Return to School

Many schools in our area are beginning again and I thought it was a good time to remind teachers of some things. It usually is an exciting and busy time for teachers and I didn’t want some of these things to slip in at a bad time.

It is a good practice to contact parents/guardians in the first week. Usually, the students are on their best behavior now and I can establish a rapport with the families. It is worth the extra time to do this and I have never regretted it later in the year when I need their support.

Remember that many students may not have money to buy all the supplies that are on school lists. I wonder how many of these items are necessities and how many are luxuries. Be gentle with the ones who don’t have all the supplies and really check to see if they “forgot” or if they just couldn’t afford them.

Remember that many students have gotten out of the routine of getting up early and going to bed on time. For the first few weeks, some students might be a little cranky or out of sorts. (Some teachers may be this way too.)

Remember that traffic will pick up on busy roads so teachers may need to get an earlier start than they are used to doing. Parents may be finding this out also so students may be arriving late.

Remember that it may be some students’ first day to any school (some may have been homeschooled) or it may be some students’ first day at this school. Don’t expect new students to know the procedures. Also, a kind word and a smile might help their day go a little smoother.

Remember to check on the new students during the first day. Ask them how things are going or if they need any help. Make time to listen and probe if you feel they might want to say more but are a little hesitant to open up.

Remember that not all students come from happy homes so even though I might be glad to hear what some students did over the summer, others might not want to share their experience.

Remember that a routine can be comforting for some students when returning to school. This may be a time of anxiety and discomfort so establish a routine on the first day. Explain the routine to the students and be consistent with it for the first few weeks. Once established, I can tweak it a little.

What tips and tricks would you want others to remember as school starts? Please share.

Understanding

(Today’s post is for the letter U in the A-Z challenge.)

Understanding is a big part of my life. Every day I think I am looking for an understanding.

I need to understand who I am, what I stand for, and what I believe in. This is what makes me, me.

I also need to understand why I do things. Everything has a purpose. Every person has a motive or an agenda even if they don’t want to admit it. By understanding why I want to do something can help me prioritize what I do. Sometimes my need to do certain things is not as important as others.

I need to understand other people. I use their words, tone of voice, and body language to determine not just what they say but what they mean. I am such a visual learner that seeing someone else is very important to me when communicating. I think that is why I don’t like using the phone that much. Since I started using Skype, it has made using a phone so much more enjoyable for me.

I need to understand that other people may not place the same importance on certain things as I do. It is frustrating when people don’t move in the same direction or speed as I do.

I need to understand why other people do certain things. I like to people watch when we get in big crowds and imagine the life of the people I see. I try to imagine their background and what motivates them to wear certain clothes or act in a certain way.

Looking at all the things that I need to understand, I realize that my students need to understand a lot more than just the information that I am teaching them. In order for them to comprehend and retain what is important, they need to understand how it relates to their lives.

My students need to learn the steps to a new skill. They need to understand each step in order to repeat it. Without this understanding, they won’t be able to build on it to learn new steps.

Understanding takes many different shapes. As a teacher, I need to find the shape that each student needs. Not all of my students understand in the same way so finding a way to help them may be a mystery that needs to be solved. I guess, this mystery is what makes teaching exciting to me.

What things do you need to understand in your life? What do you think students need to understand in order to be successful? Please share!

Image: 'Understanding'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10075702@N00/5811447011