ABSTRACT
If you are from the “Don’t let them see you smile until November” crowd, this chapter will challenge your thinking. The first days of school mark an exciting and exhausting time that is essential for setting the tone within the classroom. Before we get into this chapter’s strategy, I would like each teacher reading this book to imagine that it is the first faculty meeting of the year and a new principal was hired over the summer. (Some of you should not be smiling as big as you are.) Ask yourselves the question, “What could he or she do to really win me over—to convince me that he or she is truly concerned with my success above all else?” That question is important, because if teachers leave the first meeting of the year with the belief that their administration truly values their success, the school is destined for a great year. The classroom is no different—if kids truly believe that their teacher is committed to their success, they will have a great year. And just as a new principal has only one chance to set a positive tone at the opening faculty meeting, you the teacher have only one chance to set the tone for your students during the first week of school. In both situations, it is important to get it right!
