In life, everyone will encounter nerves for a new step they are going to take, for instance, the hurdle of having your first day as a teacher in your own classroom will have you feeling both excitement and anxiousness in equal measures. However, don’t let your worries take over, because even the most experienced teachers out there still feel the nerves about facing brand new students every year. So, if you are about to take the leap of faith, make sure you take some deep breaths and think about your new surroundings and successes that you are achieving.
In this blog, we will help you with some additional teaching tips for the first day back, which will run even more swimmingly than you could ever imagine. We hope for you to have a happy career in teaching!
Provide A Welcoming Atmosphere For Your Students
It is a known fact that every student prefers lessons with teachers that welcome them in and provide positivity to their learning. Which can be completed through any of these simple techniques that you might not have thought to be effective:
1. Arrive Early – If you arrive in your classroom early, you will already be prepared for your students, which means that you can begin your teaching right away, without wasting valuable time setting up your workload. Also, this helps to show your eagerness and organisation which will be reflected upon your students.
2. Greet Students At The Door – Something as simple as a friendly “Good Morning!” can help your students improve their mood due to the interaction and positivity you are bringing to them, especially greeting them individually at the door is the perfect way to provide a warm welcome. And, a little additional tip is it also helps you monitor if all of your students have arrived to class on time.
3. Provide A Fun Activity – When your students walk into your classroom, you can easily place a fun activity on each of their desks which helps them engage more in the lesson subject and to help them settle into the new environment. Examples could include an easy writing activity or word search game. This is extremely helpful, because your students will be learning right away, and is the perfect additional time filler if you need to finish setting up.
4. Help Them Explore The Classroom – A fun start to the first day can be inviting your students to find their desk or table as soon as they arrive. This helps them to explore the classroom and provides a good working climate straight away.
Get To Know Eachother
Creating a trusting bond between yourself and your students is vital for efficient learning that they will enjoy. For example, when looking at the first days of your teaching experience, the idea of some fun ice-breaking activities can work perfectly to put everyone at ease and feel comfortable in the classroom.
Especially when looking at older students, a brilliant activity could be that you create a class dictionary, where every student can write a three-part definition of themselves, including personality traits, hobbies and characteristics, and when you begin to know each other more, you can host a guessing game which could be a fun activity to play when the end of the school year is arising and the more interactive activities can come into place, as a celebration of the working year.
Create Your Own Rules & Routine
If your students are new to your classroom, then it is essential that they can comfortably navigate to anywhere they need to be, for instance show them around the important areas of the room (such as a stationary area for instance) which you could also incorporate into a tour of the school grounds, which can help freshen their memory and put their mind at ease if they are unsure of where everything is, to begin with. Plus, this is both beneficial for your students, but also yourself if you are a new teacher learning in a completely new school environment.
Also, make sure that you monitor and maintain constant contact with your class, especially at the beginning, until you have trust between yourself and your students. Try and avoid spending time on clerical work for the first day, and don’t leave them unattended. If you have an emergency try to get another teacher or member of staff to monitor them.
Maintain Positive Behaviour
If you can, then try and deal promptly with any behavioural problems that arise. Do this by offering a high amount of positive reinforcement for students who pick up routines quickly. Also, to help their interests and enthusiasm remain high, hint about the new and exciting topics you have planned. Also, on a more independent level discuss their care and issue books.
Or, why not take them for a tour around your classroom? Explain what is in all of the cabinets and show them what is, and what isn’t off-limits. And, if you have any areas in which students can work on their own in, such as a listening centre, then you should politely inform them it is off-limits until you have had the chance to fully explain the purpose of what the area is about and how the students should be using it properly.
With help from our useful tips, we are sure you will make the best impression on your first day. Where you can now easily involve every single one of them in activities that allow them to be successful, and comfortable in your classroom. You will definitely be seen as an organised and caring leader who is focused on your students alone in a stimulating and happy working environment.
Enjoy your few remaining weeks left of preparation, and good luck!