So the halcyon days of summer are coming to a close, the shops are already sold out of school uniforms, and the world of education begins sharpening it’s pencils once again, ready for a new school year.
‘Where did those 6 weeks go?’, we bet you’re asking yourself, but come on, you knew that the summer break wouldn’t last for ever.
And so we turn our attention to the new term, and more specifically, your first day back at school teaching. Here’s some tips to re-engage your pupils after the summer break.
Build Rapport
Getting to know your students is vital to the ongoing interaction that you have with them. The early days of a new school year really set the tone for the whole year, and what can be more important than understanding your pupils and what makes them tick?
Even if you have a returning class that you are familiar with, re-engage with them by asking them individually what they got up to on their break. Remember – things change very quickly for youngsters, so you might find that they have grown into new people over that six-year period.
Communicate your expectations
Let your pupils know what you expect of them on day one so that they can get a feel for how you operate as a teacher. Whether it’s homework expectations or in-class behaviour, laying your plans will let your kids become familiar as possible with your style of teaching, leaving nothing to the unknown.
On day one, you should fully expect your kids to set their own expectations for you as a teacher, and of the class that they are in.
Get pupils involved fast
Making each and every one of your students feel involved from the first day of term is pretty vital if you want to have a constructive relationship with your pupils. It’s important that they feel as comfortable as possible with their surroundings so that they can get down to learning as soon as possible.
Once you’ve introduced yourself, consider asking each of your students to introduce themselves to the class if they don’t know each other already. If they do know each other, ask them to stand up and explain what it is they did over the summer break.
Splitting the class off into groups is also a good way of building up a team-work ethic, and can establish a feel-good atmosphere from day one.
