Plans for my future classroom ♡:

1. Welcome all kids in at the door and say hi to all of them.

a. Music playing; essential oils going; agenda on the board; lights dimmed
2. Mindfulness minute (or 5-minute) (make sure to remind them of the benefits/purpose)
a. Students can also choose from a list of strategies
3. Check-in with students:
a. Form website to get real-time results on well-being
b. Quick class check-in to gauge feelings
i. Thumbs up, medium down
ii. Feeling out of 10 or 5
iii. Poll everywhere (or real-time response alternatives)
c. Circle-up
i. Circle agreements: respect the talking piece, speak from the heart, listen
from the heart, trust that you will know what to say, maintain
confidentiality (what’s said here doesn’t leave the circle)
ii. Fun questions; ensure everyone is listened to and heard
4. Warm-up (+ Potential 3-4 minute discussion)
a. Quote
b. Life-Lesson
c. Meme or comic
d. Joke
e. Riddle/Mystery task
f. Fun/interesting discussion or icebreaker question
g. Video
h. Song
i. Vocab
j. “Find a…” online scavenger hunt
5. If time, independent reading time for 10-15 minutes.
a. Book page and chats
6. Ideas for activities:
a. Mini-Lesson and then activity
b. Movie scene and discussion/activity
c. Socratic seminar (allow for prep time; questions on one side, space for seminar
notes on the other) (pilot & co-pilot, inner & outer circle, reflection after)
d. Notebook/workshop time: Menu of Understanding
e. Journal writing
f. Read aloud: Informative texts through reading lenses; related to novel at hand
g. Audiobook reading
h. Collaborative work: group discussion, group poster
i. Think Tank
j. Film study
k. TED Talk
 l. “Friday Folders” or “Choice Folders”
m. Library visit
n. Outdoors visit to write, mindfully walk and think
o. Games!
i. Kahoot, Gimkit, Blooket, Quizlet, Quizizz
p. Gallery Walk
q. Stations
r. Project work time
s. Flex/workshop time
t. Mosaic
u. Checkpoint on Google Form
v. Website exploration
w. Worksheet
x. Writer’s conferences and 1-on-1 meetings
y. Quill: Grammar practice
z. Quiz
aa. Additional (and more specific) Activities here: Link
7. Closure
a. Tell 1-2 partner(s) 1 thing you learned today
b. Reminders/calendar checkpoint
c. Exit slip
d. Google form

Additional Tips:
● Birthday cards/mini-gifts for all students
● Play cute animal videos during work time or a test for a brain-break
● Bardcore music for Shakespeare or historical texts
● Graphic novel version/option for tougher books
● Proposals/student choice + opinions– always allow that autonomy!
● Music while they work
● Class rewards for good behavior
● Walk in the middle of the classroom!
● Have students handwrite reflections of what they just read for accountability and mix up
for discussion partners