is helping students feel needed, and one
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  way to do that is to assign class jobs. Now, this does not
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  mean that every student needs an assigned responsibility every
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  day, unless that is something that you feel like managing, but
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  all students should have an opportunity at some point to
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  contribute to the running of your class. You will likely have
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  jobs like line leader and paper passer. But don't let that limit
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  you. Think about the jobs that you actually wish someone would
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  help you with. Maybe it's keeping track of borrowed
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  supplies or helping set up materials for activities, or,
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  you know, even making sure that no one sits alone at lunch.
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  Emily: This can be so helpful. Some of the most impactful
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  classroom jobs are about taking care of the social and emotional
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  needs of the classroom. A friendship facilitator who helps
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  include kids who might be left out, or a celebration
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  coordinator who helps the class notice and acknowledge the good
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  things that are happening are all great job ideas.
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  Heidi: Now we are mentioning this in July because this is the
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  perfect moment to reflect on how your class jobs have been
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  running. Once you're in the thick of the school year, it can
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  be really tricky to try and turn the ship. So take some time now
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  to reflect on how jobs have worked in your class in the
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  past, what you would like to see happen in the future, and how
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  you can make that happen.
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  Emily: You could even assign one of your weekly teacher power
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  hours to sorting this out before school starts. If you want some
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  support, we did a deep dive into classroom jobs back in episode
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  166, so definitely check that out.
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  And we would love to hear about your class jobs, so come join
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  the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.
• 15:10
  Heidi: Alright, to wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're
• 15:12
  giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your
• 15:19
  extra credit?
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  Emily: I'm giving extra credit to Delete Me. It is a
• 15:24
  subscription service where they identify where your personal
• 15:27
  information is being sold online through, like, data brokers and
• 15:32
  people search sites. You know those, oh, I'm trying to think
• 15:36
  of some of the common ones that I see. But you know where you
• 15:38
  like put in the name of someone you're looking for, and it like,
• 15:41
  pulls up these, like, seedy websites that people have to pay
• 15:43
  money to, like, look up information about people. Oh,
• 15:46
  it's so gross.
• 15:46
  So Delete Me submits opt out requests on your behalf. It
• 15:51
  searches for where your info is, and then they go through the
• 15:54
  process for you to get the information removed. And
• 15:58
  sometimes that just starts the process, and something comes to
• 16:01
  you, like you'll get an email of something you have to do on your
• 16:04
  end. But for the most part, almost all of the ones they've
• 16:07
  removed so far have been automated, and I haven't had to
• 16:10
  do anything. And they send you reports of where your info has
• 16:13
  been removed from, which is just nice peace of mind. So, and I
• 16:17
  have a coupon code that gets you 20% off, so click the link in
• 16:18
  the show notes, and you can save 20% on it.
• 16:18
  Heidi: Oh, that's good. I'm gonna do that because I'm not
• 16:24
  signed up. I follow a private investigator on Instagram
• 16:28
  because she's a hoot. But I heard her talking about this and
• 16:31
  said it's a really helpful tool.
• 16:33
  Emily: And I think I read that they even monitor the dark web
• 16:35
  for your info. So very interesting to see, like, I'll
• 16:39
  be, I'll be curious to see if it cuts down on like, spam calls
• 16:41
  and stuff like that, because I get a lot of those, so.
• 16:45
  Heidi: Yeah, that'd be a nice break.
• 16:46
  Emily: Yeah, I'll let you know, and I'll send you the link so
• 16:49
  you can sign up.
• 16:49
  Heidi: Yeah, please do.
• 16:50
  Emily: What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?
• 16:53
  Heidi: Well my extra credit goes to a darling new picture book
• 16:55
  called When You Go to Dragon School. And I think this book
• 16:59
  could really open up some fun discussions about how we all
• 17:02
  bring our unique talents to make our classroom better. So the
• 17:06
  synopsis is that when the local human school is overflowing, a
• 17:10
  group of kids find themselves transferred to dragon school,
• 17:14
  naturally, of course, where they learn that even though you might
• 17:18
  not have scales or wings or the ability to breathe fire, with a
• 17:22
  little bit of courage in your own special talents, you'll have
• 17:24
  no trouble fitting in. This book is so cute. The pictures are by
• 17:29
  one of my favorite illustrators, Charlene Chu, and I love that
• 17:33
  the text is short. That's one of my favorite parts of picture
• 17:37
  books, when it's just like a couple sentences on a page
• 17:39
  instead of a couple paragraphs. That's always a winner.
• 17:42
  Emily: I'm gonna have to check this out. I'm always excited to
• 17:45
  add a new book to my back to school collection.
• 17:47
  Heidi: It is very fun, and I will also link to that in the
• 17:50
  show notes.
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  And that is it for today's episode. Remember those first
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  three days are about helping every single child know that
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  they are safe, seen, and needed in your classroom.
• 17:59
  Emily: If this episode gave you something to think about, send
• 18:02
  it to a teacher friend who's prepping for back to school too,
• 18:06
  and don't forget to join our teacher Approved Facebook group
• 18:08
  where we're always sharing ideas and supporting each other.
• 18:14
  Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm
• 18:17
  Heidi.
• 18:18
  Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
• 18:21
  or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
• 18:23
  Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
• 18:27
  Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
• 18:30
  Bye for now.
• 18:31
  Emily: Bye.