It won’t surprise anyone that the start of school has always been one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the sense of a fresh start and new possibilities.  I love seeing friends and family post pictures of their kids heading back to school.

As a teacher, you know how important the beginning of school can be to launching a successful year.  When I was still teaching, you couldn’t keep me out of my classroom a week or two before classes were scheduled to start.  As principal architect of the learning space, I returned each year with new ideas and plans to make the learning experience more meaningful.  I put up new artwork on the walls, redesigned centers and access to learning resources, and worked to make the physical space reinforce the day to day practices students would experience in my classroom.  Once students actually arrived on day one, my highest priority was to learn students’ names as quickly as possible – it made a huge difference in building relationships quickly, and my students were always surprised when they came in the door on day two and I greeted them by name.   Yesterday, I saw a teacher who was taking time to not only learn student names, but encouraging students to share the story of their names.  It’s a great practice to get students talking on day one while simultaneously celebrating each student’s unique history.

As a principal, the first day of school was an all-out celebration.  We brought the entire staff into the school entryway to welcome students as they came in the front doors.  Student leadership posted welcoming messages all around the building.  In Santa Ana, our principals have a similar approach, with students being welcomed by cheering administrators, school mascot themed selfie-stations, and relationship-building activities throughout the day.  Some schools literally roll out the red carpet.

And when you think about it, having our students come back to school really is a celebration.  Without them, we don’t have a school, or a job, or a profession.  They are quite literally our raison d’etre.  Imagine how our schools would be transformed if every student really felt that sense of belonging and importance on a deep level.  Imagine if every student, every day, knew without question that the adults on campus were over the moon just to have them there.  This first week back at school is when the energy and enthusiasm is perhaps at its highest – it’s the time we come closest to realizing our aspiration of truly student-centered schools.