Involve Your Students on DAY ONE! Note #2 to My Son who is a New Teacher

Dear Son,

Don't do all the talking on DAY 1.  This will be hard to do, but it is really important that you involve your students in what you are doing.  Here are a few examples.

Introducing Yourself

Introducing yourself is an important part of teaching.  This is a chance for you to tell the students who you are and why you are there.  I would suggest you involve your students as much as possible in this process.  It is fun for the students to participate.

Here is the activity.  Explain that this is not a grade and that they are not going to turn this in.  They are going to answer a few questions about your background on their own.  Then they will have a chance to talk with others about their answers. They may change their answers at any time.  Then a few students will be called on at random to give their answers.  Again, students can change their answers if they choose. Lastly, you will discuss the actual answers with the students giving some background on each one.

1.  Have the students take out a sheet of paper and fill in their best guess at the questions.  Do this alone at first.  This will not be turned in and is not a grade.  Give approximately 1 minute to do this.  Give them a 30 second warning.  

College(s) Attended?

How Old Am I?

What jobs have I had?

2.  Give them 30-60 seconds to compare with the people around them.  Yes, the students can change their answers.  

3. Call on a few students at random (don't have students raise their hand, just pick one) to give an answer.  

4.  After students have given their guesses on each item then you give your answer to the question with some limited elaboration. 

You could also do this same type of activity by reviewing your grading procedures. See activity at the bottom of the page. 

Interview Questions

1.  Create a random seating chart and place students in pairs or in a group of three.   

2.  Have students interview each other one question at a time.  Ask students to remember the answers because they will be reporting out to the rest of the class later.

3.  Give some time for students to interview each other.  

4.  Politely interrupt the students and give them some time to choose 2 items (besides their name) that they will share with the rest of the class about the person they are interviewing.  Make sure the groups of three know who they are sharing for.  A>B B>C and C>A

5.  Now go from group to group having students share out their interviews to the whole class.  

6.  At the end of the student sharing time, you yourself should share out your own answers to the questions.  

7.  I would do this interview process every time you make new seats.  I actually never gave students the option of where to sit.  I almost always gave seats out randomly.  Sometimes you will have a student who needs preferential seating so you will have to adjust the seating chart as needed.  

Love you much son,

Dad

Grading Procedures

1.  Have students take out a piece of paper and on their own fill in their best guess for these percentages.  This will not be turned in and is not a grade.

Homework (Formative) ____

In Class Activities ___

Assessments (Summative) ___

2. Then give them a few seconds to compare with the people around them.  Yes, the students can change their answers.  

3. Call on a few students at random (don't have students raise their hand, just pick one) to give their percentages.  Students are allowed to change their answers.

4. What you have done is peaked the students' interest by involving them.   Now give them the actual percentages and why you set them at that amount.

3.  Give some time for students to interview each other.  

4.  Interrupt the students and give them some time to choose 2 items (besides their name) that they will share with the rest of the class.  Make sure the  groups of three know who they are sharing for.  

Choose Respect Over Being Liked. Note #1 to My Son who is a New Teacher

This is the first note in a series of letters to my son.  He is a new teacher this fall.  I'm reminiscing about my teaching days and some ideas that he can incorporate into his classes.  

Dear Son,

When I think about Mr. Voorhees, my favorite teacher of all time, we were never friends. We weren't chummy.  He didn't interact with me any differently than he would with anyone else in the class. I highly respected this math teacher of mine.  He made the line between teacher and student very clear.  There was safety in this boundary. Mr. Voorhees held the line for everyone in the class whether they were likable or not. 

What created this respect?

• He disciplined everyone and would not go lighter on the favorites in the class.  It is easy to discipline the kid that is always getting into trouble, but it is hard to call out the one who rarely gets into trouble.  
• He would not make exceptions for certain students.  Things like being tardy, or turning in a late paper, or talking in the middle of a lesson, all students were treated the same.
• Everyone was expected to participate in all activities.  No student could opt out of the day's activity.  Mr. Voohees always randomly called people to answer questions so people didn't need to hold their hand up.  I know this created some fear in students as well, however for me it was that everyone was held accountable.  I thought it was fair because everyone was 'in'.  When I taught, I used a system of Popsicle sticks with each student's name on it.  I would ask a question, let students quietly think on their own about the question, then I would have them discuss the question with the people around them, and then I would pick a Popsicle stick with someones name on it and call on that student to answer the question out loud to the rest of the class. 

Don't try to have students 'like you'

• Giving the best jobs of the class to the students who are likable.  You have to create a system that gives the opportunity to all students to be picked.
• Never talk to one student about another student's problem (gossip).  This is a big no-no and will cause a rift in your class right away.  
• Don't lower your standards because the students are complaining.  A good way to avoid this is to tell the students you will think about the request and talk to your colleagues and get back to the students tomorrow.  Students will always try to lower your bar to make it easier on themselves.  Keep bringing the students back up to your bar.  As a new teacher you will set your expectations one day and the students will quickly attack your expectations.  Be strong and reiterate your expectations.  This is a constant give and take.  Don't think you are a bad teacher when students try to bring the expectations lower.  This is simply students being students.  

Use every ounce of energy to remain neutral in your likes and dislikes of students.  Favoritism is a dangerous thing in a classroom.

You are going to have the popular kids and the unpopular kids in your class.  Everyone in the class knows who they are.  Treat them both with respect.  Discipline them both equally.

You have always been someone who looks out for the underdog.  That is a gift you have.  Use it to your advantage to help treat all students equally.  You will want to be liked, but rather aim to be respected.  

Love you much Son,

Dad