The Joy of School by Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD

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The Joy of School: Six Things to do the First Week
Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD
August 2015
The first day of school is the most optimistic of the school year for
many students. They are sure it will be a better year than last; that
they will do well; avoid old mistakes; and make new friends; and make
mom happy.
Don’t waste the moment. Give them the joyful, affirming experience
they are hoping for.
1. Start off with an interesting, interactive activity on which every
student will do well. You will find a few at the end of this article.*
2. Do not waste that good spirit on an hour of rules.
3. Do tell students which things are non-negotiable:
a. No put-downs. You will not tolerate people being mean
to other people.
b. Seating and grouping arrangements. You should be in
charge of these and organize them to suit your
purposes. It is NOT democratic or humane to make the
shy, skinny, hefty, or unconfident students feel
miserable because others do not “choose” to sit next to
them or be their partners.
Use one of many randomizing strategies to create pairs.
Cut some playing cards in half and pass them out.
Have students find their other half. Cut some
newspaper cartoons in half and have the students find
their “other half” and so on.
4. Start everyone reading. You probably have students in your
classes who have never read a complete “chapter book.” Read
the following carefully process carefully. I promise it works**
a. Have about fifty books that young people at your grade level
enjoy. It could be five copies of ten different books or
something like that.
b. Read a few paragraphs of each book aloud to the class during
the first week of school to whet their appetites. And pass
them around to look at.
c. Beginning of the second week, remind them of the choices by
holding up each book. Ask each student to write down first

d.

e.

f.

g.
h.

i.

and second choices. Have them make a bookmark on a 3x5
card with name, book name, and date.
Explain the silent reading process. A student will pass out the
books at the beginning of the period. Everyone in the room
will start reading and no one, including the teacher, will do
anything except read for 15 minutes No texting. No talking.
No passing back homework. Nothing. You, teacher, will sit on
top of your desk reading your own book and keeping an eagle
eye on the students. NO TALKING – INCLUDING YOU. At the
end of 15 minutes you ask the student monitor to collect the
books with bookmark in each one and place them in the box
for that class.
It is critical NOT to allow students to take these books home.
Otherwise, you will have an endless struggle every day with
those who left the book in locker, home, or whatever. If they
want to read at home, great!! Let them get a different book
to read.
THIS WORKS. I have had many students read the first whole
book they ever read in their lives in my high school English
class. They loved it, of course, and started getting their own
books to read at home.
Finishing a book deserves a celebration. Applause in class;
call to mom or whatever.
Don’t destroy the joy of reading by requiring a book report.
You know the kid read the book; you watched him do it!!! If
anything, have him write a couple sentences to hang on the
wall or on Instagram or Facebook or Amazon recommending
the book.
Optional - Take a few students at a time to a used bookstore
(if you have one) and let them pick an inexpensive book which
you will buy for them.

5. Call every family within the first two weeks of school. Introduce
yourself; ask the best way to reach out; give them a good way to reach
you that you will actually use (!); say something that you enjoy about
having their son/daughter in class. If they use email that’s good, but
do not make this the only way you communicate. Many families do not
have Internet access and do not have jobs that allow being on-line
frequently!!
6. Use Twitter. Find a twitter chat for your particular subject or a more
general chat - #edchat #satchat #satchwc; #sunchat #resiliencechat
#educolor #5thchat (this is a chat by grade level)
* A few activities to create community



Each student write an I Am poem
(http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm) and then share
with a partner; post on the wall; or both
 Human Treasure Hunt (Write down about 15 items that will apply
to some people but not to others. Examples:
o _______Grew up in Oakland
o ______ Can play an instrument
o _______Watches basketball
Students carry the paper around the room asking different
students if a particular item applies to him/her and initialing the
item that does. Each person can only sign one item for you.
When finished, take completed sheet to teacher and get a prize.


The Book of My Life (thanks to Oakland teacher, Marisol Nuno)
-----Students look at the table of contents of The
Autobiography of Malcolm X
------Each makes a similar Table of Contents for his/her own
life chapters
______Then they do a sort of “speed-dating” with another
student for five minutes each, asking that student to tell the
story of one of the “Chapters” on that students list.

** A few classics that secondary students will actually read
If everyone in your school reads one of these in a
particular class, don’t use that in your grouping. It will upset the
teacher who has to assign it later.
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk
Sandra Cisneros, House on Mango Street
Alex Haley, Roots
Autobiography of Malcolm X
Francisco Jimenez, The Circuit (and two later autobiographical
books)
John Steinbeck, The Pearl
Pire Thomas,, Down These Mean Streets

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