Preparing the Nest

Eyes darted, searching for the mother-to-be, looking at me and then back at him, followed by a knowing nod that we meant that our extended family is having a baby: our first grandchild, to be exact.

Even though Doug and I have been through the baby stage three times ourselves, it was years ago, so I am finding myself thinking, and overthinking, about what to do with a baby. We are reading books on babies and reflecting about babies. Research has shifted some things a bit. For example, we used to place our babies on their stomachs and sides when they were sleeping, but now they are supposed to sleep on their backs. Many things are the same. Babies need sleep, so the special rocking technique that my dad used with me, and taught me to use with our firstborn, will feel like second nature when we use it with our new arrival.  

The beginning of a new school year reminds me of getting ready for a new baby. It is a lot of work. We get our rooms ready and anticipate the arrival of our students. We read professional books, reflect on our teaching, consider what worked well, and adjust things that didn't.

The first time we set eyes on our new arrivals, we feel a mix of apprehension and excitement.  As we are getting to know each other, we build a sense of community with techniques we know will work.

• We practice the 10 Steps to Independence.  
• We build stamina slowly.
• We focus on establishing a positive relationship with every student in the room. 

7 Steps to Classroom Design

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Here is a systematic way to set up or reconstruct your room. This system really works for us, and we think it will help you as well.

Using the Discussion Boards

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Article

Assessments

1 Monitor and Fix Up*

2 Use Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and Glossaries*

Are you looking for a way to assess student use of word-learning tools? This is the resource for you! 

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