Well, it looks like teachers all over Australia and the world are once again on the neverending rollercoaster ride of COVID challenged teaching. This ride keeps turning us upside down and provides the added challenges of flooding, storms and heatwaves.
Your year may not begin as ideally as you had hoped. You may not have completed the pile of laminating, collected the hard to find resources and equipment, set up your classroom or planned out the whole of Term One. That's ok! Right now, you need to breathe and be kind to yourself.
The most important thing you can do for your class on day one is to be present, relaxed, happy and keen to meet them. The vibe they get from you on that first meeting is what they will remember and hold on to, not how pretty your class looks.
Here are five ideas to help you get through day one:
Before students arrive: Write a welcome message on the board, whiteboard or a poster. Provide step by step instructions of what students/parents need to do, i.e., where to put books, where to sit, what to do until the start of the class, and what they need to have ready on their desks. (Doing this means you can spend time greeting each student individually and less time answering a continual barrage of questions about what to do now!)
Introduce yourself to students: Depending on the age of your students, you could have a bag of personal items that tell a story about you, or you could play 2 Truths and 1 Lie, where you provide students with some factual and not so accurate information about you. Students then need to work out what information is correct.
Teach students a brain break game: Check out the activities listed on the We Are Teachers Website and choose one to do with your students. Introduce a new idea each day.
Getting to know your students: Using whatever medium is available, ask students to create a poster, movie, picture, essay etc., that tells you what students like to do, the things they are good at, areas to work on or what they find challenging about school.
Finally: Have students share their favourite things about their day. Having this fresh in their mind before they go home increases the chances of feeling optimistic about the day they have had. Reflecting on the day is essential for teachers and can provide a much-needed lift at the end of the day.
When students have left, take time to sit down and complete a short meditation or if no time, take five deep breathes.
JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW! YOU ARE AMAZING!
