[COPY] Safe. Connected. Respected.
TEACHERS: These tips are good for the first day or any day.
The students are coming through the door, maybe for the first time.
We have researched, visualized, and prepared for them.
Curriculum goals are defined; materials gathered; Feng shui consulted.
We’re ready. We’ve done our part. But there’s a good chance our guests are cloaking a need they can neither acknowledge nor articulate.
Regardless of age, grade level or label, each student arrives needing to be accepted, to belong, to find approval. (Or at least to allay flailing panic.) Sadly, some arrive with self-doubt: fears of rejection, disrespect, and failure. The Vibes register everything from ‘hysterical enthusiasm’ to ‘catatonic stupor’.
The Vibes register everything from ‘hysterical enthusiasm’ to ‘catatonic stupor’.
A teacher’s foundational goal might well be for each student to feel safe, connected, and respected in our classroom. Unless such an environment is cultivated, ‘learning’ will be a hard row to hoe.
Practical Suggestions that make it clear each student belongs here:
Post a list outside the door with each student’s name to find and initial. (I am expected; this is where I belong; I’m confirming my presence.)
Reserve space on a display wall for each student’s accomplishments. (I will be doing and making things that others will see.)
Put name tags on desks so they know where to sit and we know who’s who. (I have a personal spot here.)
Address students as guests. (I am invited and welcome here. I feel respected.)
Model the Behavior we want to see from them.
(The Teacher seems kind and polite. I’ll see how it goes.)
I have two Rules on the wall that stand out:
Respect Yourself (Do Your Best)
Respect Others (Speak Kindly / Hands Off)
Break the ice with an anecdote about yourself, and invite participation from them.
Choose your own humorous example, something personal to build trust.
Write these three words on the board: GIGGLE…..SNICKER…..GUFFAW. Define and demonstrate the differences between these action words.
Ask them to use one of these words when they hear what you tell them. (I tell them how to pronounce Mrs. Killam correctly: Missus Kill‘em)
I tell them that former students gave me that name! (Then I confide that I happened to marry a man named Mr. Killam, who is very tall and plays the guitar.)
Invite them to share any stories they have about their own names---anybody ever mispronounce it? Spell it wrong? Make fun of it?
As I listen, I notice how they express themselves, who is quick to share, who is shy and why. I am assessing the group dynamics on the fly.
Introducing Personal Power: Metacognition
Finally, I ask them to respond to a short multiple choice survey that asks about their favorite subjects, strongest skills, and preferred ways to learn new things.
I use a simple10-question survey to help determine which learning style is more dominant for each student. It’s an interesting first step for them to start considering their own process. Here’s an example of a survey you may want to try.
I introduce and develop the idea of metacognition1 throughout the school year.
This lays the groundwork for dynamic engagement going forward. Now we can build on their self-discovery. They can begin to understand and articulate their core preferences, and experiment with different ways of thinking. We can pair strategies with their style, and they can teach each other different ways to ‘catch on’.
In the coming weeks they will be working on projects together, sometimes in pairs or groups with similar styles, sometimes with deliberately different styles.
Each student learns and develops in fits and starts during the school year, and the whole group becomes increasingly cohesive as it matures from this day on.
Safe, Connected, Respected.
Metacognition higher-order thinking that enables understanding, analysis, and control of one’s cognitive processes, especially when engaged in learning; reflecting on one's ways of thinking, and knowing when and how to use particular strategies for problem-solving.
Wonderful advise! Great stories gleaned from your many years of experience. Thank you for sharing Mrs Killam
I would love for you to teach an adult level class, Mrs. Killam. How we would all benefit. 😌❤️