220. Can’t Miss Classic: 5 Fun Ways to Start the Year with Surprise and Delight

If you want to kick off the school year with a classroom full of joy, connection, and just a little magic, this can’t-miss classic is for you! We’re revisiting one of our most-loved episodes, all about the simple but powerful “surprise and delight” strategy for building strong student relationships from day one. In it, we share five teacher-tested ways to sprinkle unexpected fun into your routines, and give loads of easy, low-cost examples you can use right away. These small, intentional moments don’t just make your students smile, they create a positive classroom climate that lasts all year!

Prefer to read? Grab the original episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/back-to-school-surprise-and-delight/

Resources:

• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Website: National Day Calendar
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave your review on Apple Podcasts!

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 148, How to Build Positive Relationships with Your Students at Back-to-School
• Episode 87, 4 Important Ways to Build Classroom Community at Back-to-School
• Episode 73, 4 Reasons Why Affirming Students Is The Most Important Goal for Back-to-School 
• Episode 35, 5 Ways to Increase Student Engagement – Our Secret Weapon for Teachers

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Teacher Approved Club, where members get seasonal morning work pages for grades K–5 this month to add fall and holiday fun without throwing off their routines: https://secondstorywindow.net/club