Preparing for the Start of the School Year

There is always some tension and worry surrounding the start of the school year.  Instead of worrying about the unknowns, I have to focus on what I can control as a classroom teacher and what I can prepare for as the start of the school year steadily approaches. That is what this post is going to be about: focusing on what we can control. I’m going to preface this blog post with the acknowledgement that I am a total and complete curriculum nerd. I love writing curriculum, and I love studying scope and sequence of curriculum across grade levels. It’s my jam, and I’m not afraid to own it.

One huge miss I felt I made as a teacher, along with how I led my team of language arts teachers as their literacy coach, when our school closure hit during COVID was that I focused more on digital activities, online programs, and book experiences, and less on the overall picture of what essential standards were the most important to cover before the end of the school year. This was a mistake. It was a natural reaction in the chaos of sudden school closure to scramble for resources instead of taking a step back to see the big picture before proceeding. I’m owning that while also giving myself the grace to know we, myself included, all did the best we could with the resources, time, and situation we faced last spring. The purpose of this blog post is to discuss the big picture items teachers, coaches, principals, and curriculum coordinators can focus on NOW to prepare for whatever this school year throws at us. Because it doesn’t matter if we’re face-to-face, distance learning, or doing a hybrid if we don’t have these key pieces in place FIRST.

1. A Daily Teaching Framework: What does instruction look like on a daily basis? If you’ve been around my blog for any span of time, you know how passionate I am about a consistent daily teaching framework. Here is an example of what I mean by this for teaching reading. The daily framework also includes instructional practices that will be utilized daily. This framework is made for face-to-face teaching with students. One piece that would be a next step is redesigning this daily framework for distance learning. Yes, it will have to be modified, BUT it doesn’t have to be thrown out. Many of these pieces can still be used or changed slightly. For example, interactive read aloud could be done through a Google Meet or through a pre-recorded video that you link to your Google Classroom in a distance learning scenario. Regardless of the teaching format, a daily teaching framework that is designed so that students are exposed to learning priority standards is a non-negotiable.

2. Reading and Writing Units: So you have a daily framework with awesome instructional strategies that you’re using on a daily basis? GREAT! What is it that you’re putting into that daily framework? The term “scope and sequence” used to scare me! I didn’t “need” a scope and sequence because, “I go where my students take me” and “I am more creative when I just develop things as I go.” I see now that while these statements weren’t false, they were also hidden behind fear of not knowing how to create a scope and sequence. As a middle school language arts teacher, I can confidently say that reading units and writing units can be your best friend when creating a scope and sequence for the entire school year. I used to attempt to do a reading minilesson and a writing minilesson DAILY. The result: me talking at my students the entire 85-minute class period. Next, I tried to alternate between Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop every 2-3 weeks. This was better, but the transitions felt awkward and choppy. Finally, I tried alternating between reading units and writing units, and it was a “hallelujah moment.” Each unit had a clear beginning and end, allowing for an easy transition every few weeks between reading and writing. Also, by focusing in on only reading or only writing during a class period, it allowed me to seek a balance between whole class instruction, partner collaboration, independent reading/writing, and a chance for me to work with students individually and in small groups.

At my school, our units are set for the year. We aim to do six reading units (four fiction, two nonfiction) and four writing units each year. All of the units are standards-aligned and formatively and summatively assess the priority standards we have selected and report out on through standards-based grading. Our reading units last for approximately four weeks, and our writing units last for approximately three weeks. Once again, the ten units would be for an uninterrupted face-to-face setting during a “normal” school year. For next year, conversations that need to begin happening for if we have to go to distance learning or a hybrid are: What units are most essential? Within each unit that is essential, what learning targets do we need to teach students? What learning targets (daily minilessons) could be eliminated in each unit? What does formative and summative assessment look like in distance learning?

If we’re clear on our big picture now, then our boat won’t capsize later on this school year. It might get rocked and almost tip over at times, but it won’t sink. If you’re reading this and thinking, “This is all great, Kasey, but my district doesn’t have a scope and sequence with perfectly put together reading and writing units…” then I would highly recommend checking out the reading units and writing units I have created. These units contain every aspect that I mentioned above and can get you and the team of teachers you work with on the right track with your middle school ELA curriculum.

3. Technology Tools: This item is number three on this list for a reason. It’s important, but it’s not where you should start when preparing and planning for next year; it’s where you should finish. The items above (a daily teaching framework and a scope and sequence) should be established FIRST. Then and only then, should you shift to the technology and accessibility tools needed for face-to-face, distance learning, or a hybrid situation. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, this is the exact mistake I made when we were thrown into distance learning this spring. I scrambled for digital resources and online programs, and I forgot about the curriculum work and daily framework that was worth holding on to. Guess what? The technology tools, they’re going to be there. There might be a sharp learning curve with them and take us out of our comfort zones, but they WILL be there. They will be the vessel that still helps us deliver an equitable daily framework and scope and sequence in a distance learning scenario, but they won’t REPLACE these things. A digital resource or online program won’t save you or your students when it doesn’t align with your daily framework or scope and sequence. This is my rock that I’m standing firm on. This is how I’m going to keep my blood pressure down when the million and one questions about all the other “stuff” start to prematurely swirl around in my head.

A final thought about preparing for next school year is don’t do it alone. Teamwork is more important now in districts than ever before. A co-worker will have a strength that you don’t and vice-versa. Work together and learn from each other to ease the burden of whatever next year will bring.

Sending love and support,

Kasey