On my first day of teaching, a student inquired, “Who are you and why should I care?” I was so surprised to hear this on my first day of teaching, at a very renowned school. The inquiry came from a grumpy young man who had reacted angrily to my request that he remove his jacket in class. “Well?” the young man questioned, daring me to react.
This was something I hadn’t anticipated. I had spent the night before meticulously organising my lecture and given myself a motivational talk. I had to convince myself that teaching was what I wanted to do — there would be wonderful moments ahead.
“I want you to gain knowledge, which means you have to stay in my class.” To do so, you must take off your coat. “It’s either the coat or you,” I responded, a steely stare on my face. It seemed like you were staring at a lion in a zoo, waiting to be eaten. But, to my surprise, the student smiled, removed his coat, and added, “OK Miss, don’t get your knickers twisted.” Trying to get to know your classroom at the start of the semester can be difficult, especially for those who are starting a new group this autumn. You must re-acquaint yourself with students and assist them in reacquainting themselves with you.
Surprisingly, reading back on this question from years ago, I’m not sure I would’ve given a different response.
We’re all in the teaching profession because we want to assist kids learn. We like the course or subject structure and make all possible effort in course selling or providing adequate knowledge of the subject. With this in view, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions for getting to know your students and assisting them in getting to know you:
1.Raid the computer system
To begin, you’ll be able to determine where your children stand academically. You’ll be familiar with levels and grades, which will make distinguishing your first few classes a lot easier, allowing you to push and challenge, as well as support, learning from the start. The challenge will elicit a good response from the pupils, and it will aid in the prevention of undesirable behaviour.
Second, most technology will help you to print photographs of your classes in most cases. Getting the names under your belts as soon as possible might help you manage your behaviour. It also demonstrates to the students that you have made the effort to get to know them, which contributes to a positive first impression. In addition, attempt to find out who their prior professors were and learn everything you can about them. This will assist you in preparing how you will interact with each student in the classroom, ensuring that you do not have the same first-hand experiences as I had.
- Rehearse your pitch
The students had no idea what I was speaking about at first. In my first few lessons, I spoke far too quickly, which was all due to nerves. Nerves affected a number of my friends’ capacity to act properly for the first week or two.
My university professor taught us that practice makes perfect, and I must admit that it was quite true for me. Get to know what you’re going to say, and it’ll assist you, and indirectly, gain confidence.
- Smile
We, like the reps, are leading these students on a journey, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We need to market it, have some fun with it, and come up with new ways to get them interested in the subject.
Just like platforms to sell video courses optimise their video content in accordance to the feedback provided by viewers monthly or annually. Similarly, at the start of each year, I ask my students to submit their goals for the year, as well as something that went well the previous year and something they need to work on. This is then mounted on the wall, and every month we reflect on where we’ve come from and where we want to go as a team. As the year progresses, I encourage students to give each other advice, which turns into a more in-depth discussion as they reflect on comments from book marking as a guide for these discussions from term to term. We share in each other’s triumphs and, most importantly, we share in each other’s smiles.
