As part of this year’s professional development during Prep Week, all Gillispie teachers explored Hopes and Dreams, a key practice from the Responsive Classroom approach, and the book The First Six Weeks of School. This work emphasizes building a strong, supportive classroom community from the very start so students feel safe, valued, and ready to learn.
The idea behind Hopes and Dreams is simple yet powerful: when students set meaningful goals for the year, they begin to see themselves as capable learners. These goals also form the foundation for creating classroom rules that help everyone succeed. The Responsive Classroom approach explains that when students share their hopes and dreams, they start to view rules not as restrictions but as agreements that support their own learning and that of their classmates.
In our third-grade classrooms, students began by discussing their hopes and dreams for the world, then narrowed the focus to our school community, and finally to their individual goals as learners. During morning meetings in the first week, students shared their ideas and reflected on what they needed from one another to make our classroom a positive and productive space.
To wrap up the activity, each student wrote one hope and one dream for the school year. In third grade, goals were displayed on colorful balloons—a class favorite! They'll revisit them throughout the year as reminders of the values guiding their learning community.
This process gives students a sense of ownership and shows that academic growth and social-emotional learning go hand in hand. It also helps them feel connected to one another and invested in creating a classroom where everyone can thrive.