Every August, I find myself thinking about the first ten days of school.
After more than forty years in classrooms, I've come to believe they are the most important teaching days of the year.
These are the days we build our learning community.
During those first ten days, every lesson we teach answers the same question:
How do we learn together in this classroom?
Students learn how to set a purpose before they begin. They learn how to manage materials, transition smoothly, respond to a quiet signal, engage with text, share their thinking, reflect on their learning, and gradually take ownership of their work. They begin building the habits that help them become thoughtful, confident learners.
None of these lessons stands alone.
Each one builds on the last until students understand how learning works in the classroom we've created together.
When we intentionally teach these foundation lessons, something remarkable happens.
Students know what to do. They know why it matters. They become increasingly confident, engaged, and responsible for their own learning.
That changes everything.
Whole-group lessons become more focused because students know how to learn with purpose. Independent practice becomes meaningful because students understand what engagement looks and feels like. Responsive teaching becomes possible because the rest of the class can continue learning while we confer with individuals, meet with small groups, or provide intervention.
The time we spend teaching these foundation lessons creates opportunities for learning every day that follows.
It's one of the greatest gifts we can give our students, and ourselves.
Here's something to try when you're ready.
When you begin planning for the new school year, look at your plans for the first two weeks.
Alongside your curriculum plans, make a list of the routines, habits, and ways of working together you'll intentionally teach.
How do you want students to move through the classroom? Speak to one another? Reflect on their learning? Solve problems together? Build independence? Stay engaged? Set a purpose before they begin?
Giving those lessons the same level of intention as your curriculum can make a remarkable difference in the weeks and months that follow.
One of the things I love most about teaching is that every year brings a fresh beginning.
A new group of students means a new opportunity to build something together.
As you prepare for the year ahead, remember that you don't have to teach everything at once. Every routine, every conversation, every opportunity to reflect, and every moment students practice working together strengthens the foundation you're building.
The care you put into those first days won't just shape the first few weeks. It will become something you and your students return to all year long.
Gail
If you'd like a clear plan for those important first days, we've created What to Teach The First 10 Days. It includes a thoughtfully sequenced, day-by-day guide with ready-to-teach foundation lessons, helping you confidently build the routines, habits, and community that support learning all year long.
It's included in The Teaching Practice and The Coaching Practice.
This article might be missing links that were included at the time of publication.
