The 3 Questions Every Student Needs Answered in the First 3 Days of School [Episode 211]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 211 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:04

You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  0:13

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.

 

Heidi  0:28

We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

 

Emily  0:36

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.

 

Heidi  0:50

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?

 

Emily  0:57

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.

 

Heidi  1:14

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.

 

Emily  1:30

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.

 

Heidi  1:46

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.

 

Emily  2:03

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.

 

Heidi  2:16

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.

 

Emily  2:27

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.

 

Heidi  2:36

Alright, you ready to talk about back to school?

 

Emily  2:38

Yep, let’s do it.

 

Heidi  2:40

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.

 

Emily  2:52

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.

 

Heidi  3:13

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?

 

Emily  3:26

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.

 

Heidi  3:40

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?

 

Emily  3:54

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.

 

Heidi  4:10

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.

 

Emily  4:25

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.

 

Heidi  4:38

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.

 

Emily  4:54

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.

 

Heidi  5:07

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.

 

Emily  5:34

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.

 

Heidi  6:01

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.

 

Emily  6:17

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.

 

Heidi  6:30

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 for each procedure.

 

Emily  6:45

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.

 

Heidi  6:58

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.

 

Emily  7:22

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.

 

Heidi  7:38

And we definitely want to know more about the ukulele.

 

Emily  7:41

Yeah.

 

Heidi  7:42

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.

 

Emily  7:53

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.

 

Heidi  8:00

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.

 

Emily  8:15

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.

 

Heidi  8:33

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.

 

Emily  8:46

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.

 

Heidi  9:03

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.

 

Emily  9:17

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 other.

 

Heidi  9:27

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.

 

Emily  9:43

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.

 

Heidi  9:53

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.

 

Emily  10:16

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.

 

Heidi  10:32

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 here.

 

Emily  10:45

And this is the day for talking about how everyone has 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.

 

Heidi  10:56

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.

 

Emily  11:13

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.

 

Heidi  11:26

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.

 

Emily  11:40

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.

 

Heidi  11:55

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.

 

Emily  12:22

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.

 

Heidi  12:45

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?

 

Emily  12:57

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.

 

Heidi  13:15

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.

 

Emily  13:25

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?

 

Heidi  13:39

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.

 

Emily  14:18

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.

 

Heidi  14:38

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.

 

Emily  14:58

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.

 

Emily  15:09

And we would love to hear about your class jobs, so come join the conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

 

Heidi  15:10

Alright, to wrap up the show, we’re sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

 

Emily  15:21

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.

 

Emily  15:46

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.

 

Heidi  16:18

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.

 

Emily  16:33

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.

 

Heidi  16:45

Yeah, that’d be a nice break.

 

Emily  16:46

Yeah, I’ll let you know, and I’ll send you the link so you can sign up.

 

Heidi  16:49

Yeah, please do.

 

Emily  16:50

What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  16:53

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.

 

Emily  17:42

I’m gonna have to check this out. I’m always excited to add a new book to my back to school collection.

 

Heidi  17:47

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

 

Heidi  17:51

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.

 

Emily  17:59

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.

 

Heidi  18:14

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

 

Emily  18:18

And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

 

Heidi  18:23

You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye for now.

 

Emily  18:31

Bye.