Every fall, as the classroom calendar flips to September, I enter one of the most important stretches of the Kindergarten year the first six weeks. These first days aren’t about diving into academics or rushing through curriculum checklists. No, the first six weeks are sacred. They are all about routines, expectations, relationships, and creating a safe, predictable space where children feel seen, heard, and understood.
In Kindergarten, teaching expectations is an art. We model. We talk. We sing. We read books about school behaviors. We act out routines and play games that help kids internalize what it means to be a responsible, respectful learner. These rituals are critical. And for most students, this consistent, multi-modal approach works beautifully. They begin to understand what it means to walk in a quiet line, use kind words, and follow directions. They begin to “get it.” I used to think that if I just modeled well enough, practiced often enough, or read the right books at the right time, every child would eventually understand classroom expectations. But what about the child whose brain works a little differently? What about those students who don't "fit" not because they are unwilling, but because their "human system" as Sir Ken Robinson said, "isn't mechanical."
"Education is not a mechanical system. It's a human system."-Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk 2013
That quote hit me deeply. I am a teacher that is aware that I teach little humans, not robots. Every year, there’s that one student who doesn’t. Not because they’re defiant. Not because they don’t want to learn. But because their brain simply processes the world differently.
That was when something clicked for me. 💡
The Moment It all Made Sense
Last year, I had a student who was bright and curious but struggled significantly with language and processing. He was still learning to speak in three word sentences and found it difficult to engage in conversations or respond to multi step directions. He was still learning routines by the end of the school year. No matter how much we practiced expectations through songs or modeled behaviors, he just wasn’t able to connect the dots. But this child loved his Chromebook. He navigated tech with confidence. While he didn’t always engage with peers in conversation, he lit up whenever he used electronic devices.
And then, one day near the end of the year, I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. While I was walking around the room making sure the students were on task, I walked by this student and he said “Thank you for coming to my channel. Please like and subscribe!”
I was in shock. He wasn’t imitating a storybook character. He wasn’t quoting me. He was pretending to be a YouTuber!
Right there in the final week of school, his moment showed me something I hadn’t seen so clearly before. Our children are immersed in media. Even our youngest learners are absorbing the tone, language, and structure of digital content. They’re not just watching YouTube, they’re playing and learning from YouTube. And for many of them, it’s their most natural and familiar learning environment. The media has become part of their learning space. Below is an article you may want to take a look at. It talks about how children in today's society view being "you tuber" as a career.
Here’s the thing: I actually had the idea to create learning videos two years ago. It had been sitting quietly in my mental “someday” folder. I had imagined short, engaging clips that introduced classroom expectations with visuals, simple explanations, and real-life modeling. But the idea stayed on hold. Life got busy, the new academic school year rolled on, and honestly? I was nervous.
You see, I consider myself a techno-traditionalist. I use technology for the basics, emails, student data tracking, PowerPoint presentations during meetings, but I’ve never considered myself a tech-savvy, content-creating teacher. Making videos? Adding music? Sound effects? That wasn’t in my comfort zone.
But this student and the many others like him needed something different. They needed a bridge between expectation and understanding that worked with their brains, not against them. And with today’s media landscape, that bridge could be video.
The final project in my CURR 501 Digital Media Literacy was the last push I needed to make me feel motivated to start working on that idea.
I quote Michael Wesh from his TEDx Talk in 2016."Meaning is not something you find, it's something you create."
Children are not passively watching YouTube. They are using it to create identity, build understanding, and form connections. So, why can't we use the same platform, to teach expectations, routines, and social emotional skills?
So I finally decided: I’m going to create a YouTube channel for my students. I’m going to call it Proyecto Bloom.
Subscribe to Proyecto Bloom Youtube Channel. First video coming soon Fall 2025
Proyecto Bloom was born from that realization. It's not about making flashy videos for the sake of engagement. It's about creating meaningful, age appropriate videos that reflect the ways our students actually experience the world; through visuals, repetition, music, play, and media.
Why "Proyecto Bloom"?
I chose this name because it reflects what I believe about childhood and about learning. Children, like flowers, bloom in their own time, in their own way. The role of a teacher is to nurture the soil, provide light, and water them with love, patience, and consistency.
Proyecto Bloom’s mission is simple but powerful: “We help parents and teachers work together to support every child’s social, emotional, and academic growth. Let’s learn, grow, and bloom-together.”
This isn’t just a series of videos. It’s a way to bring school expectations into homes in a format that makes sense to kids. It’s a way to strengthen the home school connection by giving parents access to the very language and modeling we use in class.
Let’s go back to the student who reminded me I had a project on hold. He struggled to follow expectations not because he didn’t care, but because his brain needed more support to understand what those expectations looked like in action.
He couldn’t communicate his emotions clearly. He couldn’t always tell me when he was overwhelmed or confused. But he could show me, through play, that YouTube was a language he understood.
It breaks my heart to think of how many times he might have felt frustrated, embarrassed, or lost simply because he couldn’t process expectations in the way they were presented. This project is for him and for every student like him.
This summer, the course CURR 501 finally gave me the push to bring this dream to life. I usually use summer break to plan one personal goal I want to focus on for the school year and this time, the timing felt perfect.
- I’ve learned so much already:
- How to write scripts that are developmentally appropriate
- How to use Canva and other tools to create video content
- How to edit sound and layer in music and effects
- And most importantly how to be braver with technology
This journey has stretched me as an educator in the best ways. I may still call myself a techno-traditionalist, but now I know I can use media in powerful ways without losing the heart of my teaching style.
I will use CANVA to create videos. Canva is an online graphic design digital tool. I used Canva to create flyers or announcements for my parents at work. Canva has evolved in the last two years. Now can me paired with AI and you can create almost every single form of media. I usually used Canva to create signs and worksheets. I was amazed when I saw that you can create and edit videos too! I decided to stick to Canva because as a "techno-traditionalist" I feel more comfortable sticking to a tool I am somewhat familiar with. Each video in my “School Expectations Series” will include:
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Clear vocabulary with visuals (because pictures stick!)
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A short explanation about why the expectation matters
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A demonstration of what following the rule looks and sounds like
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A practice prompt so kids can try it with their grown-ups
The style of the videos will reflect what children are used to seeing on platforms like YouTube. That means music, movement, bright colors, and engaging animations. I’ve been watching tutorials in you tube, learning about editing tools, adding sound effects, creating animated text. These are all things I never thought I’d learn how to do!
My goal? To create content that feels familiar and fun for students, while delivering real learning that sticks.
The first video is already in progress. I’ll be launching with hallway expectations how we walk, what our voice level should be, how we keep our hands to ourselves, and why these things matter for a safe and respectful community.
From there, I’ll build videos around other key routines lunchroom behavior, bathroom expectations, how to ask for help, how to calm down when upset, and much more.
Each video will include captions in English and Spanish, a description for parents, and a call to action: “Watch with your child. Practice together. Help them BLOOM.”
One of the most exciting parts of this project is the opportunity to involve families. These videos are meant to be watched together. A parent can sit with their child, learn the expectation, and then reinforce it in daily routines at home.
No more guessing what “body in the bubble” means. No more feeling out of the loop.
When a parent understands what’s being taught in school, they’re empowered to support their child. And when a child hears the same language and sees the same examples both at school and at home, the learning becomes deeper and more meaningful.
This kind of connection can change everything. It builds consistency, trust, and shared responsibility.
When we create resources that reflect the world our students are already living in, we show them that their voices, their interests, and their ways of learning matter.
Proyecto Bloom is more than a channel. It’s a bridge to home school connection. And I truly believe it has the power to help our youngest learners shine.
If you’re a teacher, a parent, or someone who just loves seeing kids thrive, I invite you to be a part of this journey. Like, subscribe and support. But most importantly, let’s help our children bloom!
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