By: Miriam Blanc-Gonnet, Sr. Manager of User Strategy at Harmony Academy

It’s that time of year again: notebooks, binders, and pencil pouches in vibrant colors and designs line the entryway of store aisles across the country. “Back to school” is upon us. Some of you may even already have your first week or two behind you.

As a former educator, I always felt equal parts excited and anxious in the weeks leading up to the first day of school. I could not wait to meet my students, and I planned all sorts of fun “get to know you” activities for us to do together. At the same time, I also couldn’t stop thinking about how that first day might go. Worries like, “Do I still remember how to teach?” or “When that 8 a.m. bell rings, will I still know what to do?” would race through my mind.

As we approach the beginning of another year, I want to remind you of something: your students are both excited and anxious, too — you are in this together. I encourage you to take this first week of school slowly and use it to foster relationships, develop community, put routines into place, and take care of yourself in the process. And if you’re looking for support for creating the best healthy learning environment, Harmony Academy has resources to help you do just that.

Building a Community 

To make the start of your school year a bit smoother, the Harmony Curriculum includes a Building Community Pre-Unit to guide you through your first ten days of school. The lessons within this unit offer simple relationship-building routines and activities designed to help both you and your students settle in and connect with each other. 

During the first week, you’ll introduce Meet-Up, starting with simple steps like Greeting and Sharing and Responding.

For example, on Day One, your students might use the “25 Ways to Say Hello” resource to greet each other in creative ways. You could also model “Sharing” by telling a short story about how you felt preparing for the first day — then invite students to share and respond in return. As the week progresses, you’ll introduce the additional components of Meet-Up: Checking-In and Connecting.Another key practice introduced early on is Harmony Goals, where students create both class and personal goals. These help build ownership and shared expectations, contributing to a sense of belonging and collaboration in your learning environment. Goal-setting also becomes a powerful tool for reflection and accountability as the year unfolds.

You’ll also introduce Buddy Up, a practice that encourages students to connect and collaborate with peers through age-appropriate prompts. Harmony’s updated Quick Connection Cards — designed for both classroom and out-of-school time — make this easy. Try one on the first day to help new buddy pairs break the ice:

Remember to Prioritize YOU!

In addition to this focus on developing community and establishing a routine, through the first few weeks (and the entire school year, really), you must prioritize filling your cup. 2019 National University Teacher of the Year and Educator Advisory Group member Tom Whisinnand (aka Mr. Whiz), has some great advice on this:  

“Starting another school year can be a stressful time. There are many tasks that need to be accomplished and there is limited time to accomplish them. Starting a year by keeping YOUR personal worth in mind is mega-important! Teachers MUST look after their own well-being Just as we set up routines in our classrooms that empower students to embrace social, emotional, and academic learning, we MUST start the year by embedding these practices in our personal lives.”

Additionally, Mr. Whiz shares his tips for educator self-care during the upcoming school year.

“During this upcoming year, I will be looking after my own well-being in the following ways: 1) I will be visiting a gym on a regular basis; 2) I will create and maintain professional/personal work boundaries; AND 3) I will engage in a creative activity (painting/writing/drawing/producing YouTubes) at least once during any given weekend.”

Mr. Whiz is spot-on. You need to consider how you will maintain your own mental, emotional, and physical health during what is often a chaotic time.

Want a Little Extra? 

Everything you need to implement Harmony is available to you at no cost through our Online Learning Portal — including full access to the Building Community unit, Everyday Practices, and digital storybooks.

We also know that many educators appreciate having ready-to-use and printed materials. That’s why we offer a selection of premium resources, designed to make implementation even easier.

Harmony Classroom Kit: 

If you prefer having ready-to-use materials on hand, the Harmony Classroom Kit offers printed resources to support your implementation. It includes over 200 Quick Connection Cards for peer conversations, engaging story books for Pre-K–5th, a plush Z doll to help bring lessons to life, and grade-level literature guides developed to integrate relationship skills into literacy instruction. These tools help make Harmony even more accessible in your classroom.

Coming Soon! Harmony at Home App 

We can’t wait to share our new app with you this fall! You will soon be able to encourage families to support their child’s development of essential skills, promote well-being, and strengthen relationships at home with the Harmony at Home app — designed to make it easy to extend classroom learning into everyday family life through quick, on-the-go activities. Follow us on social media for the launch date!

You’ve Got This!

Starting a new school year is a big deal — for you and your students. Remember to give yourself grace, celebrate the small wins, and prioritize connection over perfection. The learning will come — what matters most right now is helping your students feel like they belong.

We encourage you to get started exploring our Harmony Curriculum in the Harmony Online Learning Portal, and follow us on social media for more exciting updates this fall. 

We hope you have an amazing start to the new school year!

Miriam Blanc-Gonnet, Sr. Manager of User Strategy at Harmony Academy