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Thanksgiving may be celebrated at different times and in slightly different ways in Canada and the United States, but there's something we share. It's a time to pause, spend time with family and friends, and focus on the things we are thankful for.  In Canada, Thanksgiving comes in October, while our friends in the United States celebrate in November. The history behind the two celebrations is different, too. But regardless of where we live, I think Thanksgiving gives us a wonderful opportunity to talk with children about gratitude. And I don't think those conversations have to stop with the big things.  When we ask children what they are thankful for, we often hear the expected answers: family, friends, pets, toys, their home. Those are certainly things worth appreciating. But what about the little things? What made you smile today? Who helped you when something was difficult? Did someone invite you to play? Did you learn something you couldn't do before? Was there a moment when someone was kind to you?  Sometimes the little things are importantSometimes the little things can make a difficult day a little better. I think this message is especially important for children. Being thankful doesn't mean that everything is going perfectly. We all have difficult days, and children do, too. They may be having trouble with a friend, struggling with their schoolwork, missing someone, or simply feeling like nothing is going their way. We can't make those difficult things disappear by telling children to be thankful. But we can help them notice that the difficult thing isn't the only thing happening. Maybe a friend made them laugh. Someone helped them. A favorite book was waiting for them. They had a chance to play outside. They accomplished something they didn't think they could do.  From noticing to doingLearning to notice those little things can help children develop an attitude of gratitude and sometimes a little hope, too. I've always liked using Thanksgiving as a springboard for acts of kindness in my classroom. Once children begin noticing the kindness of others, it is a natural step to ask, "What can you do to make someone else's day a little better?" It doesn't have to be anything complicated. Maybe it's inviting someone to join a game at recess, helping someone pick up their things, saying thank you to someone who helped them, leaving a little note for a friend, or sitting beside someone who seems lonely. These are little things, but children quickly learn that little things can make a big difference. This is also where I like to introduce the idea of paying it forward. Someone has done something kind for you. Instead of simply saying thank you, you can pass that kindness along to someone else. That person might then do something kind for someone else. And before you know it, one little act of kindness has become many.  Kindness explosionI have used my Kindness Explosion: Paying It Forward poster to help children visualize this idea. It demonstrates that what starts with one small act can spread much farther than we might expect. You can easily work this into the Thanksgiving activities you already have planned. If children are writing about what they are thankful for, perhaps encourage them to include small things that made them smile. If you are reading a Thanksgiving story, stop and talk about the kindness you see in the story. Who helped someone? How did it make that person feel? You might even have children write a thank-you note or draw a picture for someone who has done something kind for them. The activity itself doesn't have to be elaborate. The important part is helping children connect receiving and giving kindness.  Let the kindness continueI like starting this conversation at Thanksgiving because it doesn't have to end when Thanksgiving is over. As Christmas approaches, the focus is often on what we want to receive. That's part of the fun of Christmas, especially for children! But by starting with gratitude in the fall, we can also begin talking about what we can give to others that doesn't come wrapped in a box. A smile, a kind word, a helping hand, a thank-you, or a little encouragement for someone who is having a difficult day. This is where my RACK: Random Acts of Christmas Kindness resource comes in. I created it to encourage children to look for ways to spread kindness during the Christmas season. And perhaps starting early is part of the fun.  We can look for opportunities to be kind at Thanksgiving; we don't have to wait until December to get started. We can get those little acts of kindness happening early, and by the time Christmas arrives, the kindness explosion may be much bigger! You might notice kindness happening around the classroom, on the playground, or throughout the school. And once children start looking for kindness, they often begin finding more opportunities to be kind themselves. A simple lesson with a lasting messageI don't think we need to replace the Thanksgiving crafts, stories, writing activities, and other traditions we enjoy doing with children. They help make the season special. Instead, we can use those activities as a starting point for a bigger conversation. I have several Fall/Thanksgiving resources available that would be great to include. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to help children notice what is good in their lives, to appreciate the big things and the little things, to recognize the kindness of others, and to think about how they can pass that kindness along. Because gratitude isn't just about saying, "I'm thankful for what I have." It can also lead us to say, "I'm thankful someone was kind to me. Now, what can I do to be kind to someone else?" And perhaps that little act of kindness will lead to another, and another. That's how kindness grows. And that is a lesson worth carrying from Thanksgiving right through Christmas and into the rest of the year.   Related Posts One of the things I have come to appreciate even more through my work with small groups and tutoring is how much of elementary math comes back to understanding ten. Children may be ready to work with larger numbers, addition and subtraction, or place value on paper, but sometimes I discover that the foundation underneath those skills isn't quite as solid as it needs to be. That's when I go back to something concrete. If a child can build a number, take it apart, trade one quantity for another and explain what is happening, I know we're getting somewhere. For me, this is where base ten becomes so important.  What Does the Number Actually Mean?Take the number 246. A child may be able to read it and write it correctly. But can they tell me what the 2 means? What about the 4? What about the 6? Can they build 246? Can they show it another way? This is where I like to use different representations of numbers. 246 200 + 40 + 6 2 hundreds + 4 tens + 6 ones These aren't three separate math skills. They are three different ways of showing the same number. When children can move between those representations, I have a better sense that they are beginning to understand place value rather than simply following a rule. This is one reason I created resources that allow children to work with standard form, expanded form and base-ten representations. They give children a chance to see the relationship between the written number and the quantities it represents. I've written more about this in How Using Manipulatives With Numbers Helps With Abstract Use  Base Ten Gives Us Something to Hold OntoThere is a reason I keep coming back to base-ten blocks and other concrete materials. A child can look at 40 on a worksheet and see two digits. But four tens on a table are something different. They can count them. They can move them. They can put them beside four ones. They can add another ten. They can take one away. They can exchange ten ones for one ten. The numbers become quantities rather than symbols. That is an important step. Eventually, I want children to be able to look at 46 and picture four tens and six ones without needing the blocks in front of them. But I don't think we should be in a hurry to get rid of the concrete materials. The materials are helping build the understanding that will eventually allow the child to work abstractly.  Let's Go to the BankOne of my favorite ways to make regrouping more understandable is to use money. Imagine that you have ten pennies. You take them to the bank and trade them for a dime. You still have the same amount of money. You haven't gained anything. You haven't lost anything. You have simply changed ten smaller units into one larger unit. Then you can do the same thing with ten dimes and a dollar. This gives children a very concrete way to understand what happens when we regroup numbers. 10 ones → 1 ten 10 tens → 1 hundred The amount stays the same. The way we represent it changes. That is a much more meaningful explanation than simply telling children that they need to "carry" a number when adding or "borrow" when subtracting.  What Are We Actually Doing When We Regroup?Suppose we are adding and we end up with 14 ones. Rather than simply writing down the 4 and putting a 1 somewhere else because that's what the procedure says to do, I want children to understand what happened. We had 14 ones. We can keep 4 ones and trade 10 of those ones for 1 ten. Now we have: 1 ten and 4 ones. The quantity hasn't changed. We've simply reorganized it. This is the same idea they experienced when they traded ten pennies for a dime. That connection can be powerful. The more opportunities children have to see the same mathematical idea in different situations, the more likely it is that they will recognize it when they encounter it somewhere new.  The Real World Gives Us More OpportunitiesThis is where I think mathematics becomes especially interesting. Base ten isn't something that only belongs in the math lesson. We use our number system when we work with money. We use numbers when we measure. We use them when we compare prices, count objects, keep scores, record distances and solve everyday problems. Measurement is another area where children can see relationships between units. Money is especially helpful because the idea of exchanging ten smaller units for one larger unit is so visible. This is one reason I enjoyed developing my Money Lessons Unit with my Grade 3 class. We weren't just practising money facts. We were using money in situations that had a purpose. Children had jobs, earned classroom money, made choices about saving and spending, and had opportunities to use their mathematical thinking. The numbers had somewhere to go.  Understanding Before MemorizingI'm not against children learning their basic facts. They need those facts. But I want them to have something underneath the facts. If a child forgets 7 + 8, I want them to have some strategies for figuring it out. Maybe they know that 7 + 7 = 14 and can add one more. Maybe they make a ten. Maybe they think about 8 + 2 = 10 and then add the remaining 5. The answer matters, but so does the thinking. This is one reason I've written about tips for helping math make sense and using games to develop place value and number sense. Games and hands-on activities give children opportunities to use these relationships repeatedly without every experience feeling like another page of questions.  Sometimes Going Back Is the Best Way ForwardWhen I'm working with a child who is struggling, I sometimes have to remind myself that the answer isn't always to give them more practice with the skill they are having trouble with. Sometimes I need to go back. Back to the counters. Back to the ten frame. Back to the base-ten blocks. Back to the money. Back to making ten. Back to asking, "What does this number actually mean?" That isn't going backward. It's finding the missing piece. Once that piece is in place, the next piece has somewhere to connect. That's really what I want for children when they are learning math. I don't want them to simply learn a procedure well enough to get through a worksheet. I want them to understand what the numbers mean, how they relate to one another and how they can use that understanding when the situation changes.  Eventually, the blocks won't be there. The ten frame won't be there. The pennies and dimes won't be there. But the understanding will be. And that's when the math has really started to make sense.  Related Posts I've always thought of learning math as putting a puzzle together. Some of the pieces seem fairly simple on their own, but until children understand how they fit together, the bigger picture can be pretty confusing. Over the years, when I've worked with small groups of children, I've noticed many who haven't quite grasped the idea of ten and how important it is to their understanding of numbers. Some of these children can count. They recognize numbers. They may even know some addition facts. But when I ask them to show me what a number means or explain how they know an answer, I sometimes discover that an important puzzle piece isn't really in place yet. They know the numbers, but they don't necessarily understand how they work together. It keeps coming back to ten.  Why ten mattersThink about this. Our number system is built around groups of ten. We have ones, but when we get to ten ones, we make a group and call it a ten. Ten tens make a hundred. Ten hundreds make a thousand. We use this system all the time, but that doesn't mean it is automatically obvious to children. I've worked with children who can tell me that ten ones make a ten, but when I give them a number and ask them to show it with blocks or counters, they aren't sure what to do. That's why I know we need to slow down. Before worrying about another worksheet or another set of addition questions, I want to give them opportunities to actually experience ten.  Making TenOne of the activities I have used for years is making tens with dice and ten frames. It is a simple idea. Roll a die and figure out what number you need to make ten. Roll again and find another combination. But there is a lot happening as children play. They begin to notice that 6 and 4 make ten. Then they see 7 and 3. Eventually they don't have to count on their fingers to figure it out. I wrote about this in Making Tens With Dice and Ten Frames. One of the things I mentioned in that post was how quickly some children move from counting on their fingers to recognizing the combinations automatically. That's the kind of progress I like to see. Not simply remembering a fact because we practised it enough times, but beginning to see the relationship between the numbers. Once a child knows that 6 and 4 make ten, that relationship can become useful in many other situations. What is 16 + 4? What is 26 + 4? What happens if we have 13 and need to get to 20? The original idea of making ten is still there.  Ten Is Something Children Can SeeThis is why I like using concrete materials so much. If I ask a child to think about 8 + 2, they may know the answer. But if they can put eight counters into a ten frame and see the two empty spaces, the answer becomes visible. They can see what is missing. They can fill the spaces. They can make ten. And then they can take it apart again. That may seem very simple to an adult, but these are the experiences that help children develop an understanding of how numbers relate to one another. I've written before about How Using Manipulatives With Numbers Helps With Abstract Use. I still believe very strongly in that progression from something children can see and manipulate toward the abstract numbers they eventually need to work with independently.  Number Sense Is More Than Knowing the AnswerThis is also why I think number sense is so important. I don't just want a child to tell me that 8 + 2 = 10. I want them to have some idea of why. I want them to know that 8 is two away from ten. I want them to recognize that if they have 8 and add 2, they have made a complete group of ten. And I want them to be able to use that knowledge somewhere else. Number sense gives children ways to think about numbers rather than relying on one method every time. I've written about How Developing Number Sense Impacts Student Confidence and Success before. I keep coming back to those ideas because I see them playing out when I work with children who are struggling. Sometimes a child who says, "I'm not good at math," really needs more opportunities to make sense of what the numbers are doing.  Give Them More Than One Way to Make TenI also like giving children different ways to work with the same idea. Dice are one way. Ten frames are another. Counters, cubes, fingers and base-ten blocks can all be used. I might ask a child to find two numbers that make ten. Another time, I might ask them to start with ten and take some away. I might give them a group of objects and ask how many more are needed. The activity can change, but the mathematical idea stays the same. That's important because I don't want children to associate a mathematical idea with just one worksheet, game or set of materials. I want them to recognize the idea wherever it appears.  When the Pieces Start to ConnectThis is where the puzzle analogy comes back for me. Understanding ten is not the whole picture. But it is an important piece. Once children understand that ten is a group they can make, break apart and use, they have something to connect to when they begin working with larger numbers. Ten ones become one ten. Ten tens become one hundred. The digits in a number begin to have meaning. Addition and subtraction can begin to make more sense. Money and measurement provide real-world examples. Children have something to draw on when they are asked to solve a problem they haven't seen before. That's why I'm willing to spend time on these seemingly simple ideas. Sometimes we need to slow down before we can move forward. If a child hasn't really internalized what ten means, giving them more complicated number work may only make the confusion bigger. Instead, I would rather go back to the concrete. Roll the dice. Fill the ten frame. Build the number. Take it apart. Make ten in another way. Talk about what you see. Try it again. Eventually, the hope is that the child doesn't need all those materials anymore because the understanding has become part of the way they think about numbers. And that's when I know another puzzle piece has finally found its place.  Looking back at those children I worked with who were struggling to make sense of math develop confidence because they finally understood how to use tens confirms my belief that this is an important puzzle piece and taking the time to make sure it is in place is worth it. Related Posts Are you scrambling to get everything ready for the first week of school? Have you already started? I remember the energy and anxiety of those first few weeks and the feeling of being completely exhausted at the end of the day. Preparing some things ahead of time helped, but it was those administrative things and the classroom management routines and activities that seemed to take the most out of me. I always forgot how far kids go in a year. It' was a bit of a reality check when I saw my new class and realized how much they still needed to be taught. I had to keep reminding myself that they were a grade higher in name, but they had yet to obtain the skills, independence, and maturity of my former classes.  That's one of the reasons I learned to spend so much time on the classroom environment at the beginning of the year. Before I could expect kids to work independently, cooperate with others, or settle into their academic work, they needed to know what was expected of them and, just as importantly, know that they were in a classroom where they felt safe, accepted, and valued. Here are some tips, based on the things that helped me, to help you get the year off to a successful start. 1. Have a solid plan for classroom managementHaving a solid plan for classroom management and activities that help build a positive and accepting environment is key. When kids feel safe and know what is expected of them, they are more likely to participate, take risks, and work together. I found that I couldn't simply assume that my new class would automatically know how to function as a group. We had to build that classroom community together. One of my big goals was to work on self-esteem and help kids develop an optimistic outlook and positive attitude toward themselves and their peers. The catch phrase "Attitude is Everything!" became a big thing in my classroom. When things were going sideways, we would remind each other: "Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?" Over time, it became part of our classroom language. And one of the best things was when I started hearing the kids say it to each other instead of me! I developed several activities and resources over the years to help with classroom management, self-esteem, cooperation, and creating a positive classroom environment. Having these ready to go made those first few weeks a little easier for me, too. Maybe they could help you out as well. You can check them out here. 2. Teach routines and practice themKids need routines and guidelines in order to function and remain self-regulated in group situations without constant redirection and negative consequences. We can't expect everyone to learn and follow these routines the first time just because we show or tell them how they work. Practice is important. In fact, some routines may need to be practiced several times before they become automatic. How do we enter the classroom? What do we do when we finish our work? How do we get someone's attention? How do we work with a partner? How do we move from one activity to another? How do we work in small groups or in centers? These things may seem obvious to us, but they aren't necessarily obvious to a six-, seven-, or eight-year-old. I learned that spending extra time practicing routines at the beginning of the year saved me time later. And when things started to slip, I didn't see it as a failure. We simply stopped and practiced again. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are teaching routines, not just enforcing them.  3. Provide strategies and space for self-regulationJust like us, kids get frustrated, upset, tired, or overwhelmed and need to find ways to calm themselves. They don't deliberately have tantrums or behave inappropriately without some kind of trigger. Sometimes there is something going on that we can't see. By providing calming strategies and/or a space where kids can go to self-regulate and get their feelings back under control, they have the opportunity to rejoin the day's lessons or activities when they are ready. I found that it helped to talk about these strategies when everyone was calm—not in the middle of a difficult situation. We could talk about what happens to our bodies when we're upset and what we can do to help ourselves feel better. Sometimes that meant taking a few deep breaths. Sometimes it meant counting, stretching, having a quiet moment, or using our calming space. I often reminded myself that adults have learned strategies for dealing with frustration and stress. We step away, take a breath, go for a walk, have a quiet cup of coffee, or simply give ourselves a moment. Kids are still learning how to do those things. They need opportunities to practice, too.  4. Build relationships and connections from the beginningOne of the best things you can do in those first few weeks is get to know your kids and let them get to know each other. There is so much more to building a classroom community than learning everyone's name. Give kids opportunities to talk, share, work with different classmates, and discover things they have in common. Simple activities such as partner interviews, sharing favorite things, finding classmates with similar interests, or working together on a small challenge can make a big difference. These activities also give you an opportunity to observe your new class. Who is comfortable talking to others? Who hangs back? Who needs encouragement to participate? Who naturally includes others? Who needs some help learning how to work with a partner? Those observations can tell you a lot about the children in front of you. And don't forget that friendships take time. Not every child is going to find their best friend during the first week of school. Sometimes our job is simply to provide lots of opportunities for connections to happen.  5. Celebrate effort, kindness, and progressIt's easy to notice the child who gets the right answer or finishes the assignment first. But some of the most important things happening in a classroom aren't found on a worksheet. A child who finally raises their hand to share an idea. A child who keeps trying when something is difficult. A child who notices that someone is sitting alone and invites them to join in. A child who remembers a routine without being reminded. A child who helps a classmate instead of doing the work for them. Those moments are worth noticing. I found that being specific with praise made a difference. Instead of simply saying, "Good job," I could say, "I noticed how you kept trying even when that was difficult," or "I noticed how you made sure everyone had a turn." These little comments help kids understand what they are doing well and give them something to be proud of.  6. Make the classroom feel like a new beginningThis was especially important for me when I taught split classes. Sometimes I would have children who had been in my classroom the previous year. They knew me. They knew the room. They knew some of the routines. But I still wanted them to feel like they were starting something new. After all, they weren't the same kids they had been the year before. I liked to change up my bulletin boards and add some new touches around the classroom. I also looked for ways to involve the kids in creating our classroom environment. Even something as simple as displaying their work, creating class agreements together, or giving them jobs and responsibilities helped make the room feel like their classroom. For the children who were returning, it gave them something new to discover. For the new children, it helped them feel that they belonged.  7. Be consistent, but remember that every child is differentHaving routines and expectations doesn't mean that every child will respond to them in exactly the same way. Some kids will pick things up quickly. Others will need many reminders. Some will happily jump into a group activity. Others may need encouragement or a little more time. Some children will be ready to work independently while others still need lots of support. It's easy to look around the classroom and think, "Why can't everyone just do this?" But they aren't all starting from the same place. Being consistent with expectations gives kids the security of knowing what is expected, but being flexible in how we help them reach those expectations is just as important. Sometimes the child who needs the most reminders in September will surprise you by how much independence they have developed by June. That's one of the rewarding parts of teaching.  8. Don't underestimate the little thingsSome of the things I remember most about teaching weren't the big lessons or elaborate activities. They were the little things. Greeting a child at the door, noticing when someone was having a difficult morning, asking about the soccer game they told you about yesterday, celebrating a lost tooth, listening to a story about something that happened at home, or just taking a few minutes to laugh together. Those moments may not appear on your lesson plan, but they matter. Kids know when you care about them. And when they know you care about them, they are much more likely to trust you, take chances, ask for help, and become part of the classroom community.  Give Yourself TimeThe first few weeks of school can feel overwhelming. You may feel like you're repeating yourself all day long. You may wonder if your class will ever learn to transition quietly. You may question whether you'll ever get through a lesson without being interrupted. And you may go home at the end of the day completely exhausted. I've been there. But remember that you aren't trying to create the perfect classroom in the first week. You're laying the foundation, teaching kids how to be part of a group, helping them learn how to manage their feelings, work with others, solve problems, and take responsibility for themselves. You're getting to know them, and they're getting to know you. Little by little, the routines become habits, the reminders become less frequent, kids begin encouraging each other, and they become more independent and more confident. One day you'll look around and realize that the group of children who walked through your door in September has become a classroom community.  Looking back, I don't remember whether everything in my classroom was perfectly organized that first week, but I remember the smiles, kids helping each other, the classroom jokes and the little sayings that became part of our shared language, and watching children who were hesitant in September become confident by June. That's the classroom environment I was working toward all along. And that's why I learned that the time spent building a positive and caring classroom at the beginning of the year is never wasted. It becomes the foundation for everything else that happens throughout the year. Related Posts The first few weeks of a new school year can be a little different for teachers depending on how your school district works. In our district, teachers get their classes from last year back for the first few days while class lists are finalized and grade configurations are created. New students are placed in classes that match their grade, and they may stay or move once classes are decided. Children may move from one classroom to another as numbers change, and sometimes even the grade you are teaching can change. I've been through this more than once, and I learned a few things along the way. One of the biggest lessons? Don't rush to get everything set up before you know exactly what your year is going to look like.  I learned this one the hard way!I remember one year when I was excited about getting my classroom ready for my new class. I had my bulletin board all planned out and had created materials specifically for the grade I thought I would be teaching. I was pretty pleased with how it was coming together. I was ready to go. And then came the reshuffling. Suddenly, I was teaching a lower grade, and the lovely bulletin board and resources I had spent time creating weren't really going to work for the children I now had. I had to rethink everything. Lesson learned! When class lists and grade assignments are still being sorted out, it makes much more sense to prepare the things that can easily be changed or adapted and wait on the things that are very specific to a particular grade. After that, I was much more cautious about doing too much grade-specific preparation before I knew exactly what my class would look like. It's tempting to want everything ready before the children arrive. I know that feeling well. But when things are still changing, some things are better left until you know what you're actually working with.  Keep things flexible for a little whileIf your class lists are still changing, I would resist the urge to completely transform your classroom around one particular grade or group of children. There are lots of things you can prepare that will work regardless of whether you end up with the class you expected. Keep your displays fairly neutral for now. Have materials ready that can be adapted for different ages and abilities. Get your basic classroom organization in place, but don't feel as though every bulletin board and learning center has to be finished. You can always add those grade-specific touches later. And honestly, the children aren't going to walk into your room thinking, "I wonder if she has finished every bulletin board." They are much more interested in finding out where they belong. One of the things I liked to have ready was my Welcome Poster and welcome banner. I would feature my Welcome Poster on my bulletin board in the hallway, and I would display my welcome banner on the whiteboard at the front of the class. This helped my students feel welcome in my classroom, and it could welcome whichever children ended up in my class. Later in the year, I would move my poster into the classroom and display it on the bulletin board beside my calendar wall for the rest of the year. The same idea worked for many of my classroom displays.  Get the framework ready. Add the children later.Your calendar wall can be prepared in advance. Your jobs and helpers display can also be ready to go, with names added once you know who's in the class. The same is true for the Stars of the Day list and the Sharing Day schedule. You don't need to start from scratch once the class list is finalized. You simply need to add or change the names as children come into the room. That's much easier than creating an elaborate display that might not work for the class you eventually receive. And it gives you something else that I think is important during those first few weeks: flexibility. If a new child joins the class, you can add their name. If a child moves to another classroom, you can make a change. Nothing is so permanent that a change in the class list becomes a major problem.  Wait on the grade-specific stuffThis is where I would be much more cautious. If you have an idea for a bulletin board that is specifically designed for Grade 3, but you aren't completely sure you're going to have Grade 3, maybe put that project on hold for a little while. The same goes for curriculum-specific displays, materials and activities. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of preparing a new classroom. I certainly did! But I've learned that there is a difference between being prepared and being finished. Being prepared means having the things you are likely to need ready. Being finished sometimes means spending hours preparing things that you may have to change. In hindsight, I'd rather save that time until I knew exactly what I was working with. What about the children who are already in your room?If you start the year with last year's children, you have a little bit of a head start. You already know some of them. They know you. They know the classroom, and they may even know some of your routines. You already know their personalities, some of their interests, and perhaps some of the things that worked well for them last year. But I wouldn't treat it as a continuation of the previous year where you can simply pick up where you left off. It's still a new school year. Some of their friends may move to different classes. New children may join them. Their responsibilities may be different. And they may need to be reminded that this is a fresh start. I always liked making a few changes to the classroom so that it didn't feel exactly like the room they had left in June. It didn't have to be a complete makeover. Sometimes moving things around, changing a display or adding something new was enough. The message was simple: We're starting a new year.  One thing you can work on right away: routinesWhile I would wait on some of the decorating and grade-specific preparation, there is one area where you don't need to wait for the final class list. Classroom routines. Whether you end up with the grade you expected or something completely different, children need to know how your classroom works. How do we come into the room? Where do we put our belongings? How do we get the materials we need? What do we do when we finish our work? How do we move from one activity to another? How do we get your attention? What should we do if we need help? What can we do if we need a quiet moment? These routines are useful with any primary class. And they don't have to be taught all at once.  Don't try to teach every routine on the first dayOne thing I learned over the years is that you don't have to explain every classroom routine before the children have even had a chance to experience the classroom. Start with the routines they actually need. Show them. Practise them. Try them again. And then add new routines as they become necessary. For example, if you notice that the transition from carpet time to independent work is taking much longer than you expected, that's a good time to stop and practise that routine. If children aren't sure what to do when they finish an activity, that's another routine to introduce. The goal isn't to have a long list of rules posted on the wall. The goal is to help children gradually learn how your classroom works. And sometimes the best classroom management strategy is simply giving children plenty of opportunities to practise what you expect. I think sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves at the beginning of the year. We want to explain everything, we want the children to know all the rules, and we want the classroom to run smoothly from the first day. But children need time to learn how a classroom works. Remember: Show them a routine, practise it, and try it again. Notice what isn't working and adjust. Then introduce another routine when you need it. If getting ready to go outside is taking forever, that's a routine to practise. If children don't know what to do when they finish their work, that's another routine to teach. If transitions are chaotic, stop and practise the transition. Sometimes the best classroom management happens when we slow down enough to actually teach the behavior and routines we expect.  Take advantage of those warm days!There is another thing I wouldn't wait too long to do. Get outside! If you're fortunate enough to still have warm weather during those first weeks of school, take advantage of it. You don't need to spend every minute inside getting through your plans. There are so many ways to use the outdoors while you're getting to know your new class. Go on a walk around the school grounds. Do a simple scavenger hunt. Take learning outside. Have children work with a partner to observe, measure, count or describe what they see. Give them opportunities to talk and move while you get to know their personalities and how they interact with others. And sometimes, quite honestly, it's just nice to get outside together. Those warm September days don't last forever. There will be plenty of time later in the year for indoor learning when the weather turns colder.  Have a few flexible activities readyThis is also why I like having some back-to-school activities ready that aren't tied too closely to one particular grade level. When things are still changing, you don't necessarily want to have three weeks of curriculum-specific lessons prepared. Instead, have some activities that allow you to get to know your children, practise classroom routines, build relationships, and get everyone comfortable in the classroom. These can be adjusted depending on the ages and abilities of the children who end up in your room. You might spend some time on getting-to-know-you activities, classroom expectations, simple writing activities, math games, partner activities, or activities that let you see what children already know. You are gathering information while you are getting the year started. There's plenty of time for the curriculum once you know exactly who you are teaching. These activities give you time to settle in while you're figuring out exactly who will be in your class. And once the class lists are finally settled, you can begin making those more specific plans. Need some help with those first weeks?This is where some of my back-to-school resources can make life a little easier. My Back To School category has many different resources that can help from day one. It includes materials that focus on the routines and everyday organization that help a primary classroom run more smoothly. There are routine materials, calming posters, schedule cards in English and French, and other activities that can help children understand what is expected of them. My Primary Teachers Ready-to-Go Sampler Kit, has activities you can pull out during those first days and weeks as you get to know your class and establish your routines. My Classroom Management Activities, Games and Worksheets Bundle has resources to help with creating and maintaining a positive classroom environment. These are the kinds of resources I always appreciated having ready to go. They gave me something useful to turn to without having to spend hours preparing every activity from scratch.  Give yourself a little timeThe beginning of the school year can make us feel as though we need to have everything figured out immediately. But sometimes we don't. If your class list is still changing, give yourself permission to wait. Prepare the things that can be flexible. Set up the framework for your classroom. Get your routines started. Have some adaptable activities ready. Welcome the children who arrive. Get outside while the weather is still inviting. And then wait. Wait until you know your class. Wait until you know your grade. You don't need to have the perfect bulletin board finished. You don't need weeks of lessons planned. You don't need to know exactly what the entire year will look like. Start with the children who are in front of you. Get to know them. Establish a few important routines. Give everyone time to settle in. And when the class lists finally stop changing and you know exactly where you are headed, then you can finish setting up your classroom and make those plans that are specific to your new group. I've learned that sometimes waiting a little bit can save you a lot of work later. And that bulletin board and lesson preparation I made all those years ago? Let's just say I never made that particular mistake again! Related posts When I think back over my teaching career, I don’t just remember lessons or units of study. I remember people and I remember moments. I remember the small things that, at the time, didn’t seem significant, but turned out to matter much more than I realized. Over the years, I came to understand that teaching leaves behind more than academic learning. It leaves behind memories, relationships, and experiences that continue to shape both students and teachers long after the school year ends.  The Word That Stayed With UsOne of the most meaningful words in my classroom was believe. It came from an activity I used called Success/Power Word Frames, where students chose words that reflected who they were becoming as learners and as people. Over time, believe became more than a classroom activity, it became part of our shared language. My students began using it naturally. It showed up in conversations, in encouragement to one another, and in the way we approached learning challenges. By the end of that year, many students gave me small gifts that included the word believe. Cards, keepsakes, and thoughtful reminders that carried the meaning we had built together. One of the most special gifts came from my grandson, a \sign with the word believe on it. It still hangs beside my fireplace today. Every time I see it, I am reminded that the words we choose in a classroom can stay with children far beyond the lesson itself.  When Memories Become IrreplaceableFor many years, I took photographs in my classroom regularly. Not just at special events, but during everyday learning:
I didn’t realize I was also preserving memories that would later become deeply meaningful. A few years ago, I experienced a hard drive failure and lost thousands of classroom photos. Many of those images cannot be recovered. Some memories now only exist in my mind rather than on a screen. I was fortunate to have used some photos in blog posts and projects over the years, but the loss was still significant. That experience changed the way I think about classroom documentation. It reminded me that photographs are not just files. They are stories. They are evidence of growth, connection, and learning. They are moments that cannot be recreated in exactly the same way again.  Why Photographs Matter More Than We RealizeWhen I look back now, I realize those classroom photos were never really about recording what happened for others to see. They were about preserving what mattered. They captured:
Children often don’t realize how much they are growing in the moment. But when they see photographs of themselves learning, creating, and collaborating, they begin to understand their own progress in a different way.  A Lesson I Learned the Hard WayIf I could go back and speak to my younger teaching self, I would say this very simply: Save the photos. Not just in one place. Not just on one device. Not just “someday.” Because the moments you think you will always remember may become the ones you most want to see again later. It's not about perfection or documentation for others. It's about preserving the story of a classroom, the real, everyday story that unfolds quietly over time.  What We Leave BehindWhen I think about my teaching now, I realize that what remains is not only curriculum or lessons. It's something much more personal. It's the belief students carry about themselves. It's the confidence built through encouragement. It's the sense of belonging created in a classroom community. And sometimes, it's a simple word like believe that continues to show up years later in unexpected ways.  Teaching is full of moments that feel ordinary at the time. But when we look back, we often realize those moments were anything but ordinary. They were the building blocks of memory. The photographs we take, the words we use, and the relationships we build all become part of a larger story that continues long after the classroom year ends. And if we are fortunate, we are left with reminders of those stories, some in our hearts, some in our homes, and some in photographs we are wise enough to save. Because in the end, what we carry with us from teaching is not just what we taught. It's what we experienced together.  Related Posts Did you take the time to organize your classroom before school ended, or did you mostly move things around, thinking, "I'll deal with it at the end of the summer?" Does your classroom get cleaned from top to bottom during the break? Ours always did. We had to wait until the custodial staff finished cleaning the room and waxing the floors before we could move everything back in. Looking back, that was probably a good thing because it forced me to stay away for a while. But I have to admit, I could hardly wait to get back into my classroom. I loved puttering around, rearranging furniture, organizing supplies, and thinking about ways to make the room feel warm and welcoming before my kids arrived. Some of you are getting ready to head back to school in just a couple of weeks. Others have only been on summer break for three or four weeks. Wherever you are on that timeline, I'm willing to guess that school has popped into your thoughts more than once. Teachers have a hard time completely switching off. I know I did. Even while I was enjoying summer with my family, I'd suddenly think, "That would be a great idea for my classroom." If you're starting to think about heading back, here are a few things that always helped me ease into a new school year. 1. Start with one small areaIt's tempting to think you need to tackle your entire classroom in one day. Instead, choose one space, a bookshelf, your teacher's desk, a cupboard, or your math manipulatives. Finishing one area gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes the next task feel much easier.  2. Think about your routines before your decorationsIt's fun to create bulletin boards and hang colorful displays, but the first few days of school run much more smoothly when you've already thought through your classroom routines. How will children enter the room? Where will they put backpacks? How will they hand in work? A little planning now saves a lot of time later.  3. Gather your first-week activitiesThe first week is all about building relationships and helping children feel comfortable. Having a few engaging activities ready means you can spend less time worrying about what comes next and more time getting to know your class.  4. Make the room feel like a fresh startIf you teach in a school where classes are reorganized each fall, chances are some of last year's children will be back in your room as part of a split class. I always wanted them to feel they were starting a new chapter, not repeating the old one. A new bulletin board, a different desk arrangement, a cozy reading corner, or even a few new displays can make the classroom feel fresh and exciting for everyone. You don't have to buy anything new; sometimes simply seeing familiar things in a new way is enough.  5. Give yourself permission to ease back inThe beginning of the school year is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. You don't have to have everything finished before the first bell rings. Prioritize what your class needs for the first few days and let the rest come together over time. Your students won't remember whether every bin was perfectly labeled. They'll remember how you made them feel.  As you're getting ready for another school year, remember that you've done this before. You know what works in your classroom, and you'll continue to make adjustments as you get to know this year's group of children. I hope you still find time to enjoy these last weeks of summer. Read a book. Go for a walk. Spend time with family and friends. The school year will be here soon enough. When you're ready, check out my Back to School and Classroom Management categories for some of my favorite back-to-school activities and classroom management resources to help make those first weeks a little easier.  Here's to a wonderful start to another school year! Related Posts When I think about how my core values developed over time, I often return to the idea that teaching is never separate from life. In my previous post, I shared how my experiences connected to South Korea helped shape and deepen my understanding of curiosity, connection, and belief in student potential. But those experiences did not happen in isolation. They were always connected to people. And in many ways, it was my family, and the relationships that grew through cultural exchanges, that brought those values to life in the most meaningful ways.  A Connection That Started at HomeMy connection to South Korea began in a very personal way through my son, who was teaching there at the time. When I first visited, I was not only exploring a new country. I was also seeing my son’s life and work in a completely different context. That experience alone gave me a new appreciation for teaching as a global profession, one that looks different depending on where you are, but is rooted in the same purpose. During one of those early visits, I met my son’s school administrator. In conversation, I learned about a potential exchange program that was sending students to eastern Canada. I remember suggesting, quite simply, that our own community might be a good place for students to visit. At the time, I could not have known how far that small suggestion would reach. When Students Became Guests, and Guests Became FamilyNot long after that conversation, the exchange became a reality. A group of students from Korea arrived in our community, and one of them even stayed with us. What began as a hosting experience quickly became something more meaningful, a genuine connection between families, cultures, and communities. I still remember the excitement of welcoming a young girl into our home and supporting a young boy who was placed in my Grade 2/3 classroom. He was the youngest in the group, and being so far from home was not easy for him. He needed time, reassurance, and support as he adjusted to everything unfamiliar. At the same time, I watched another student in my class naturally reach out and connect with him. Those small moments of kindness and understanding stayed with me long after the exchange ended. They reminded me that belonging is not something that happens automatically in a classroom. It's something we create. When a Classroom Becomes Part of a Bigger StoryOne of the most meaningful moments during this time was when the husband of my son’s employer came to Canada with this group of students. He stayed with us while helping facilitate the exchange, and his presence helped strengthen the growing relationship between our communities. Over time, this connection deepened even further. My son and his wife eventually became the liaison between Sokcho and Campbell River, continuing the exchange for several years. What began as a conversation had become an ongoing partnership between two places on opposite sides of the world. And in many ways, my classroom became part of that story.  When Learning Becomes Shared ExperienceThese experiences changed the way I thought about teaching. When students arrived from Korea, they were not just visitors. They were learners navigating a new environment, culture, and language. And my students were not just hosts. They were learners too, learning about empathy, communication, and global awareness in real time. I saw firsthand how powerful shared experience can be. Learning became more than content. It became connection. A Classroom That Reaches Beyond Its WallsOne of the most lasting impacts of these experiences was how they shaped the way I approached learning in my classroom. I began to think more intentionally about how students understand themselves and others. This influenced the way I designed learning experiences, including heritage projects that encouraged students to explore their own backgrounds and stories. Those projects were not about research alone. They were about identity. About helping students see that their experiences mattered, and that their stories had value in the classroom. In many ways, they grew directly out of the students I taught during those exchange years.  The Core Belief Beneath It AllLooking back now, I can see a clear thread running through all of these experiences. My belief that every child can learn and be successful was never abstract. It was lived. It was tested and strengthened through real relationships with students in my classroom, with visiting students from Korea, and with the children I worked with through tutoring and volunteering. Those relationships reminded me that learning is not just about instruction. It's about trust. It's about belonging. It's about seeing students as whole people with stories that matter. Teaching has always been more than a profession to me. It has been shaped by the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve built, and the unexpected ways those connections have grown over time. My experiences with Korea through my family, through exchange students, and through my classroom became more than memories. They became part of how I understood teaching itself. And in many ways, they continue to shape how I see learning, even now. Because when teaching is rooted in relationships, it never really stays in one place. It travels. And it grows. Related Posts Do you ever look back and realize that many things that happen are connected without us even realizing it? A while back, I wrote about the importance of understanding your core values as a teacher and how those values influence the way we teach, build relationships, and support students. Looking back now, I can see that my own values were not only shaped in the classroom but also through experience. One of the most influential experiences in my teaching journey began with a connection to South Korea. Over time, it became a thread that ran through my teaching, my relationships, and even my understanding of what it means to help students learn.  Curiosity: The Beginning of EverythingMy first visit to South Korea was driven by family connection and curiosity. I was visiting my son and his soon to be wife, both teachers, and I naturally found myself observing everything around me with a teacher’s perspective. I visited classrooms, explored schools, and noticed differences in how learning was organized. I spent time in bookstores and shops filled with educational materials, always noticing ideas I might be able to bring back to my own classroom. At that time, I wasn’t thinking about core values or teaching philosophy. I was simply curious. But curiosity has always been one of the foundations of my teaching.  Connection: When Learning Became SharedOn a later visit, my focus began to shift from curiosity to connection. I started noticing similarities between the place where my son lived in Korea and communities on the west coast of Canada. I began thinking about how I could help my students make meaningful connections between their own lives and the world beyond their community. That shift influenced how I approached cultural learning in my classroom, including how I talked about celebrations such as Lunar New Year. Over time, I became more intentional about language and representation, recognizing how small changes could support deeper understanding. Around this time, my teaching became more focused on helping students see themselves in the learning.  Belief in Action: When Students Become Part of the StoryOne of my strongest core beliefs has always been that every child can learn and be successful when they are supported and encouraged. That belief was reinforced in many ways throughout my career, but especially through experiences connected to Korea. When exchange students visited our community, I saw firsthand how powerful it was for children to step into new environments and be welcomed. One young student, the youngest in the group, was placed in my Grade 2/3 classroom. Being far from home was not easy for him, and he needed time, support, and understanding as he adjusted. At the same time, I had another student who was struggling with her heritage, and this reminded me how important belonging is in a classroom. Those moments influenced the way I thought about learning environments and student success. They also helped me to develop projects and resources that allowed them to share their culture with others. This was the birth of my Heritage project.
Learning Becomes PersonalOver the years, I also had the opportunity to tutor students who had recently moved from Korea. As we worked together, we created several bilingual books based on their experiences and memories. Because I had visited many of the places they described, our conversations felt meaningful and connected. See the booklets we wrote together about South Korea. Many of the photographs were from my trips there. Learning was no longer abstract. It was personal. And it reflected what I had always believed about teaching, that students learn best when they can connect new ideas to something real.
Looking Back: Values Are Not Separate From ExperienceWhen I reflect on these experiences now, I see clearly that my core values were never separate from my teaching. They were shaped by:
 Core values are often described as something we define. But I have come to believe they are also something we develop over time. For me, teaching was always shaped by what I noticed, what I experienced, and what I believed about the children in front of me. And sometimes, those beliefs were deepened far beyond the classroom, in places I never expected to find teaching inspiration at all.  Related Posts Summer often brings thoughts of vacations, camps, and long days outdoors. While some families have exciting trips planned, many children will spend much of their summer closer to home. No matter what summer looks like, it can provide wonderful learning opportunities. One area that often gets overlooked is money management. Summer gives children a chance to earn, save, spend, and plan in ways that feel meaningful because the experiences are real.  Learning About EarningChildren are naturally curious about money. They often ask where money comes from, how much things cost, and why adults make certain spending decisions. One summer, my grandchildren had an opportunity to earn money while helping the family. When their great-grandmother moved into a care home, there was no longer a need for the gardener who had been caring for her yard. Instead, I hired my grandchildren to help with the work and paid them from the money that had previously gone toward the gardening service. The older two took responsibility for mowing the lawn and trimming around the edges. The younger two had the important job of watering the flowers and shrubs. Admittedly, they often ended up watering themselves almost as much as the plants, but they took their responsibilities seriously and had a great time doing it. Each child was paid according to the type of work they were doing and their age. They were always excited to come over, complete their jobs, and receive their earnings. More importantly, they began to understand that money is earned through effort and responsibility. They were proud of their work and enjoyed seeing the results of their efforts in the yard. Experiences like this help children see that earning money is about more than receiving cash. It teaches responsibility, builds confidence, and helps them understand the value of the work behind every dollar they earn.  Saving For A GoalOne of the most valuable lessons children can learn is that saving takes patience. How many times have you driven through your neighborhood and seen children running a lemonade stand on a warm summer day? Or stopped at a garage sale and noticed a table set up with children's toys, books, or games for sale? These simple ventures have been part of childhood for generations. For many children, the goal isn't simply earning money. They may be saving for a special toy, a new bike, a video game, summer camp spending money, or another item they have been hoping to purchase. Having a goal gives children a reason to keep working, saving, and making thoughtful decisions about how they spend their money. Whether children are helping with yard work, running a lemonade stand, or selling outgrown toys at a garage sale, earning their own money often makes saving for a goal much more meaningful. When children can see themselves getting closer to something they really want, they begin to understand that saving requires patience and planning. They also experience the satisfaction of reaching a goal through their own efforts.  Becoming Young EntrepreneursMany children love creating things, and summer can provide opportunities to turn those interests into small business experiences. Over the years, I watched this happen in my own Grade 3 classroom. One year, my students wanted to raise money for a special field trip. Together, we brainstormed ideas and created a variety of items to sell. The children quickly discovered that there was much more involved than simply collecting money. They needed to decide what to make, estimate costs, determine prices, advertise their products, and keep track of the money that came in. They learned how to count change, calculate profits, and make decisions as a group. The fundraiser became much more than a way to earn money for our trip. It became a real-world learning experience. The students were highly motivated because they had a meaningful goal. Every item they created and every sale they made brought them one step closer to the field trip they were hoping to take. Summer offers similar opportunities for children. They might create friendship bracelets, painted rocks, bookmarks, greeting cards, baked goods with adult help, or products from a family garden. Even a small project can introduce important concepts such as budgeting, pricing, advertising, customer service, and problem-solving. Children quickly discover that running a business involves much more than simply earning money. They learn planning, responsibility, teamwork, and perseverance along the way.  Everyday Money LessonsNot every money lesson needs to involve earning money. Family activities can provide valuable opportunities to practice money skills:
 Bringing Money Lessons Into The ClassroomThe money skills children practice during the summer connect directly to many classroom learning goals. Whether they are earning money through chores, saving for a special purchase, or operating a small business venture, they are developing financial literacy skills that will serve them throughout their lives. The fundraiser my Grade 3 students organized remains one of my favorite examples of meaningful learning. If you'd like to read more about that experience, be sure to visit my blog post about our spring fundraiser. It shares more details about the planning, teamwork, and learning that took place throughout the project. That experience was one of the reasons I enjoyed teaching money concepts through hands-on activities. When children have a purpose for using money skills, the learning becomes much more meaningful. If you're looking for ways to help students build money skills in the classroom, my Money Lessons unit provides hands-on opportunities for students to practice counting money, making change, solving real-world money problems, and developing financial literacy concepts. These activities help children connect classroom learning with the kinds of real-life experiences they may encounter during the summer.  Learning Beyond The DollarsThe biggest lessons children learn through money activities often have very little to do with money itself.
 Whether children are helping in the garden, running a lemonade stand, selling handmade creations, or saving toward a special goal, summer offers countless opportunities to learn valuable money skills. The lessons they learn about responsibility, planning, perseverance, and financial literacy can last long after summer is over. The amount of money earned may be small, but the life lessons can be priceless. Related Posts |
About Me Charlene Sequeira
I am a wife, mother of 4, grandmother of 9, and a retired primary and music teacher. I love working with kids and continue to volunteer at school and teach ukulele. 
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