New Teacher Tips for Starting the School Year Right

In a teacher's survey, I found high responses in the category of engaging students as part of an effective management plan. Engaging students happens way before your actual management plan goes into effect.

Just to show you an example, how many times do you find yourself saying: "Student X has potential to succeed, but s/he's just not interested and is bored." We all say it.

As Professor Joe Martin says: "When it comes to teaching and engaging students effectively, (italics mine) our own first impressions can actually be used to our advantage and set us up for success (as well as failure) in the classroom."

He goes on to say: "EVERY student who meets you for the first time is asking the same question, "Who are you?" or stated another way, "Why should I listen to you and what you have to say?" "

I know that I do the same thing when I meet other people for the first time.

So before you start any teaching, you need to know who you are and share this with your students in your own personal style. The key is personal. New teachers find this intimidating. How will the students respond? Other teachers may hope that some amazing activity will surprisingly motivate students. But the real work begins with YOU.

First of all, I dress nicely and attractively as I can. I get my hair styled and cut, and I put on some perfume. I buy new clothes. I don't want to look second best. I must look good if I want my students to succeed because I want to succeed with my students too.

I read in a book once that it's important to give students the personal touch so I stand outside the door and greet and smile at each student as they come in. At my old school, students were not used to be greeted in this way; it was in fact, not culturally accepted. I definitely felt like an odd sheep, but I stuck to my plan.

Then depending on the level of the class, I play an ice-breaker game. I say ten sentences about me that are true and false like: I read twenty books a semester," or "I go fishing every Saturday" (to show I'm actually human) or, "I have three children" and some more obvious questions like: "I'm originally from New York City" and "I served in the Israeli army."

By the time we go over all the answers, the class is relaxed and the atmosphere is pleasant. Students are especially fascinated when they learned I first came to Israel to serve in the Israeli army and then became an English teacher and what that meant to me. In fact, they cannot understand it at all. Why would I emigrate to Israel?

I also throw in one expectation statement "I'm here to see you succeed," which everybody gets right. (I wonder why?) Finally, I spend discussing how I see the recipe for their success and how I will help them succeed this year.

I'll continue to give you those little recipes on how you can continue to engage your students even after you made those first impressions.

Works Cited
Martin, Professor Joe. http://www.professormartin.com/