Teaching Opinion

Q&A Collections: Best Ways to Begin the School Year

By Larry Ferlazzo 鈥� July 15, 2021 2 min read

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Larry Ferlazzo

Opinion Contributor, Education Week

Larry Ferlazzo is a former award-winning high school English and social studies teacher of more than two decades. He is currently a volunteer tutor to English-learner newcomers at a local school and to youth in juvenile hall.

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 10 years. You can see all those collections from the first nine years here.

Here are the ones I鈥檝e published so far:

Race & Racism in Schools

School Closures & the Coronavirus Crisis

Classroom-Management Advice

Today鈥檚 theme is on the best ways to begin the school year. You can see the list of posts following this excerpt from one of them:

Katie Hull Synieski and I share a book excerpt offering ideas on building relationships as an online or hybrid school year begins, including question starters and 鈥渟how-and-tell鈥� activities.

Four 糖心动漫vlog 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.

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.

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 鈥渟how-and-tell鈥� activities.

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.

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

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.

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.

Author/糖心动漫vlog Joanne Rooney, Harry and Rosemary Wong, and Peggy Campbell-Rush provide their suggestions on how to start a new school year well.

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

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

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

Author/糖心动漫vlog Annette Breaux and Neila A. Connors contribute their thoughts.

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.