In the video below, I share one of my two classroom mantras, 5 activities, and how I greet students on the first day of school in order to begin creating a low-risk and high trust classroom environment.

On day 1, students quickly learn (and practice) the importance of Fawn Nguyen's, "Never Tell An Answer." Greeting students are the door is essential as I make it a point to learn their name and how to say their name...inspired by Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends & Influence People. Carnegie says, "A person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." I hope you check it out.

Before the video ends I share critical thinking activities students are doing the second they walk in and other activities to create a low-risk annd high-trust environment. Stay tuned for Part 2 where I share my second mantra, "Embrace The Info Gaps" and how I introduce students to the Thinking Classroom. 

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