Things To Consider On The Critical First Day Of School

Often teachers report that on the first day of school, their students are eager to learn and  seem to embrace the new experience and the opportunities ahead to learn new things.  Their enthusiasm can be inspiring!

You can learn a lot about the maturity levels of your students by observing how they react  on the first day. It can be a bit difficult to notice much on the first day as you, too, will be  under some stress. Still, you should be able to see a number of indicators of what you will  face in the coming months. Try to observe their behaviors and reactions. Which ones are  aggressive, shy, calm, overexcited?

Your preparations for the first day should include considering the students’ various  emotional states. Think about what state you would like to foster in the class and how you  can get them there.

 Tip: Video your class

It can be useful to make a video of the class and then watch it afterwards to see things you  may not have noticed and to evaluate your own performance. If you cannot video,  photographs can also be very useful (more on that in a minute).

A video camera can be set up unobtrusively in a corner of the room with the camera set to a  wide angle to take in as much of the class as possible. Placing the camera in a high place can  give the broadest view – and ensure the students do not play with it.

 Alternatively, you could plug an inexpensive webcam into a computer and let it run during  the class. If you have a video operator, they could also follow the students, zoom in on  reactions, and pick out activities that you might not see as you focus on leading the class.

Video and audio recording of your classes, or having someone you trust sit in and take notes  on the students’ reactions, especially on the critical first day, can provide useful information.

Later on in the term, go back and look at the first day. It can be startling to see the growth  and transformation of the students over time. They will inevitably change physically, but you  can also often see changes in their attitudes, level of comfort in the class, and concentration  levels.

 

Tip: Photograph your class

You will want to get to know everyone in the class by name as soon as you can. One way to  do that is to take portraits of each student – a fun ‘Break the Ice’ activity! You can also get  informal shots of the class (catch a student sleeping once in a photo you show the class and  it will never happen again!).

 

ACTIVITY: Student Portraits

Invite students to come up to the black/white board one at a time. They should write their  name on the board, and then stand next to it. Then you, a parent or volunteer, or a student  from the class can take a picture of the student including their name. Another variation is to  have students write their names in large letters on paper or poster board with a magic  marker, then hold up their signs in front of themselves to be photographed (although this  can be too suggestive of being arrested so you may prefer to have them write on the board).

A third variation -- if you wish students to remain in their seats – is to have each student fold  a piece of letter paper into three parts (2 folds). They should write their name in large

letters on one of the parts. Then they can set up the folded paper as a ‘nameplate’ on their  desk. Photograph students with their nameplates to help you remember both their name  and face.

If your students are not too shy, you can also ask them to speak to the class while they are  getting their portrait taken. They can introduce themselves by name, tell where they were  born and what street they live on. Ask them about their favorite hobbies.

 Include the other students in class by encouraging them to ask questions of the student who  is “onstage”. You can learn a lot about your students from the Q & A. Moreover, they will

learn a lot about you and how well you listen to them….

 The Student – Teacher Relationship

 

What’s the number one thing that a student looks for in a teacher, do you think?

Yes, students look to teachers for knowledge. Whether in a private after-school tutorial or  the daily routine at a public school, students (and their parents) assume that the teacher  knows more than they do. Typically, students and parents evaluate the teacher’s ability to  impart that knowledge to students in interesting and memorable ways to determine  whether he or she is a “good teacher” or a “bad teacher.”

So – probably the first thing we think of when we consider the student – teacher  relationship is knowledge. The teacher should have a certain level of competency in the  subject to be taught.

Second, the teacher’s teaching skills can make all the difference between whether a subject  is boring and uninteresting or fascinating and motivating to students.

 There is a third less-definable issue that students immediately react to on the first day of  school: the teacher’s integrity. As a teacher, do you say what you mean? Perhaps more  importantly, do you mean what you say?