First 20 days

I have been thinking a lot about the first 20 days and how I would set up my inquiry classroom next year. I think some important class norms need to be in place for inquiry to occur as there will be a lot of group work and collaboration.

Thinking about students as learners. I think it would be valuable to spend a week on an all about me, where students are addressing questions others have about them (addressing how these are factual questions and are needed for the basis of inquiry). There will be a lot of modelling and self discovery during this week to guide them to delve deeper into understanding themselves as a learner (how can you best demonstrate your learning, how do you learn best etc...).

Thinking about collaboration within the classroom. I think a set of classroom norms, rules and expectations need to be co constructed and established early so that students will feel safe enough to take risks but also attempt to change their mindset and their thinking.

Thinking about how inquiry based learning should be meaningful for students and guided by the curriculum, I am considering presenting the students with the curriculum topics and have them unpack the unit expectations and record their wonderings so that all the topics will be known at the beginning of the year (long range plans from the student wonderings and perspectives).