Yes, We Are Crew. Actually.
When I came in for my first day of New Teammate Professional Development at Detroit Prep back in August, the singing and dancing threw me off. Yes, I had heard about Crew during the interview process. But no, I didn’t know it was going to be like that. By that, I mean singing, dancing, and good-natured shouting all before 8:30 in the morning. I’d consider myself a pretty outgoing person, but having to do a little dance in a circle of my new supervisors and coworkers first thing in the morning as they chanted my name definitely felt a little funny. I remember going home to my partner after that first day and saying, “these people are like really excited about school here.”
"As many educators do, I had gotten into teaching because I wanted students to feel seen, heard, and special in my classroom"
By the end of the first week of Professional Development, Morning Crew and Closing Crew were my favorite parts of the day. I never got to play games at work before! But here I was, beating a kindergarten teacher out at Boom-Clap-Snatch! I even started to like the appreciations people gave at the end of the work day. I hadn’t ever been in a space before where adults had carved out a specific time to thank and notice each other. I remember getting my first appreciation for asking good, thoughtful questions throughout the day, which my director said showed Curiosity and Creativity. The little “shine” song didn’t feel as silly when it was directed at me. Actually, it started to feel good to start and end a long work day in a room full of positivity. It was then that I got it. Crew was a space that prioritized connection and making others feel seen. As many educators do, I had gotten into teaching because I wanted students to feel seen, heard, and special in my classroom. After those few weeks of Professional Development, I was excited at the prospect of having time blocked into my day that was meant for doing just that.
There are four parts to Morning Crew. The first is the Greeting, which yes, sometimes involves singing or dancing. However, the important part is that everyone is addressed by name in a positive way–everyone gets their moment. The next part is the Share. The Share is a question–sometimes serious, sometimes silly–which crewmates share their answers out to in a circle or with a partner. The Share is a great way to foster connections between crewmates–we are constantly learning about each other! The third is the Initiative (my personal favorite!) where a game or activity is done with either the whole Crew or in smaller groups. The Initiative often requires Habits of Character, such as Cooperation or Integrity, so that the game can be played correctly. The Initiative finishes out with the Debrief. In the Debrief, the Crew Leader asks a question about how the Initiative went. Typically, this question is about the Habits of Character that were being used in the game. By getting students to actively think about the Habits of Character and name the related action, they start to get in the habit of reflecting on their daily usage of the Habits of Character. Lastly, Morning Crew ends with the Morning Message. In my room, this is a handwritten message on our Dry-Erase easel that gives a preview of what will be happening in Expedition, Math, and Special, as well as personalized announcements. The Morning Message is a great opportunity to build connection as a crew through including inside jokes, birthday shout-outs, positive reinforcement, and special shout-outs to crew members after a soccer game or Bar Mitzvah, for example. I read this message aloud to the Crew every morning to start our day.
“My students have the learning environment that I dreamed of creating when I entered the profession”
I knew that I, myself, was apprehensive about Crew on my first day, so I knew I was going to have to really sell it to my seventh-graders, who might think that they’re “too cool” for this “little kid” stuff. I couldn’t blame them; I had also thought I was “too cool,” but quickly figured out that I’m actually not above chanting at eight in the morning. So, on our first day of school together, as I looked around my circle of kids on the rug, I led with honesty. I told them that I knew a lot of them were probably already familiar with Crew and that I didn’t know what their feelings were towards it. But, I also acknowledged that there were several students new to the school in our Crew, who were probably about to experience culture shock. I admitted that obviously, I was also new, so I had to go through this culture shock too in the summer. I said, “look, I know it might seem a little weird. I thought it was too at the beginning, but then, it actually ended up being really fun. Let’s just try our best, please!” Our first Greeting was a little clunky, some kids whisper-sang or looked at me with hesitation. I tried not to be self-conscious of my own singing as they were looking at me to lead, so I continued on with a smile and tried to play my part with confidence, even though I had never led a Greeting before. Mid-song, I remembered how many, many years ago, I had to try to convince my younger siblings to eat their baby food. The taste of the carrot mush flashed through my mouth as I recalled trying to eat a spoonful in front of them and pretending that it was really good, even though it clearly wasn’t. I realized that this was what I had to do here as well. I had to pretend that this Morning Crew time was the best tasting baby food around, and then, maybe, I could get the twelve and thirteen-year-olds to buy in and take a bite willingly. I amped up my enthusiasm and crossed my fingers. Our first Closing Crew was just as awkward. When it came time for appreciations, it was crickets in the Birch Crew. So, I took a big bite of the carrot mush and led. “If no one has anything, that’s okay. I know we’re all still getting to know each other, but here are some things that I noticed.” I gave out my appreciations and loudly sang the “shine” song. The kids smiled shyly as they were shouted out, and their crewmates sang the song at them earnestly. I could feel it starting to click. By the end of the week, I had to start cutting off appreciations as we were running into dismissal…nearly all of our crew, including the new kids, suddenly had a lot to say.
I can see the positive effect that “buying in” on Crew has had on my classroom culture–my students have the learning environment that I dreamed of creating when I entered the profession. In Term 1, my crew averaged a 2.8 on their Habits of Character grade. Nearing the end of Term 2, they hold a 3.0 average, meaning the average student is showing all the Habits of Character–Cooperation, Compassion, Perseverance, Responsibility, Curiosity & Creativity, and Integrity–daily in our classroom. And, they really do! I know I might be biased, but I am fully convinced that I am teaching one of the best groups of seventh-graders in the whole city of Detroit. Our morning Greeting might slack some days, but if the students are too quiet, I’ll pause and have us start again. They’ll always come through and sing the song at a possibly obnoxious volume after that. Some of them actually love the dancing greetings and hype each other up, as if the classroom has turned into their own personal middle school dance. They love our Share time and most days, they ask if we can just share out in the circle, so that everyone gets a turn to hear what others have to say. Initiatives are always fun and competitive, but they make sure to say, “good job, nice try!” whenever someone gets out. I taught them that at the beginning of the year, and now they say it willingly on their own! They’re so great at cheering each other on. In our Debrief, they can often name a way that every Habit of Character was connected to our game, going above and beyond just “cooperation because we had to work together.” They all turn and face the board when I read our Morning Message and laugh at the personal touches that I put in there. If we have a rushed morning and our Initiative goes over and I make the mistake of lining them up before reading the Morning Message, at least three kids will shout out, “wait, you have to read the Morning Message!” Seventh-grade is apparently not too old for this message and Crew routine to mean something. So, I’ll stop the line and make sure to read the whole board, always ending with “Love, Ms. Vicky” before sending them out the door.
Crew encourages kindness and connection. It builds character and highlights the Habits of Character that we attempt to teach our kids on a daily basis. Every day, I try to give appreciations throughout the day grounded in our Habits of Character. I positively narrate, I give shine, I high-five, dap up, and fist bump my kids when I catch them being kind. And now, we’re at a point in the year where they are catching each other being kind. They notice when a crewmate shows perseverance on a test that was difficult, they are willing to show compassion and share their lunch when others are still hungry, and then they bring it up during Closing Crew. Sometimes, they even proudly announce their crewmate’s feats to me in the doorway after returning to my room, because they’re that happy for each other. It’s really special to watch their hearts grow in this way. Every kid wants to feel like a good kid, no matter how tough they may seem on the outside. Crew gives us the opportunity to highlight the good in each kid and help nurture that. Sometimes, if we’re really lucky, they will turn and start to nurture that in each other as well. I’ve been very lucky this year.
“Crew gives us the opportunity to highlight the good in each kid and help nurture that. Sometimes, if we’re really lucky, they will turn and start to nurture that in each other as well. I’ve been very lucky this year.”
Recently, as Community Crew was about to close out, one of my students tapped me on the shoulder and said, “we’re like the best at Crew.” The student next to him chimed in and said, “yeah, we always crush the Greeting.” I laughed and agreed with them, as I always encourage them to stand and give 100% at Community Crew during the Greeting. I try to frame it to them as Community Crew being our time to show how great our Crew is. In the background, the Light Leaders began our closing chant. As Detroit Prep came together to scream, “We Are Crew” at a deafening volume and I started ushering my kids down the hallway, I realized that in my classroom, yes, we are Crew. Actually.