Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

Schools Just Let Out, But What Are the Best Ways to Begin the Coming Year?

By Larry Ferlazzo — June 24, 2022 2 min read
Photo illustration of colorful school supplies
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first ten years here.

Today’s theme is Best Ways to Begin the School Year. You can see the list of posts following this excerpt from one of them:

aconsiderable

1. Start the Year With a ‘Primary Focus’ on Relationship-Building

Four educators share ideas on how to start a pandemic-effect school year, including by organizing scavenger hunts and having students share and write captions for their favorite photos. Read more.

2. Steps to Make Your Students Feel Welcome This Fall

Three teachers explain how they are going to start the COVID-19-affected new school year, including by sending videos or letters to students before classes begin. Read more.

3. Classroom Activities to Start Your Online or Hybrid New Year Strong

Katie Hull Synieski and I share a book excerpt offering ideas on building relationships as our online or hybrid school year begins, including question starters and “show-and-tell” activities. Read more.

4. Giving Students ‘a Place to Belong’ When Starting a School Year

Tricia Ebarvia, Maia Heyck-Merlin, Debbie Diller, Erik M. Francis, and Jennifer Orr write about their experiences and recommendations in this fourth and final post on ways to successfully begin a new school year. Read more.

5. Begin the New School Year With a Positive ‘Mindset’

Jen Schwanke, Kevin Scott, Pia Lindquist Wong, and Otis Kriegel provide their ideas on good ways to begin a new school year. Read more.

6. Starting the New Year by ‘Building Relationships’

Jeryl-Ann Asaro, Anabel Gonzalez, Karen Nemeth, Kristina J. Doubet, Jessica A. Hockett, Stephen Lazar, and Timothy D. Walker contribute their ideas on the best ways to begin a new school year. Read more.

7. Ways ‘to Launch a Successful Year With Students’

Roxanna Elden, Dave Stuart Jr., Ekuwah Moses, Matt Wachel, Pam Allyn, and Kevin Parr offer suggestions on how to start a new school year on the right foot. Read more.

8. “A Good Beginning Is More Than Half of the Whole”

Author/educators Joanne Rooney, Harry and Rosemary Wong, and Peggy Campbell-Rush provide their suggestions on how to start a new school year well. Read more.

9. Ways to Start Off the New Year on a Positive Note

This post is a special-guest response from author and educator Julia Thompson. Read more.

10. Several Ways to Get the New Year Off to a Good Start—Part One

Two of the best thinkers and writers on education issues today, Rick Wormeli and Roxanna Elden, respond to this issue. Read more.

11. Several Ways Teachers & Parents Can Start the New Year Well—Part Two

Teachers Neil Wetherbee, Marsha Ratzel, Jessica Lahey, and Robyn Shulman share their suggestions. Read more.

12. Don’t Wait Until Christmas to Smile

Author/educators Annette Breaux and Neila A. Connors contribute their thoughts. Read more.


Explore other thematic posts:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Schools: What 1,000 Districts Reveal About Readiness and Risk
Move beyond “ban vs. embrace” with real-world AI data and practical guidance for a balanced, responsible district policy.
Content provided by Securly
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
K-12 Lens 2026: What New Staffing Data Reveals About District Operations
Explore national survey findings and hear how districts are navigating staffing changes that affect daily operations, workload, and planning.
Content provided by Frontline Education
Education Funding Webinar Congress Approved Next Year’s Federal School Funding. What’s Next?
Congress passed the budget, but uncertainty remains. Experts explain what districts should expect from federal education policy next.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion I’m Iranian American. Here’s What I Want Educators to Understand About the War
Understanding Iran requires holding multiple truths at once, writes education reformer Nina S. Rees.
Nina S. Rees
5 min read
Tehran, Iran, 06.24.2023: Golestan Palace details
The Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tehran, was damaged by an Israeli airstike earlier this month, according to media reports.
S. Kahraman/iStock
Teaching Homework: Critical Practice or Meaningless Busywork? Teachers Weigh In
Does homework still have a purpose? The K-12 field appears deeply divided.
1 min read
ionCINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 21, 2025 A student wears a translucent backpack while waiting to ride Metro, Cincinnati’s public bus system, to their second day of school on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo by Luke Sharrett for Education Week
Educators have really different opinions about whether students get too much or too little homework, and what role it plays in learning. A student wears a translucent backpack while waiting to Cincinnati’s public bus system, on Aug. 21, 2025 in Ohio.
Luke Sharrett for Education Week
Teaching Homework Assignments Less Common in High-Poverty Districts
An EdWeek Research Center survey examines out-of-school assignments by poverty level of the school system.
3 min read
Students in Cristina Hernandez's International Baccalaureate Math Analysis and Approaches Higher Level 1 work on an assignment during class at Bonita Vista High School on Oct. 10, 2024 in San Diego, Calif.
Students work on an assignment during a high school class on Oct. 10, 2024, in San Diego. An EdWeek Research Center survey shows that teachers in more impoverished school districts say they're less likely to assign homework.
Ariana Drehsler for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Are Students Really Learning? How to Check for Understanding
One of the best methods is to make student thinking visible.
13 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week