Back to School 2022 by Kristen Nall – this guest post is from a new teacher friend I met through this Teach2Write website.
After Kristen reached out to me via email and told me about these back to school activities, I asked Kristen if she would be interested in writing a guest post. This post features her teaching philosophy and wonderful back to school activities to build a rapport with your students from DAY ONE.
This is raw and truthful, and I am here for it. I hope you will be able to take some of this back to your classroom this school year and really get to know your middle school students.
Also, I’m not crying. You’re crying. Trust me – this is one of the best back to school activities I’ve ever read!
Don’t Let Back to School Stress You Out – Take a Breath
These lyrics from Bob Marley are often played in my classroom. I play or simply sing the lyrics from “Three Little Birds” to help students decompress and let go of feeling overwhelmed.
“Don’t worry ’bout a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right”- Bob Marley and the Wailers
We all need a reminder that in the end, things will probably be alright, even if they are not perfect.
As a human you have to tell yourself to not stress so much. As a teacher, you might need this affirmation in many circumstances, like when you hear your name called twenty times in a row.
When someone emails you to turn in thirty things that really needed to be done yesterday.
Take the time to breathe, everything is going to be alright.
As the new school year approaches some of us are feeling uneasy because we have forgotten how to turn our brains off enough to relax, others because of the uncertainty of not knowing who our new students will be.
That is why I thought sharing the following at this time of the year was useful. I hope that you find that all of the frontloading that you put into creating an environment that fosters learning, is in fact worth it.
What is My Back to School Philosophy?
“Don’t smile until after Christmas.”
“Make them give you a shoe until they return your pencil.”
I have not only heard these two snippets of advice once, but continuously throughout my teaching career. While I try not to judge anyone’s classroom management style or rapport with their students, I cannot wrap my mind around this philosophy of staying tough.
An open conversation I have with my students every year is: “How many people like to get yelled at? Keep your hand up if you think that yelling is an effective way to communicate?”
The responses are always the same:
“I get yelled at at home and it scares me.”
“ When you yell at me I will quit listening.”
I try to follow my question up with a brainstorming session about what traits great teachers have? Hands down, the answers include solid relationships, being trustworthy and understanding, empathetic…
Inevitably, one student will reluctantly raise their hand and say what breaks your heart into a million pieces. “I get yelled at at home a lot and I want to feel safe at school.”
If that does not make your heart feel like it could just drop out of your chest.. then maybe you are in the wrong job.
Setting up Rules and Routine for Back to School
Rules, routines and structure are highly important to keep a classroom running and operating smoothly. How you introduce these concepts is of utmost importance.
I tell the students that I hate being yelled at.
When someone goes negative, I do one of two things, I shutdown completely, or I yell back. Either way I end up feeling bad about myself.
This is also an opportunity to slide in there that my biggest pet peeve as a teacher is when students yell at me. (Smooth way to get that out there.)
Students are the same way. They have to save face with their peers. I personally do not want to spend my time arguing with a middle schooler.
When you loudly single out one student, they typically do not care about anything else that you have to say. And why would they? Would you?
Remembering that You are Working with Humans
What is the answer to the most effective establishment of a classroom? I have no perfect idea, but I do know that there is no one-size fits all solution. I can and will tell you what works for me.
All of these individual kids come in with their own stories. Their stories are important to them and should be to you as well. If we treat our students like humans- with kindness, respect and grace, and really listen, not just half-heartedly, then we are fortunate enough to be invited to hear their stories.
We have the responsibility and the blessing of spending a year in their lives. That is a big deal. When we listen to them from day one, there will be “buy in” when we share because they will know that we are not wasting their time.
Students will know that our intentions are pure. When students know that we care they will then be open to learning. And that is what we are paid to do, to help them grow as individuals and to their own personal highest levels.
That sounds all pie-in-the-sky, hearts and unicorns but I promise it is not. By simply treating students as people that are important, I have personally found success.
I am a highly ”chill” person. My husband refers to me as the “put the lotion on the arms and relax” kind of person. While that is funny, it is also true. I am a very calm, patient, and, I believe, a kind person.
Working with Students, Not Against Them
The reward for that is that I am very often given what are deemed by the school as the most challenging students with the most challenging parents.
“Hey thanks! Do I get a pay increase” right?! And no you do not, I have asked. ( You get something more.)
Sometimes I see this as the ultimate backhanded compliment. However, how sad is it that students come to us already labeled and lumped into a group all before they get to my room!
It sets my students up for failure.
These students often lack confidence or represent themselves as being ultra confident to hide the fact that they think they are a “bad kid.”
What a horrible notion, a bad kid! That is an oxymoron in my book. No kid is bad. They might have had horrible experiences in life, but they are a kid. They already have it in their chemically imbalanced minds that they will not succeed, and that I will not like them. They will often act up to get any attention, even if it is not positive.
I chose not to start the year this way.
We Always Have the Opportunity for a Do-Over
My way of trying to get all of us in a growth mindset is to be honest with them, to promote sharing of ideas without repercussion, to be respectful, and to work on affirmations.
I start the year sharing with my students our classroom motto. It is a very simple yet effective one. “We always have the opportunity for a “do-over.”
We can start over every month, every day, even down to the moment or minute. You can change things. We all make mistakes.
I joke that even though they think that I am a queen, I make mistakes too. Which gets some eyerolls and laughs. We all have bad days.
I will not hold a grudge because that is immature and wrong for me to do as an adult, but it is also not doing anything positive for any of us (especially your students).
The Clean Slate Activity for Back to School
I then roll into my “clean slate” activity. It is really a simple activity that requires only some notecards and a garbage bag.
First, I start by asking the general question, “Has anyone ever heard something said about them that hurt their feelings? Maybe you overheard it. Maybe someone said it to your face.”
Hands immediately go up. We already have class engagement. YES!!
I let students in on the not-so secret that every year I am given a roster of incoming students and inevitably have at least one teacher want to share their thoughts about each student. Their intentions are good. But I never listen. Why?
Well, I would not want to be solely judged on one year of my life either! It is important to me that I have my own impression of them that will probably change throughout the course of the year.
I ask them to share how they feel about the roster and labeling (I know teachers do not like to acknowledge that negativity is sometimes spread among colleagues. To deny it is a lie. I try to be fully transparent.)
1. Explaining what a clean slate is
I go to the whiteboard, smartboard, whatever is in the room. I ask if anyone has heard of or knows what a “clean slate” is?
Normally, I see a sea of confused faces. So I purposely use the word in a sentence so that they can start practicing context clues.
“Only a very skilled person can split slate into layers.” That is when you ultimately have a few great guesses, and one kiddo that brings up the idea of being a type of rock. I tell them that way back in the prehistoric days when I was little, we used chalkboards.
You still have lost a few students (always remember your frame of reference in relation to them) “Have you ever heard of the sound of nails on a chalkboard?”
Everyone cringes and they know. So I affirm that slate is a type of rock, and that it is what chalkboards are made of. Then I write three words on the board.
2. My example of cleaning my slate:
I am always authentic in everything that I share with the students because honesty is the best policy, and sharing your own experiences helps them to understand that you have a life out of the school building.
Typically I use the words “phony,” ”insincere,” and “fake.” I then tell them that these are all words that I have heard to describe me.
A few gasps come from my audience. Then I ask: “Are these positive adjectives? And how do you think I feel when I hear these things said about me?
“Bad. If you let bad or negative thoughts swim around in your head, you are allowing them to control you and you start to believe them. I know that none of these words accurately describes me and they hurt.”
I physically erase the words from the board. “I just cleaned my slate.”
Now, in reality it is not that easy, but we can do the same thing in our minds. When we have negative thoughts that other people put there, or even ones that you have attached to yourself, you can clean that slate.
3. Everyone has a notecard in front of them:
“Everyone bring it in,” I announce. Then, in a whisper, I tell them in a very serious voice that I want them to think about something negative that someone has said or they think about themselves that is stuck in their mind and write it on their notecard.
I reassure them, “Do not worry about spelling, Do not worry that everyone or anyone will see it because you are not turning these in.”
A few minutes later, it seems that they are done.
“Is anyone feeling exceptionally brave today? Ok, now keep your hand up if you would feel comfortable sharing.”
Kids begin to share, and they do not seem to notice, but I do.
No one is laughing or being cruel. They are all attentive and focused and more hands go up. I always allow every student who wants to share to share.
The ones that do not, I quietly make my way to and ask if they would like to share with me. Most do.
4. Cleaning the slate:
“Ok, now you probably will not hear this from many teachers, but I would like for you to now rip those cards up. Tear them into as many pieces as you want.
“I am going to come around with a trash bag, and you can throw that negativity out. I want you to say goodbye to whatever it is that you wrote down. You can yell it, you can say it with disgust.
“And actually can anyone think of some other ways to say goodbye? Some synonyms?
“Adios? Yes! See ya never..Perfect.
“As I come around, say goodbye anyway that you want to. You can throw them in the bag if you want”
I wait until after I have collected all the pieces and tie the bag closed.
Then I ask them, “Do you know what you just did? You cleaned your slate! So from now on I want you to think about this.”
5. The Do-Over:
“How often do you think that you can clean your slate or get a “do-over”?
Actually, you have a chance every moment, every day, every second to start over, or do-over because we all deserve that.”
Reality and Being Honest with Yourself
Now to be completely transparent, my classes are for the most part well-behaved and treat others with respect.
It is not what outsiders might expect to see if they had seen or heard the roster coming in. But frontloading the year with positivity is what ties the students and I together.
We form a bond. We are not the quietest bunch. Our lines to lunch are not always the straightest because I always have a few students that make the good choice to walk next to me, so that they do not get in trouble.
We talk too loud for some people, we get really excited. We use a lot of music when it fits the plan. It’s all beautiful to me though because their noise lets me know that we are learning ( not just them, but me too).
Yet, we are engaged in a positive manner. This environment allows everyone to keep, love, and embrace what makes them special.
A Side Project Worth Setting Up for Back to School
I love beginning of the year activities because they set the tone for the year. It is worth every bit of frontloading that you do. If you can get students engaged and to accept ownership of their mindset and their role in the classroom, they will work and they WILL learn.
I have discussed the “ do-over” class motto. Class mottos are worth doing, keep them posted on your door. Make sure that everyday your students know that this is how you operate as a classroom community.
The “clean slate” activity furthers the notion that we all are in charge of how we feel about ourselves. This classroom strategy has been successful for me, as well…as having an SEL wall.
My SEL Wall:
If you have not heard of SEL, it is a concept that many of us have been incorporating naturally for a long time without it having a formal name. SEL stands for Social Emotional Learning. SEL has needed to become a focus as we hopefully proceed post-Covid era.
In the simplest of terms it is about having a growth mindset and self-care.
My SEL Wall has four categories:
1) Doing great, no problems.
2) I am good
3) Eh, things are not so wonderful but I want to work this out and
4) Not good, can I please talk to you.
I try to find a spot for this wall that is convenient for students to walk over to without everyone paying attention. I post the aforementioned categories on name tags, or on whatever I have that fits the space.
I buy tiny sticky notes that can be folded for privacy, and students can post them in the appropriate categories. Surprisingly, no one has ever tried to read anyone else’s note because we all know that it is private.
As I look through each note, if I see a common thread, I make a point to address it as a whole group without using names. Many times the remarks are about other adults.
My reply to that is this: “You cannot change someone else, but you can control your attitude towards them and your approach. We will not talk about other adults in the building or elsewhere in my class”.
Instead, I promote using brainstorm strategies for what to do when you encounter anyone that does something that pushes your buttons. I stress making good decisions and not acting without thinking.
I Promise You This Works
If this seems like a lot of work and a little unreal, I promise you that it does work. Think of all the time and sanity that you can save throughout the year.
By spending the time at the beginning of the year setting expectations, you let your students know that they are in a safe place with people that care about them.
Best wishes for a wonderful new school year!
About Me – Kristen Nall
Hi all! I am an ELA teacher, 6th grade this year. I chose to be a teacher because I have always felt that it was my calling even when I tried to deny it.
I am a middle school teacher because I know that Middle Schoolers get a bad rap. They are hormonal, chemically unbalanced and in a very strange position of not being little kids but not being high schoolers. I am a very calm and patient person by nature, but I think what really gets me through the more challenging times is that I love to laugh.
It is true that you can choose to cry or laugh. I choose laughter every time.
When I feel stressed, I try to find something comical or something motivational to keep going. I have experience teaching Reading and Writing in a Workshop format in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. I also had a year of teaching Reading on its own.
All of this has been a learning experience, and I am grateful for every day that I have been allowed the responsibility to teach other people’s children. I am a proponent of Workshop Writing because it follows the natural connection between Reading and Writing.
I am privileged to teach ELA because I have the unique opportunity through reading a student’s writing to get to know them on a more personal level. I embody the spirit of love what you do, and it will not seem like a job.
I love what I do – I am lucky.
Most sincerely-
Kristen Nall
Print This Webpage and Use It this Year
I told you this was a special post. Print this off. Use it in your classroom this year.
Even if the school year has already started.
It will be well worth your time, and your students will bond with each other and you forever.
Trust me. I’ve seen it happen – with some of my bonding exercises, -but this one is amazing!
Kathie, Teach2Write, CEO
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Setting up your workshop schedule with daily procedures
Organizing Digital Files System
Planning out an Overview of your School Year
Create your Class Management System
Develop your Grading System
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