This is episode 211 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Window, where we give research based and teacher approved

strategies that make teaching less stressful and more

effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from

each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to

the show.

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's

episode, we're talking about the three biggest goals for your

first three days of school, and sharing a teacher approved tip

for creating classroom jobs that actually matter.

But first, it's time for try it tomorrow, a favorite

quick win that you can try in your life right away. Emily,

what is our suggestion for this week?

This week, try writing your future self a little note,

grab a card or a sheet of paper and then just spend five minutes

writing an encouraging note that you can read on the first day of

school. In episode 209, we talked about stocking your first

day survival kit, and adding a thoughtful note to yourself can

be the perfect touch.

And if you want to go above and beyond, take a few

more minutes and write first day of school notes to your

teammates as well. So often as teachers, we have to cheer for

ourselves, as you well know. So it can really mean a lot when

someone else makes the effort to cheer for us, too.

If you like this idea or anything else that we share here

on the podcast, would you take a second and give us a five star

rating and review? Ratings and reviews are one way that new

listeners find us, so every rating and review is really a

huge help to us, and we see them all, and they make us so happy.

Now, over the years, Emily and I have created an

extensive library of back to school products. To help you

find the tools that will make the start of your new year

easier, today we are spotlighting our first day of

school lesson plan and planning guide for the first week of

school. That's quite the name.

This is the perfect addition to what we are talking

about in today's episode. If you are a teacher who wants to be

intentional about making the first few days as impactful as

possible, this planning guide is exactly what you need.

You start with setting your back to school goals and

making a plan for how to meet them in the first week of

school, and then we will help you craft the perfect schedule

and flesh it out into a minute by minute script.

And this seems like a lot of work up front, but we will

guide you through it one step at a time, and then you can extend

this process to plan the rest of your first week too.

Alright, you ready to talk about back to school?

Yep, let's do it.

Before anyone has that little panic attack we all get

when we hear those words in July, don't worry. You know we

are not about to load up your to do list with must do's or

complicated suggestions.

Yeah, no way. Around here, we love to dive into the

heart of things, so you'll have the clarity to cut through all

the competing demands and know what's most worthy of your time

and energy. So in today's episode, we're talking about how

to build a foundation that will anchor your classroom culture.

If you want a year where kids engage, cooperate and thrive,

start here.

And that foundation is not about filing systems or cute

name tags, it's about how your students answer three crucial

questions in those first few days. Am I safe? Am I seen? And

am I needed?

Even though kids can't articulate it, these three

questions are always running through their minds when they

walk into a new classroom. And if the answer to any of these

questions is no, or I'm not sure, then that student isn't

really available for learning.

And it does make a lot of sense, if you think about it, if

you walked into a new job and you weren't sure if your boss

was kind or if your coworkers cared about you, or if your work

actually mattered, how much would you be able to focus on

doing your best?

Yeah, probably not very much. So today, we're going to

walk through how to intentionally address each of

these needs in your first three days. And the beautiful part,

you don't need any special materials or complicated

systems. You just need to be purposeful about what you're

already doing.

Now all three of these elements, being safe, being seen

and being needed, should obviously be woven through every

single school day, but we're going to focus on one primary

goal each day to make sure that we are really hitting it home.

Day one is all about safety, day two is all about

being seen, and day three is all about being needed. So let's

dive into what this looks like in real classrooms with real

kids.

And we're going to kick off day one with that crucial

question, am I safe? When a child feels unsafe, physically,

emotionally or even just uncertain about what's expected,

their brain goes into survival mode, and a brain in survival

mode can't learn.

Safety in the classroom isn't just about physical

safety, though that's obviously important. It's about

predictability, clear expectations, and knowing that

this adult in charge is calm, kind and competent.

One of the fastest ways to create that sense of safety

is through teaching procedures clearly and calmly. I know, I

know, we know, procedures might sound like the most boring way

to launch a school year. But think about how you feel when

you walk into a new restaurant and you aren't sure, are you

supposed to seat yourself? Are you supposed to wait to be

seated? And maybe the sign says you're supposed to wait to be

seated, but there's nobody there, and so then how long do

you wait around? Yeah, it gets real awkward, real fast.

Oh, yeah, that is the worst. It's so uncomfortable.

Like, what am I supposed to be doing? And like, even worse, if

you're at the restaurant and you need to go to the bathroom and

you don't know where the bathroom is. So that is how our

kids feel when they don't know the expectations. So spending

time on day one teaching things like how to enter the classroom,

where to put their backpack, what to do if they need a

tissue, that is not time wasted, that is building a sense of

security.

The way you teach procedures matters just as much

as the procedures themselves. Your voice should be calm and

encouraging. Take your time. We're going to smile. Use

phrases like, let me show you how we do this in our classroom,

instead of here's the list of rules for how to do this.

We have a whole system for teaching procedures in a

supportive, collaborative way. We call it the tell, try, tally,

talk method. We talked about this in detail back in episode

75 so revisit that episode if you want all the deets.

We also have a set of tell, try, tally, talk Google

slides that you can edit to use with any procedure you need to

teach. We give you the full scaffold for the lesson. So

really, all you have to do is add your own steps

You can't teach every procedure on day one, obviously,

and you will melt your students brains if you try. So if you

want to create the greatest sense of safety, it's important

to start by teaching the procedures your students will

need first.

Yes, and we always recommend leading off with your

bathroom procedures first, and then your attention signal.

After that, you can introduce each procedure before students

will need to use it. So you teach your recess procedures

before you send your kids out to recess. Teach students how to

get to specialty classes before specialty time. That gives

students a predictable structure and predictability creates

peace.

Another key part of creating safety on day one is

introducing yourself as a person, not just as the teacher.

So share something about yourself. Maybe you have a dog

named Charlie, or you love to read mystery novels, or you're

learning to play the ukulele. If any of that is true, you sound

really fun.

And we definitely want to know more about the ukulele.

Yeah.

Kids need to see that you're a real human being who's

approachable and kind. I used to always share a story about

something I was excited about or something that made me nervous,

because kids need to know that adults have feelings too.

Yeah, the book First Day Jitters is great for this,

because it opens the conversation about feelings on

the first day and that the teacher has feelings too.

And I also really love the book A Letter from your

Teacher on the First Day of School. It helps kids see that

you're on their side and you are committed to providing a caring

space for them to learn and grow. And if you're interested

in either of those books, I will make sure to put a link in the

show notes.

As you're going through the day, be mindful of your tone

and body language. Kids are incredibly perceptive. They can

sense if you're stressed or overwhelmed or not really happy

to be there. So take a deep breath, slow down your speaking

pace, and genuinely show them that your class is a great place

to be.

By the end of day one, every child should be able to

walk into your classroom tomorrow morning and know

exactly what to do, where to go, and that you are a safe person

to be around. That is the foundation that you're going to

build the rest of the week on.

Now let's move on to day two, and helping students know

am I seen. Once kids feel safe, they need to know that you see

them as individuals. So day two is about shifting the focus from

here's how we do things, to here's who you are, and I'm

excited to know you.

Start building that bridge by finding ways for

students to tell you about themselves, whether it's a short

writing prompt like three things to know about me, or a partner

interview, or a share your favorite things circle. Look for

opportunities to invite real sharing and connection.

I always did some get to know you activities on the first

day, but I leaned more heavily into it on the second day. I

also gave students opportunities to get to know each

Yeah, that's so important. Community building

isn't just about the teacher student relationship, it's about

helping kids feel connected to their classmates too. So an

activity like Find Someone Who is a classic for a reason, but

any low pressure fun activity works here too.

One thing to keep in mind is to watch out for your little

introverts. It's so easy to let your more outgoing students

dominate the sharing time, while your quieter kids fade into the

background.

Yeah, make sure to plan some activities that give

students space to pause before they have to answer. As an

introvert, please do this. Having students write their

sharing on a sticky note first, or creating small groups where

everyone gets a turn can relieve anxiety for your quieter kids.

The goal is for every single child to have a moment where

they share something about themselves and feel truly heard.

You might not have everyone's favorite color

memorized by the end of day two, but every student should be able

to say, my teacher is interested in me. That sense of being seen

and known is what transforms a group of individual kids into

the beginning of a classroom community.

And that brings us to day three, and that final crucial

question, am I needed? By this point, students know they are

safe. They've had moments of being seen, and now we need to

hear you matter to this class, and we are better because you're

And this is the day for talking about how everyone has

here.

something valuable to offer. This might be introducing

classroom jobs, but it's so much bigger than just who's going to

water the plants.

It's really about helping kids understand that their

choices, their words, their actions, they all impact the

kind of classroom community that you have together. They're not

just passive bystanders. Their actions ripple outward to

everyone, helping a classmate, following a routine, showing

kindness. These choices affect everything.

One thing that fits so well on day three is having a

conversation about what kind of classroom you want to create

this year. Have kids reflect on what it means to take care of

each other and identify ways they can contribute positively.

And don't forget to explicitly tell students that

they're needed and that you're glad they're there. Try saying

things like, I'm so glad you're part of our classroom, or your

ideas make us all better, or I need your help to make this the

best year ever.

By the end of day three, every student should feel like

they belong, like they matter, and like they have something

important to contribute to your classroom community. A class

where kids feel needed becomes a class where kids help each

other, and that's when the magic happens.

Now, if you are thinking, Okay, this sounds lovely, but I

have curriculum to cover and standards to meet. Can I really

spend three whole days on relationship building? Try to

zoom out your focus a bit. This isn't time taken away from

learning. This is learning. You're teaching some of the most

important lessons of the year, how to be part of a community,

how to treat others with respect, and how to see yourself

as a valuable contributor.

Plus every minute you invest in building this

foundation will save you hours throughout the year in behavior

management issues, classroom disruptions, and trying to

motivate disengaged students. A classroom built on safety,

connection and belonging is a classroom where learning

thrives. It's where kids take risks, ask questions, help each

other and show up as their best selves.

So as you are planning those first few days, ask

yourself, How will my students know they're safe in my

classroom? How will they know I see them as individuals? And how

will they know that they are needed and valued?

The activities you choose, the way you structure

your time, the words you use, let it all be intentional about

prioritizing the feeling of safety, inviting students to be

seen, and showing them that they are needed. If you build from

that foundation, the rest of your school year will be built

on solid ground.

We would love to hear how you create that sense of safety,

connection and belonging in your classroom. Come join the

conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Now for our teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where

we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters

and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is

create classroom jobs that actually matter. Can you tell us

more about this, Heidi?

I would love to. So at the start of the school year,

one of our main goals is helping students feel needed, and one

way to do that is to assign class jobs. Now, this does not

mean that every student needs an assigned responsibility every

day, unless that is something that you feel like managing, but

all students should have an opportunity at some point to

contribute to the running of your class. You will likely have

jobs like line leader and paper passer. But don't let that limit

you. Think about the jobs that you actually wish someone would

help you with. Maybe it's keeping track of borrowed

supplies or helping set up materials for activities, or,

you know, even making sure that no one sits alone at lunch.

This can be so helpful. Some of the most impactful

classroom jobs are about taking care of the social and emotional

needs of the classroom. A friendship facilitator who helps

include kids who might be left out, or a celebration

coordinator who helps the class notice and acknowledge the good

things that are happening are all great job ideas.

Now we are mentioning this in July because this is the

perfect moment to reflect on how your class jobs have been

running. Once you're in the thick of the school year, it can

be really tricky to try and turn the ship. So take some time now

to reflect on how jobs have worked in your class in the

past, what you would like to see happen in the future, and how

you can make that happen.

You could even assign one of your weekly teacher power

hours to sorting this out before school starts. If you want some

support, we did a deep dive into classroom jobs back in episode

166, so definitely check that out.

And we would love to hear about your class jobs, so come join

the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Alright, to wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're

giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your

extra credit?

I'm giving extra credit to Delete Me. It is a

subscription service where they identify where your personal

information is being sold online through, like, data brokers and

people search sites. You know those, oh, I'm trying to think

of some of the common ones that I see. But you know where you

like put in the name of someone you're looking for, and it like,

pulls up these, like, seedy websites that people have to pay

money to, like, look up information about people. Oh,

it's so gross.

So Delete Me submits opt out requests on your behalf. It

searches for where your info is, and then they go through the

process for you to get the information removed. And

sometimes that just starts the process, and something comes to

you, like you'll get an email of something you have to do on your

end. But for the most part, almost all of the ones they've

removed so far have been automated, and I haven't had to

do anything. And they send you reports of where your info has

been removed from, which is just nice peace of mind. So, and I

have a coupon code that gets you 20% off, so click the link in

the show notes, and you can save 20% on it.

Oh, that's good. I'm gonna do that because I'm not

signed up. I follow a private investigator on Instagram

because she's a hoot. But I heard her talking about this and

said it's a really helpful tool.

And I think I read that they even monitor the dark web

for your info. So very interesting to see, like, I'll

be, I'll be curious to see if it cuts down on like, spam calls

and stuff like that, because I get a lot of those, so.

Yeah, that'd be a nice break.

Yeah, I'll let you know, and I'll send you the link so

you can sign up.

Yeah, please do.

What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

Well my extra credit goes to a darling new picture book

called When You Go to Dragon School. And I think this book

could really open up some fun discussions about how we all

bring our unique talents to make our classroom better. So the

synopsis is that when the local human school is overflowing, a

group of kids find themselves transferred to dragon school,

naturally, of course, where they learn that even though you might

not have scales or wings or the ability to breathe fire, with a

little bit of courage in your own special talents, you'll have

no trouble fitting in. This book is so cute. The pictures are by

one of my favorite illustrators, Charlene Chu, and I love that

the text is short. That's one of my favorite parts of picture

books, when it's just like a couple sentences on a page

instead of a couple paragraphs. That's always a winner.

I'm gonna have to check this out. I'm always excited to

add a new book to my back to school collection.

It is very fun, and I will also link to that in the

show notes.

And that is it for today's episode. Remember those first

three days are about helping every single child know that

they are safe, seen, and needed in your classroom.

If this episode gave you something to think about, send

it to a teacher friend who's prepping for back to school too,

and don't forget to join our teacher Approved Facebook group

where we're always sharing ideas and supporting each other.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye for now.

Bye.