The first day of school was always my favorite day of school as a child, and even more so as a teacher. I remember my first day of teaching, I had set up the room and put up welcoming bulletin boards. I had prepared lessons with all kinds of engaging activities. I had filled the room with books. I was so excited! And while the first day of school was filled with joy and excitement, it also came with some anxiety. What will I do? How will I get started? What routines should I use? How should I teach them? How do I keep students engaged? What if I don’t have enough planned? What if I am not prepared? And then the students walked in and I knew – every year – this is what I was meant to do and where I was meant to be.
This year presents even more challenges than in previous years. Children are coming back to school at even more varied levels, with more individual needs that will demand more attention, and they are lacking a sense of security. Life will not be “as usual” and things can’t go back to the way they were. We must do better for our children! School is more important than ever. School will be different this year. Teaching will be harder this year.
Routines will be an important start to the new school year. Every child’s world has been disrupted in some way this past year. It is important to provide a safe and nurturing environment as the children return to the classroom. As Education Director at Vooks, I want everyone to begin the year with confidence knowing they are prepared. I want children to be welcomed back to the classroom where they feel safe, respected, and loved. Routines and schedules provide children with a sense of stability and security that is vital to success. Establishing and focusing on schedules and routines is also important in order to foster a sense of belonging, create a culture of learning, and build strong relationships. Children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. Familiar activities can provide comfort for children during challenging and uncertain times. A consistent daily schedule and step-by-step routines give children a predictable day.
Vooks Classroom Kit was developed to help provide tools and strategies to establish a daily routine. The Classroom Kit has some printed items available as well as a digital download. Find the Classroom Kit at vooks.com/store.
The Classroom Kit will definitely help provide a welcoming environment and bring a sense of security to the classroom. But we know children will need more. Vooks is excited to be able to extend a limited time offer to educators that will bring Vooks, not only to the classroom, but to the homes of each child in the classroom. Vooks brings to life a library of over 200 curated books (with more added weekly) in a safe, ad-free environment that will engage children in reading. Subscribers have exclusive access to units developed to help establish reading routines for classroom management, social and emotional learning, vocabulary, and writing. Additionally, engaging activities and resources are available at vooks.com/resources.
I encourage you to take advantage of this limited offer. For more information, please visit vooks.com/educators. It is an honor to be part of making a difference in reading for children.
From Patty Duncan, Vooks Education Director