All Ready For The First Day of School?

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #26 – August 29, 2009

Greetings to all teachers, coaches parents and para-educators. We are so glad to get a fresh new start each school year. All of us want this to be the very best year ever. Luckily, we get a brand new group of students to work with. The ineffective teacher does the same thing year after year, not even noticing nothing is improving. Perhaps this is why Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results.” However, as effective teachers, we will start with a better, more reflective plan than the previous year. Plan ahead for that important first day of school. After all, there is only one first day of school.

This is the day students will form their first impression of you. Marketing experts say, when meeting someone for the first time, you have seven seconds to create a positive impression. For teachers, that “seven seconds” is the first day of school. That means a teacher has only a few hours to make a good first impression.

Novice teachers may think having a fun activity the first day is what will leave the best impression on students. However, research indicates teachers spending time the first days letting students know how the class is structured and organized and what the expectations are, have far fewer discipline problems and far more students interested and engaged in learning.

Here are some steps to ensure students feel secure and welcome in their new environment:

1.-Greet each student at the door. Ask their name and introduce yourself with a handshake. Give them an assigned seat. (This will help you learn their names faster with your pre-arranged seating chart).

2.-Have some basic rules on the board. Such as:
Be on time
Be prepared
Show respect to all people and property

Have students pair up and discuss what each of these rules mean and then discuss. You may choose to create classroom rules with your students, or go into a more detailed plan later in the week.

3.-Discuss Course Outline. Students want to know what they will be doing and what they will be learning. Smart teachers will make this as entertaining and interesting as possible, using relevant and lively examples. Video clips or multi-media presentations of previous class projects and activities can really “bring it.”

4.-Grading and Classroom Procedures. Students want to know how they will be graded and what happens if they miss a class, etc. Make sure to explain and present this information in written form with a copy to be signed by parents.

5.- Who is my teacher, seriously? Introduce yourself and let students get a real glimpse of you as a person. You could do something simple like have objects symbolic of different important highlights of your life in a paper bag. As you pull each one out, it would be a “show and tell” about you, the teacher. There are a myriad of ways to do this. Allow your students to do the same, throughout the year, creating an atmosphere where every member of the class is important.

All members of your learning community want to be treated with kindness, respect and love. You have only that “first day,” or the equivalent of seven seconds to create that image starting with how you greet students at the door, how you dress, what messages are on posters around your classroom, the message you write on your board, how organized and ready you are, how you treat yourself with respect, dignity and love, and how much you are in charge of the learning environment on this very important first day of school.

The ineffective teacher is more concerned with being a “sage on the stage” and can't wait to do a fun activity so that he or she can be the student's friend or pal. What these teachers haven’t learned yet is, the students are not looking for fun. They are looking for security, consistency, structure, respect, dignity, and care. Like Ron Clark told his students, “When we obey these rules, we will have a lot of fun." It is up to you to convey that message on the first day of school by how well you are organized. Your classroom management skills will let students know if the class will be exciting or boring, and if you will light or blow out their candle.

To reiterate Einstein’s point, “If you don't change direction, you may end up where you're heading,” Old Chinese Proverb