Before school starts, there is a given period of time for teachers and staff to prepare for students to come back. This time is dedicated to setting up classrooms, attending professional development meetings, and, most of all, establishing classroom routines and procedures. Due to meetings, training, and professional development workshops, teachers rarely have enough time to thoroughly plan for the first week of school, so we usually end up allowing for only one day to go over expectations and procedures, spending the rest of the week teaching and introducing new content.
It’s important to get to know your students and understand where they come from. For example, when starting to work at a school for the first time, it is essential to research the demographics of the students who attend that school. Additionally, you should ask questions about the school community to the teachers and staff who have been working at the school for the longest time. We all come from different backgrounds, and, as a result, we may have different educational philosophies.
Because we all bring something different to the classroom, it’s important for your students to see the effort you are putting forth trying to get to know and understand them. This will create opportunities for numerous positive relationships to form inside and outside your classroom. Taking a genuine interest in what’s going on in students’ lives, shows empathy for all students that extends outside the classroom. During the first couple weeks of school, I like to see how many of my students are involved in any extracurricular activities. I inquire about their schedules and try to attend their games, concerts, matches, etc.
