The Rookery

We had a great first day today.  It was a whirlwind, to be sure, but it was wonderful.  One of my favorite things about teaching at Prairie Creek is the mixed age classroom.  Today, the fifth grade Herons immediately guided the fourth graders through our morning routine.  They encouraged our new class members and shared memories and stories with them about our exploits in the past.  They modeled beautifully when to be silly and when to be serious (a big leap developmentally at this age).  Without them, it would be so much harder to establish classroom routines and, more importantly, classroom climate.

When half of the class returns, our class culture is pervasive.  The expectations are established by the children, not imposed single-handedly by me.  There is a sense, from the very first day, that we are a community of learners.  Over the next six months (and beyond) we'll continue to deepen and strengthen our connections to each other and further articulate what it means to be in the Herons but we're off to a great start.

Thanks to Amy Pagel for zapping me these picture from this morning.  Click on an image to enlarge it.