Guest Blogger: Tamara Russell from Mrs. Russell's Room

Howdy everyone! :)
So excited to be sharing a little something with ya since Daina is on her way to the great state of Texas!  Those of you who follow us, know that we taught first grade together last year and had a total blast the whole way through! :)  She will surely be missed here, but...thanks to the 'bloggy-sphere' she will never be more than a few quick clicks away! :)
So, let's chat a bit today about two things that I think about in the weeks before school starts.

One of the things I am most passionate about is parent participation.  Work on building a relationship with them early.  I find that once parents are comfortable with my routines and proceedures, they typically go with the flow...but the first few weeks of the year, they are typically a bit nervous and needy. Remind them that it really is going to be okay and that you're in this TOGETHER. Offer them specific opportunities to participate in students learning.  Make sure that it is something that they can be successful with...and that they can experience with their little learner.  Apple Day, Pumpkin Day...these are great days that include both learning and play.  The parents will enjoy getting to see how you interact with their child, and to see what they are learning.  This year, I am hosting a Teacher Talk night once a month to explain to the parents a little bit about what I'm teaching in the classroom and to show them how to review the reading and math strategies at home.  I'm hopeful that it will be a great opportunity for us to share our enthusiasm for their children's learning!

Something else that I think a lot about before I start the year is daily routines.  I had a mentor once upon a time that gave me a list of 100 common classroom procedures that I should have an answer for in my room to make sure that my management of the children was always on point.  Things as simple as how do the children take care of sharpening their pencil to what do they do if they find a book that needs repair.  I was surprised at how many things I didn't have an answer for.  If you are a teacher that struggles with having students that constantly come up to you and ask you questions about procedures...then, those are the things that you should be thinking about explaining more clearly...while you have the time to do it in the summer.  Sometimes...even after all these years, I've found that I need to adjust some of those procedures because children change over time...or some procedures don't work in all situations.  Be open to that as you review your procedures.