Grade 6 Morning Survival List

**Note: This is totally and unabashedly inspired by the amazing Sherri Spelic, or edifiedlistener. If you have not read anything by Sherri, go. Now. Don’t read this. Just go. You will not regret it**

1. Take huge deep breath as you press the power button on the projector remote for the 1 millionth time until it finally pings on. Have your morning welcome slide ready.
2. Make sure lofi beats are bumpin’. If not, you will hear about it.
3. You will get reprimanded if you do not have a cute clipart PNG something on aforementioned morning slide. Make sure you find one. Drop shadow.
4. Begin with schedule, check-ins, and the “burning questions/1 800 complaint” number time. Eye roll at complaints. It’s ok. It’s letting them get their emotions out that matter.
5. Rock an amazing read aloud, complete with arm gestures and dramatic pauses as students interrupt you. If they interrupt you with a great connection or inference, then Yeeeesssss…anything else gets ignored.
6. Proceed to walk into a desk, table, edge and act like it doesn’t hurt as you give directions to annotate a poem, and circulate.
7. Discuss random topics like if Harry Styles is still relevant, high game scores of March Madness, how long would it take to become a vet, and general sport scores. Between that guide through the actual annotation lesson.
8. Don’t forget to walk around and listen in; it’s easy to get sucked into that game where the ball goes around these trippy backgrounds on Chromebooks instead of working. Remind gently to stay on task first, then a general threat like “you will never work on a Chromebook again”, and you and them both know you don’t mean it, but it works for the time being. You can berate yourself later for saying something so dumb.
9. Rush out with students for yard duty. “Stay to the right” needs to be repeated at least 10 times coming down the stairs.
10. Pavement only, eh? Watch your toes get stepped on several thousand times.