1.
Be
Prepared!
Are you ready?” I’ll answer my own question, “You’d better be! There is a high correlation between planning
and success. I learned the hard way to
over prepare. I found that when I was
not adequately prepared students responded accordingly, meaning some students
took the opportunity to be less engaged and spend their time off task, since my
task may not have been so well designed.
It’s better to have too much in that plan than too little, and never,
ever “wing it,” so to speak. So, my
first word of advice is to be prepared.
2.
Spend
time building relationships.
Allocate sufficient time
addressing students’ names, inquiring into their interests and allowing
students to get acquainted with each other.
Learning students’ names and interests sends the message to students you
care about them. Spending time in activities
so students learn other classmates’ names, as well as, activities to build
relationships with and among students, sends the message to students it is
important we value each other. This is a
first step in building a positive classroom culture.
3. Empower students to be a part of establishing group agreements.
The more students are involved in creating the classroom
environment and establishing the norms, the more likely students are to engage,
and thus be successful. At some point n
my career, I abandoned the phrase "classroom rules" for "group
agreements." In both instances I experienced increased student
cooperation and engagement. My role had moved from one who wanted to
control every experience in the classroom to one who wanted to facilitate the
learning, as well as the social experiences in the classroom. I found
that through appropriate modeling I was more likely to influence student
behavior and student learning. * See Rules Verses Agreements http://edtalkwiththelocks.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-verses-agreements-control-or.html
4. Start establishing protocols and procedures and setting
expectations on day one.
Frontload teaching protocols, procedures and setting
expectations! These processes and expectations include both academic and
social behaviors. Learning progresses
more efficiently and more expeditiously when students have mastery of
procedures and expectations. The investment in establishing
protocols and procedures is well worth your time! There's a pay-off as the year progresses when these processes
become a habit of mind and the desired classroom culture is established.
5. Enjoy!
Life moves quickly, and it seems to move more quickly the
older we get. It is not the days, but
the moments we remember. So, create precious
moments for you and your students to enjoy!
My best wishes for much success, dear colleagues and
friends!
