As we think about the first days of the new school year, we might consider the questions students will have so that we can think about how we will answer them in ways that set a positive tone and preview an attractive, meaningful, and reassuring start to their learning journey.
Assumptions can feel like shortcuts to understanding our students. However, they can be traps that lead us to treat students in ways that, while seeming reasonable, can be harmful to our students, their learning, and their relationship with us.
