Winning September Slides
IC
Indian Creek Middle School
⚡ SUSTAINING OUR MOMENTUM
WINNING SEPTEMBER
Re-establishing our routines, protecting our momentum, and aligning our TRIBE.
Learning Objective
Each teacher will identify 1–2 classroom expectations or routines to explicitly reteach and consistently reinforce in September.
Indian Creek Playbook
August 24, 2026 • Professional Development
Playbook For Consistency
Celebrating the Start
Step 1: Celebrate
The building feels great, and the kids are responding!
Your hard work in August has paid off. Expectations are clear, routines are tight, and we have built massive positive momentum. Look at our progress:
August Attendance 97% Outstanding target baseline!
Transitions Efficient Massive week 2 improvement!
47% Reduction
August Discipline Referrals
Last August (2025) 30 events
This August (2026 Actual) 16 events
"Outstanding focus from day one!"
Indian Creek Middle School PD Slide 2 of 8
The September Spike
Step 2: The Data Trend
A Consistent Annual Trend
SPIKE CYCLE
Sept 2024 89 events
Sept 2025 86 events
August baseline is low, but September routinely spikes by over 180%.
What is Driving this Huge Increase?
⚠️ It's Everyday Manageable Behavior
Much of the increase is everyday behavior—logs, disruption, language, and defiance—not major incidents.
By establishing collective consistency across our building, we can support students early and keep minor behaviors from escalating.
We can't prevent every behavior, but being proactive lets us get ahead of as much as possible.
Our goal is to be proactive and break this multi-year cycle. Slide 3 of 8
Table Talk & Reflection
Step 3: Why It Happens
TABLE DISCUSSION • 3 MINUTES
Since the spike is driven by everyday, manageable routines, why do they slip in September?
The Novelty Fades
The initial "honeymoon" phase wears off. Students feel comfortable and begin actively testing limits.
Routines Relax
Adults assume students "know what to do" and stop explicitly teaching or modeling expectations.
⚠️ UPTICK SEEN
Social Dynamics
We have seen a direct uptick in this over the last week as peer groups solidify and social dynamics settle in.
Review your assigned Discussion Cards at the table center. Slide 4 of 8
IC
Indian Creek Middle School
The Core Philosophy
THE GOLDEN RULE OF SEPTEMBER
August establishes expectations.
September re-establishes them.
We are NOT starting over because our systems are broken. We are proactively reinforcing what works before cracks have a chance to show.
Shift from reactive correction to proactive reinforcement.
Slide 5 of 8
Leadership Strategy
Step 4: Support Systems
Student Ownership
We will share building discipline and attendance data directly with students to build genuine student ownership of our collective goals.
Monthly Student Goal Lessons
Admin will share a monthly presentation with teachers containing student discipline and attendance data to present in homeroom, reinforcing TRIBE culture and values.
TANGIBLE TOKENS & ACTIVE SUPPORT
- Wooden Nickels: Keep giving out wooden nickels to support positive TRIBE behavior recognition across our school.
- Active Presence: Staying visible during transitions and passing periods to protect lesson momentum.
- Cafeteria Reinforcement: Providing supportive cafeteria presence and expectation checks as needed.
Doubling down on what worked in August because it works!
Coordinating leadership actions to support your classroom boundary lines. Slide 6 of 8
Your One Job
Step 5: Teacher Action
EXPLICIT FOCUS • RE-TEACH ROUTINES
Each teacher will identify 1–2 classroom expectations or routines to explicitly reteach and consistently reinforce in September.
"Don't assume they already know it because we spent time on it in August. Actually teach it again, model it, practice it, and praise compliance."
COMMON RETEACHING TARGET AREAS
Entry Routine
Device Usage
Transition Times
Voice Levels
Use the Table Brainstorm Mat to record your chosen 1–2 targets.
Be just as intentional on September 15 as you were on August 15. Slide 7 of 8
The Scoreboard Alignment
Step 6: Target Goal
OUR BUILDING-WIDE WIG
Wildly Important Goal
-10% TOTAL REFERRALS
Reduce referrals from 479 to 432 or Less
August Actual 16 Events ✅
Yearly Target Pace On Track!
August proved we can do it when we're consistent!
September: Our Critical Lever
We have spent valuable time this year developing our school Culture by explicitly teaching TRIBE expectations.
💡 The Formula for Success
Now, we simply need to be relentlessly consistent and keep students highly engaged in their learning.
Be consistent, keep them engaged, and the results will come!
ONE SCHOOL. ONE TRIBE. UNSTOPPABLE TOGETHER. Slide 8 of 8
Winning September Discussion Prompts
IC Indian Creek Middle School PD
TABLE CARDS: CUT ALONG DASHED LINES
THE SEPTEMBER SPIKE POST-MORTEM
Directions: Place these cards at the center of each table. For the 3-minute Table Talk, review your assigned color card or discuss all four elements of the September drift.
CARD A
The Honeymoon Fades
August is marked by novelty. Rules are fresh, and students are on their best behavior to make strong first impressions. By mid-September, that novelty completely wears off.
Discussion Prompt:
What specific student boundaries begin to stretch first in your room as the "new school year" feeling transitions into daily routine?
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CARD B
The Routine Drift
As teachers, we spend hours teaching expectations in August. In September, we naturally shift our energy to heavy academic content and begin assuming "they already know it."
Discussion Prompt:
Which high-frequency classroom transitions (e.g. entering, turning in work, material clean up) have quietly started to take longer?
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CARD C
Social Drama Grows
Friend groups form, social hierarchies establish, and middle school dynamics settle in. Behavior shifts toward earning peer attention and establishing dominance.
Discussion Prompt:
How do changing peer social groups impact how students respond to redirects or public expectations in front of classmates?
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CARD D
Fatigue & Workload
After 4-5 weeks, both staff and students hit a physiological "wall." As academic workloads increase and content gets harder, avoidance and fatigue behaviors rise.
Discussion Prompt:
What warning signs of academic fatigue do you observe in your high-needs students? How can we proactively support them?
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PROACTIVE ALIGNMENT: PREVENT THE SPIKE
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IC Indian Creek Middle School PD
TABLE BRAINSTORM MAT
OUR SEPTEMBER ACTION PLAYBOOK
Collaboratively outline your team's plan. Retain this worksheet to build consistency across neighboring classrooms.
Table / Grade Level Team
Staff Facilitator
Date & Period
September 1, 2026
1
OUR "ONE JOB" TARGET ROUTINE
Identify 1–2 classroom expectations or routines to explicitly reteach and consistently reinforce in September.
