Welcome back to school

ARE you prepared for the first day of class? Starting a new school year can be daunting to say the very least. The tasks of setting up a classroom, instituting policies, establishing a behavior management system and all the endless amount of responsibilities that have to be accomplished before our students arrive can be very overwhelming.

Indeed, starting a new school year is fraught with challenges. That is why it helps to reflect upon the previous year to see what worked and what didn’t. What were the biggest challenges and how can we prepare to better meet those challenges.

A new school year is also time of change. We will never have a group of learners who are identical. They all come to us with a different dynamic, varied abilities and personalities. It is teachers’ job to meet these changes and challenges head-on with confidence and firm resolve.

The first day of classes sets the tone for the rest of the school year. Teachers are encouraged hence, to make students especially new ones feel welcome and comfortable the minute they walk into the classroom.

There are great ways to welcome a student to class and help them get an awesome first day experience. One is greeting them at the door as they come in. A handshake, a wave or a smile can help them feel relax. While you should start each year with a tough stance this does not mean that you should not have students believe that you are not happy to be there by not smiling.

Students are more receptive when they are comfortable, thus, ready to learn. Making them enjoy the first day is ascertaining their attendance for the next day besides giving these kids something cool to share with their parents when they go home.

Create a friendly atmosphere by making small talk with some of the students. Maybe you can walk around and see how students spent their summer. If you can get children excited early on and positive “buzz” going on with the parents early, it will serve you well. But please don’t be confused. You should be friendly but not become friends. Friendship implies give and take. This can put you in a tough situation with the students in the class.

Start by being positive. Every student has the right and potential to be successful. This potential is so exciting. Teachers should be eager to hone this into its full capacity. Student success should drive teachers to continue. Each student who didn’t understand a concept and then learned it through your help can be elating. And when you actually reach that student whom others have branded off as being unteachable, this can truly be worth the headache that comes with the job.

So as teachers let us be ready to help our students make great strides in their academic success during the school year as early as the first day by making them all feel important.

Thumbs up to all great teachers! You don’t only impact society, you create it!