Paint and Pages

One routine I am very proud of is the warm welcome my students receive as soon as they arrive at school each day.

I meet all students at my classroom door and greet them individually. I try and say something genuine to each child. “Are you wearing a Pikachu shirt today?” or “Did you have gymnastics last night?” and, “I added some new blocks for you to build with today!” are just a few examples. A brief moment of connection and greeting lays our foundation for the day.

After greeting my students, they answer the “Question of the Day” by finding a star with their name and moving it onto the yes/no board. Usually, this is a yes or no question, but sometimes it’s open-ended. Questions that relate to what we learned the previous day like, “Does your name have letter l?” Or “Can boys like the color pink?” are some of my favorite kinds of questions to ask.

After answering the, “Question of the Day” students complete the, “Task of the Day”. Often this involves using our Learning Without Tears DIY materials to form a letter with foam pieces and write the letter on our white board. Students then make that letter sound and may also include the visual phonics sign for the sound. It is a great way to quickly see who can name a letter we’ve learned, form the letter, and make the letter sound. It’s also a great time to briefly reteach. I love that the task allows a moment of intrinsic motivation as soon as students arrive. I love to say, “Look! You made letter F! How does that make you feel?” Their smiles say it all.

With so many uncertainties in life it is nice to provide a warm, loving and consistent morning routine for my students. The sign outside my classroom door reads, “Everyone is welcome here. Everyone belongs.” 💜

Here is a video of my students arriving at school.