Talented and passionate educator, Donna Rudisill, @derudisill, recently shared Four Challenges for the New School Year with our school community. In this article, Matt Wachel challenges us to think differently this school year right from the start.

"Four Challenges For The New School Year." ASCD Inservice. N. p., 2017. Web. 4 Sept. 2017.

Matt's article and the graphic immediately appealed to me. But, the practical side of me also thought, How? How can I have students share publicly? How can I call every family by the end of the week, especially when I teach 120+ students and the first week of school is notoriously busy! And, what in the world does “create their own spaces” mean when I teach in a traditional science classroom?  

Matt’s article is super helpful and is a great place to start. His tips and more are all here in this Google sheet. RETHINKING THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

And here’s where YOU come in. After you explore the sheet, take a minute to add your ideas. What did you do the first week of school to build relationships with students and begin to form a community of learners?