The first day of school

All I had today was an hour with my students.

Before the year started I thought carefully how I wanted to welcome my students. What can you say or do in sixty minutes that would already build a community? What can you say or do to create a positive emotion for the start of the year? How can the students feel important and involved? What could be a theme or message that could guide our year?

Quite often I have created an 'under construction' sign for my door. I secretly admired all the 'What am I reading?' doors. The Pinterest was filled with fabulos themed welcome designs. I used the inspiration to create my welcome. Flipping through my journal I found a message I had written from different readings 'All anybody wants is to matter and belong.' I was a bit chicken to put my creation on the door and displayed it on the Whiteboard instead. The names of students surrounded the message.

In previous years I have read The First Day Jitters or part of Pippi Longstocking, shared On the Other Side of the Door or Look up to the Stars. I needed something different. I chose:

We will go on a journey this year. My invitation to my students formed in my head and on the paper.

When Monday arrived, I was ready. 

We started the hour with sitting on the floor and greeting each other. After reading the welcome sign and sharing how excited I was to have them in third grade, we took a minute to think of two things what we wanted others to know about us first. We have a whole week of 'getting to know' activities ahead. 

I picked up the book and invited them to look closely and think along.

The students slowly gathered closer and closer to me to pay attention to the details and waited with anticipation for the pages to turn. I asked them to share what they noticed and what they thought. As true readers they made connections with previous books and story lines. A castle promised a king, any story should have some trouble and hope for an happy end. They tried to understand the character. The girl seemed sad and bored because everyone was busy and did't pay attention to her. They used evidence from the pictures to support their ideas. The girl is going to save the bird because she is looking at what is going on and she has the magic pencil. They reacted emotionally. It was an unexpected surprise that she was captured, relief that the bird came for a rescue and a joy that she found a friend in the end. They even thought as writers of the possibilities of what happens after the story. Maybe the girl could draw more magical pencils. We returned to beginning pages and noticed some new details. I promised to the students that we will return to this book and read the story again in the days, weeks and months to follow. It will be curious to see what we will discover and how our thinking develops and changes.

Once I finished reading, I shared my invitation with them.

I drew the journey waiting for us and asked them to think how our journey might be similar to the journey in the book.

The third graders hope that our journey will be fun. They understand that sometimes you have to be brave. They believe that besides chitter-chatter we will make things. One boy said that this book inspires him to create something amazing. Another student said that even when you can't be brave all the time and something happens, you can learn from it. One child suggested that we have to behave on a journey because if we don''t someone might get hurt. The final thought was to try to be happy because sad and grumpy is no fun.

The students received a little bookmark from me with a picture from a book on one side and the invitation on the other side. 

After this we did a short survey (using stickers) about favorite seasons and subjects, and I gave out schedules, handbooks, and agreements. 

We finished the hour with sharing what was the most memorable part of the firts day.

Almost everyone mentioned the book, different parts of the book that they liked, or how much fun it was to think and share, how it felt like a movie. One of the students shared athought that I plan to type up and post on the wall:

"Whenever you go on a journey, no matter what happens, trust yourself, be brave. It may not work how you want but at least you are going to try."