By the time the school year finally rolls to a stop, educators are completely wiped out. Even checking out of the classroom can feel overwhelming.
"HERE! Take it all. I gotta get out of here!"
And for this reason, June really has to be an authentic reset. A moment to decompress. Educators need to take the time. But once rejuvenation has set in, and clarity is present, it is the perfect time to begin building momentum.
Momentum Is Built Before the First Bell
When teachers spend August trying to establish routines while simultaneously attending professional development, getting their rooms ready, and learning new building & district expectations, exhaustion sets in before students even arrive.
Pro Tip: Walk in the first day you return already knowing exactly how instruction will be delivered, when you will begin intervention and based on what data, how you will build culture and climate, and knowing your communication system.
That's not just preparation. That's momentum.
Building Momentum
When educators invest time in planning instructional systems before students arrive, they spend less time reacting to problems and more time facilitating meaningful learning. Every routine designed and every system planned in July becomes one less decision to make in August. This creates buildings with focus and classrooms where both teachers and students can focus on what matters most: learning, belonging, and achieving.
This is how educators build momentum.
The Momentum of Literacy™
The Momentum of Literacy™ recognizes that literacy is not passive. It is not just the ability to decode text or complete assignments—it is the ability to interpret the world, question it, and respond to it with purpose. When literacy instruction builds intentionally over time, students gain momentum—the kind that allows them to move from consumers of information to shapers of ideas.
Momentum means that each literacy experience matters. Reading develops perspective. Writing sharpens thinking. Speaking amplifies voice. Listening builds understanding. Together, these skills create forward motion that empowers students to engage with the world rather than be carried by it.
It's July, Now What?
Momentum isn't created by one great lesson or an engaging activity. It's created through small, intentional instructional systems that are repeated consistently until they become part of the culture of the classroom.
Great instruction requires cognitive energy—from both teachers and students.
When students are constantly wondering what happens next, how to participate, or where to find materials, part of their mental energy is spent navigating procedures instead of engaging with learning.
Predictable routines reduce that cognitive load.
Research has shown that expert teachers intentionally establish and rehearse classroom routines during the very first days of school so instruction can proceed smoothly and efficiently. But this is bigger than setting expectations, explicitly teaching, modeling, practicing, and reinforcing routines until they become automatic. This is about identifying, planning, and implementing instructional systems that work together to create lasting learning.
💡 Your Momentum Move
I challenge you to begin building momentum. Before the end of this week, choose one literacy routine you want students to experience consistently this year.
Don't build all of the materials yet.
Design it.
Decide:
- When will it happen?
- What will students do?
- What materials will they need?
- How will you teach and model it?
- What will success look like by September?
Write it down.
Refine it.
Visualize yourself teaching it, or observing it.
Not sure where to start, download 8 Easy to Implement Literacy Routines That Build Momentum.
Next week, we'll map the essential classroom systems every educator should design before students arrive—so the school year begins with momentum instead of survival.
Until then,
✨ J Shannon