Almost Time

Last day of empty seats.

Today our students arrive.

Our first day isn't actually until Monday, but today the 6th graders will have orientation, and everyone else will have the chance to drop off supplies and visit their classroom. This has been a popular day in the past, though it wasn't required. We're anticipating bigger crowds this year as everyone is curious about the new classrooms and other changes.

For the first time since we started letting students drop off supplies early, my room is ready. Every book is in a bin and the supplies are either put away or ready to distribute. I've done very little planning at this point, in part because we don't have schedules yet, and in part because I'm trying very much to put my students at the center of what we do this year. I know some things: We'll read A Tale of Two Cities, we'll practice fancy grammar through imitation, we'll study geography. I've already copied two "quizzes" for the first day. I know what worked last year when it came to classroom management and expectations, and I'd largely like to do that again.

This year, though, I'm not running off copies in advance, or polishing my prose until it shines. Instead, I'll share my draft with them, and together we'll commit to it.

We'll see how it goes.

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