4 Questions to Reflect on the First Week of School

The first week of school is always so much fun and so exhausting at the same time. Think about it. So many names, so many needs, so much new, and so little time to get it all in. What do great teachers do to leverage the first week of school so the second week is set up for success.

4 Questions to Reflect on the First Week of School

• RESOURCES FOR LEARNING - How effective did I introduce C4B4Me with my classes and most specifically for my most struggling students?  Where are they resourceful learners or were they more dependent on me?
• ROUTINES & PROCEDURES - How consistent and independent were my routines and procedures?  Where will I need to tighten up next week?
• RELATIONSHIPS FOR LEARNING - How well did I build relationships with all kids, and how well did I get them interested in my content, and interested in learning with and from their classmates?
• ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING - How engaged were my students?  Did they instantly chase learning through the activities I provided or did they wait for me to prompt them to participate in the lesson?

The first week of school provides a powerful foundation for success, but in order to solidify that foundation, reflection is critical. The best teachers reflect on their organization, their preparation, and their delivery, but the one thing that great teachers reflect on is their students’ response to all of their hard work. That reflection provides teachers the vital information that will help them make key adjustments to their plan for the next week, and in the end it will make the 2nd week of school 10 times more impactful than it would have been without reflection.