Hey teacher friend! I’m Allie!
You can usually find me teaching abroad (upper elementary is my jam!), but I’m currently at home base preparing for my next adventure. I’m obsessed with traveling, cozy coffeeshops, my four toddler nephews, and houseplants, and I have THE BIGGEST sweet tooth.
I’m also obsessed with helping busy teachers like you transform their classrooms from turbulent to thriving, from rocky and unexpected to calm and steady. We do this together by putting in the work to cultivate a strong classroom community. I believe that when you start with the heart, everything else will fall into place.
Because I experienced it firsthand…
I taught as a missionary teacher in Tanzania, East Africa for over five years, and I really felt like I was living my best life! Sure, it was challenging, but I loved the every day adventures of going to the market, teaching students from all over the world, and connecting with beautiful souls. It was in those concrete-floored, open-aired classrooms where my passion for teaching came alive.
Each year had its challenges and highlights, but the year when I started teaching fourth grade will be engrained in my mind forever. You see, this class had a reputation around our school. They were known for behavior problems, classmate drama, and getting into trouble. So when I learned, just a couple weeks before school started, that they would be *my kids* for the year?! Well, to be honest, I was kind of in shock.
But, I knew in my bones that these students were so much more than the bad rap they had been known for. They were respectful, imaginative, compassionate, smart, creative, funny kids who needed someone to connect with them, care about them, celebrate them, and be consistent with them.
So instead of writing this year off, I resolved to be the teacher they needed me to be so they could be the students I knew they could be.
And, it was HARD!!! Oh my goodness, that first semester was intense. There were countless times I wanted to give up and give in. (Do you relate?) I probably repeated the SAME social-emotional learning lesson 10 times because they still didn’t get it. But instead of getting on the emotional rollercoaster with them, my feet stayed firmly planted on the ground. We continued to build systems and rhythms that became habits the kids actually enjoyed (who knew a weekly desk check could be so much fun?), & by January, we started seeing the fruits of our labor.
Can I tell you a secret?!
I’m almost positive I know what the main catalyst is that transformed my fourth grade classroom.
Now, I know that there are A LOT of factors, but the one thing I keep coming back to (because it was the one thing we did EVERY SINGLE DAY) is Morning Meeting.
Every morning, when school started, I would welcome my students into the classroom, we would do a couple of minutes of morning work, and then we’d all sit on that hard concrete floor in a circle together to start our day. We greeted each other, shared our thoughts and feelings, had fun and worked as a team, and learned and practiced social-emotional skills.
It’s not earth-shattering, but it could be life-changing for you as a teacher and your class.
And I believe it will be.
If you’re not sure what Morning Meeting is, how to best plan for and run it, and any of the other questions you may have, that’s why I’m here! Click here to get started on your Morning Meeting journey. And if you’re struggling with Morning Meeting because it’s too hard to plan or fit into your schedule, you’re going to want to get on this waitlist because I have the solution to all of your problems, and you’ll be the first to learn all about it when you’re on the waitlist!
Classroom community is so much more than a few team building activities the first week of school.
💜 It’s where your students learn life lessons they’ll take with them for years to come.
💜 It’s where they’ll find a safe space to be authentic, share their feelings, and feel at home.
💜 It’s where they’ll build relationships and friendships, learn from others, and celebrate diversity.
💜 It’s the foundation on which you build everything else in your classroom.
Let’s get started right now with my FREE Classroom Community Planner. Download it HERE!
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