Warm-Up: High-Five Poll

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• None (just an open space)

Instructions:

• Have students stand in an open area around the classroom.
• Teacher asks a quick “Raise your hand if…” question about a positive behavior (e.g., “Raise your hand if you like working with friends,” “Raise your hand if you enjoy reading,” etc.).
• After each question, students turn to a neighbor, give a high-five, and share one idea for a class expectation related to that behavior.
• Teacher listens, notes a few student ideas on chart paper or the board to prime the upcoming discussion.

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Expectation Poster Stations

Time: 20 minutes

Materials:

• Chart paper or poster boards (4), each labeled:
  • Respect
  • Responsibility
  • Kindness
  • Safety
• Markers (various colors)
• Sticky notes

Instructions:

1. Divide students into four mixed-grade groups and assign each group to one station.
2. At each station, students discuss and brainstorm: “What behaviors show [Station Category] in our school?”
3. Students write or draw one idea per sticky note and place it on the chart paper.
4. After 5 minutes, rotate groups clockwise. At the new station, read existing notes, discuss, and add new or refined ideas.
5. Continue rotations until each group has visited all four stations.
6. Reconvene whole class. Display all four posters and invite volunteers to share favorite sticky-note ideas.
7. As a class, cluster similar ideas and select the top 3–5 behaviors that best represent each category. Teacher synthesizes these into draft school-wide expectations on a central poster.

Guiding Questions:

• “What does ‘Respect’ look like when we’re learning or playing?”
• “How can we show ‘Responsibility’ in the hallway, classroom, or cafeteria?”
• “Why is ‘Kindness’ important to our friends and teachers?”
• “What keeps everyone ‘Safe’ at school?”

Follow-Up:

• Display the final expectation poster in a common area.
• Have students vote (thumbs up/down) on the wording of each expectation to ensure clarity.
• Invite students to share each expectation with their families and ask for examples at home.

Differentiation & Extensions:

• Younger learners can draw pictures or use word cards to support brainstorming.
• Early finishers or older students can write a sentence explaining why each behavior matters.
• For students needing extra support, pair them with a peer buddy or provide sentence starters (e.g., “I show kindness by…”).

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Cool-Down: Goal-Setting Ticket

Time: 5 minutes

Materials:

• Goal-Setting Ticket (printed template)
• Pencils or crayons

Instructions:

1. Distribute one Goal-Setting Ticket to each student.
2. Ask students to review the class expectations you co-created.
3. On their ticket, students:
   • Write their name.
   • Circle or write the expectation they want to focus on this week.
   • Write a sentence or draw a picture showing how they will practice that expectation.
4. Encourage creativity—students can write, draw, or both!
5. Collect tickets as exit slips; use them to revisit goals in future lessons.

Student Name: _______________________


My Chosen Expectation: _______________________


My Goal for This Week:

....................................................


(Write or draw how you will shine!)

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Participation Checklist

Use this checklist to track each student’s engagement and contributions during the kick-off lesson. Circle the level that best describes performance for each criterion.