Designing Your Year with Intention
Welcome to Season 6 of the Pass the Baton podcast! As a new school year begins, Kathryn and Theresa kick off the season by looking beyond lesson plans, classroom setup, and first-day logistics to explore the invisible decisions that shape the entire year. Through five reflective questions, they discuss what teachers can truly control, what students should own, how classroom routines communicate trust, when compliance is necessary (and when it isn’t), and which traditions are worth keeping—or reimagining. Together, they challenge listeners to create learning environments that prioritize student ownership, creativity, and meaningful engagement from day one.
Rather than offering another back-to-school checklist, this conversation encourages educators to begin the year with intentionality. Kathryn and Theresa share practical examples from their own classrooms while reminding listeners that small mindset shifts can have a lasting impact on students’ confidence and growth. The episode concludes with a simple intentions exercise, inviting teachers to reflect on what they want students to leave their classroom believing, what they will stop doing this year, and what they want students to truly own as learners.
Listen to the full interview:
Here are some key takeaways from Episode 115:
- Control What Matters – Focus your energy on the environment, expectations, and relationships—not the things you can’t control.
- Share the Ownership – Give students meaningful responsibility so they become active participants in their learning, not passive followers.
- Lead with Trust – Classroom routines should communicate trust, encouraging students to make decisions, reflect, and grow with confidence.
- Question Compliance – Ask whether your routines build ownership or simply encourage compliance—and intentionally choose the message you want to send.
- Teach with Intention – Start the year by deciding what students will believe, what you’ll stop doing, and what they’ll truly own.
Listen Today!
You can check out the full interview on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Or you can listen right here!
More from Pass the Baton:
Back-to-School Challenge: Join this free 5-week email challenge and receive one practical idea each week to help your students develop more voice, choice, creativity, curiosity, and connection.
Coffee Club Back-to-School sale: $10 off a 1-year membership
You might also enjoy these other episodes:
- Episode 62 – The Kids Come First: Student Ownership in Ensembles, featuring Kathleen Jacoby
- Episode 90 – Throw Away the Rubric: Ungrading the Music Room, featuring Chris Gleason
- Episode 77 – Inspiring Young Musicians: Passion and Purpose in Music Education, featuring Stephen Cox
- Episode 85 – Fostering Lifelong Learning through Reflective Partnerships, featuring Merlin Thompson
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