I have been doing a lot of scrolling on Instagram and Facebook lately, and I have noticed a trend. There are several questions out there about what advice would you give to a new teacher or any teacher for that matter. Therefore, I’ve been thinking about this lately and here is what I think about what any teacher needs to know!
What is the #1 Thing Any Teacher Needs to Know?
The #1 thing a new teacher needs to know is that making relationships is a key to a successful career.
Making Relationships Inside the Classroom
Now, they teach that good teacher-student relationships are a necessity in all college classes, but I don’t think that it is stressed enough … at least that is what I experienced.
I didn’t go to school to become a teacher, originally. Instead, I tried to do mathematical modeling in the sciences; however, that was not God’s will. He wanted me to be a teacher, so once I began to follow that plan, I needed to take education courses.
But, I needed to make an income at the same time. So, I did some research and Tennessee provided a “Transitional” license, which allowed me to teach while going to school for education.
I say all that to say, I had to learn the hard way that making relationships was key to my success, as well as the students. So, what did I start doing to make this happen in my classroom?
How do I go about making relationships?
Day 1:
I do my best to learn all of the students’ names. That seems like an impossible task, especially when I have 80+ students total and not enough time in the semester to get through the curriculum, however, I know that it is just as important as the curriculum. So, I play a memorization game with the students to move their names into my long-term memory.
I’m not sure if the game has a name, but here is the general idea… I state my name and an adjective on how I am feeling that day. Then I ask the first student to do the same; however, they have to repeat my name and my adjective.
We, then, move to the second student and that student states their name and adjective, repeats the name and adjective of the first student, and my name and adjective. Then, so on and so forth until the whole class has participated. I make it known that I will help them if they get stuck and they may have to help me too. We have tons of fun doing this!
This game also begins to build a strong, positive classroom environment and classroom community. I think that when they know each other’s names, they begin to respect each other and can get to know their classmates. Something that will be noticeable is that you will have similar answers. Students will know from the get-go that they are not alone in how they feel.
A word of warning… you might want to let them know that “silly” answers are not allowed and state whatever consequences you think are appropriate for your classroom if the students choose to do so.
Something else I do on day 1 is that I have them fill out a form telling me about themselves. Some questions on that form include:
What does a typical day look like for you?
If you work, where and how often?
What sports are you involved in and when do you practice? Do you have a game schedule you could send me?
What clubs do you participate in? I let them know that if they are doing a fundraiser to let me know and I will gladly help when I can.
I ALWAYS make sure to read these the first night. It helps me put the face with the name.
The last thing I try and remember to do is to tell them that I will occasionally take students to the hallway to talk with them. Sometimes, it is to just check on them, see how their day is going, or to talk about how they are acting and the consequences of those actions. You might be surprised to see a change in your students once this becomes the norm.
Day 2:
Stand at the door and greet the students as they come in. Say “Hello, Johnny.” or “Hey, Sandy, how are you today?”. This helps with the memorization of the names and you get to know what’s going on with them or how they are feeling that day. Make standing at the door a habit if at all possible. A smiling face can set the tone for the class period to come.
Day 3 – Future
Always greet previous and current students in the hallways. Check in with them and see how they are doing.
Meet them where they are. Some students like to talk things out and others use technology to do so. Many times, I have sent my students a “Remind” or a “Google Chat” message to check in on them during class, especially if the students are doing practice on a particular topic.
Make sure they are not afraid to ask questions. Many students feel dumb or ashamed if they ask a question in class. This is one of my first expectations I set. They know that there is “no dumb question” when learning and that no one will make fun of them for asking their questions. If a student chooses to laugh or poke fun, then there are consequences to those actions.
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Making Relationships Outside of Class
In my education classes, I felt that the majority of the “making relationships” focused on the students. That is the number one priority; however, making relationships outside the classroom is just as important. By this, I mean, making relationships with parents, faculty, staff, and administration is something to focus on, too.
Parents
Parent communication is something that all teachers will have to do. Starting at the beginning of the year, being as transparent as possible, is key to building relationships with parents. Before the semester begins, I send out an email with the syllabus, honor code, supplies list, and general announcements. Also, I copy a paragraph from a TpT resource I found that allows the parents/guardians to give me more insight on their student. Click HERE for the link.
I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve been told by parents that they are glad I take such interest in his/her student. They know I care and will do what is best for their child. Just that alone, goes a long way.
Faculty & Staff & Administration
Whatever you do, do your best to have a good relationship with these people. They can make your life miserable if you do something to them. Get to know them and who they are while school is in and when school is out.
If a change in position comes along, references are going to be needed, and having a good relationship with coworkers and higher-ups is such a great thing to have. They may be able to help land your dream job.
What do you think?
Do you think that making relationships is the number one thing teachers need to know? If not, what do you think is the number one thing any teacher needs to know? Leave a comment letting me know!
