I feel it’s so important to have fun and embrace the personality of your students. One of my colleagues told me about a ritual she does with her elementary school students where she allows a student once a day to teach for 5 minutes. Her students love the opportunity to fulfill the role of a teacher.

I see this ritual and the one described by Julie Diamond in her book as opportunities to embrace and utilize the energy and interest of the students.

“One year, in the fall, I accidentally held the name cards upside down as I took attendance. The children were gleeful, and the next day, asked me to do it that way again.

They were, perhaps, seeing what they could get away with—what they could control in this new classroom. This became a frequent request. One day, some children wanted the cards held upside down, and other children objected. We had a vote.”

– Quote from Kindergarten by Julie Diamond