|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Beginning with Love |
| by Pastor aka "Miss Cher" |
|
| As I classroom teacher, I know the anxiety that goes with the first few months of school. It seems that you just get the class to the place where you can have fun with them, and then it`s June. Well, I would like to share ten things with you that helped me to enjoy my students from day one in the classroom, and hope they help and bless you. |
|
| By the time August arrived my husband would start to proclaim, "I'm glad your going back to school soon!" There was always so much to do, and he would get roped into helping me each year without fail! He was the room "dad". |
|
| I would begin to anticipate the new students coming into my classroom and wondered how to top my last year's first day. Sure it was for the kids, but it was mostly for myself. I was just as nervous as the kids, and wanted to make a good impression on them as the "cool" teacher (in their eyes), but also strict enough to maintain control while having fun. Plus there were those “first year” teachers who had so much energy and great ideas! I was one of those too, a long time ago! The work of the Holy Spirit in my life was the only way I could get through those first days year after year. |
|
| 1) Begin with Rule #1: Love |
|
| The first thing I teach in my classes is love for God and one another, and how we will go about doing that throughout the year. |
|
| We establish the classroom "rules" list together, and there are never more then ten rules. With the help of the entire class, we usually come up with about 7 or 8 rules or "courtesies" for one another that work well. Jesus said that if we abide in love we would do all the commandments the Bible has established for us in order to live in favor with Him and one another. Love is the root of all rules and is the binding factor that makes them work. |
|
| However, in order for this to work, you have to be the best example of love at all times (even when the kids are totally out of control!). Love covers a great measure of sins, so operating in love forgives the sin and works with and loves the one who is in the midst of the sin. |
|
| 2) It`s not just your classroom |
|
| Have you ever walked into a classroom and never knew if a child was ever actually in the room? Creative classroom teaching involves the input of the child and teacher working together to create an environment that everyone wants to be in each day. In designing your classroom each year, be sure to include the children. After all, they`ll be there just as much as you, so why not make everyone feel welcome and at ease by developing a working space that all can enjoy. |
|
| 3) Showing love does not mean weakness. |
|
| In training young teachers who are about to quit during their first week of school, I remind them that, "You are the one who survives! Never focus on the problem, but give attention to what you want to happen in the end. Love will win out over all things!" |
|
| There are several ways to reach a solution, and your way may not always be the one that works for each child. That's ok, and it doesn't mean failure or weakness. If you are acting in love for your student(s), you will do whatever you have to in order to assist that child into succeeding at any given task. Ask other teachers about how to handle a problem, without revealing who the child is. You want to solve a problem, not stereotype a child because of something someone else said about that child. I can honestly say that the times other teachers gave me their opinion on a "problem" child, I disagreed with them and really liked the kid! It`s rare that a child is angry with the teacher, but they are discouraged about the task they are complete. Misguided anger often gets teachers in trouble, because they are looking at the child`s behavior and not the real problem. |
|
| Challenging children keep good teacher's on their toes, and help to improve their ways of teaching and reaching more kids. It`s easy to love the good ones, but God tells us to love those who don`t like us in order to receive the greater blessing. |
|
| 4) Keys to Reaching A Child |
|
| If you want to reach a child, listen to him/her. People underestimate children and their perception of things. Before you can possibly know how to teach a child, you have to know something about that child. Ask yourself these questions about each child you have in your classroom: |
|
| 1. What gets him/her motivated? |
| 2. What turns them off instantly? |
| 3. Which subject to they like? |
| 4. Which subject do they dislike? |
| 5. What hobbies do they have? |
| 6. What is their favorite food? |
|
| The typical questions every teacher is given, for instance, knowing a great level or instructional level, family background, etc. are needed to get information to the child. However, knowing an individual`s likes and dislikes will enable you to teach the information that is needed to be learn in a manner that it will be retained, and in the end it can be measured. Isn`t that the ultimate goal? Measuring if a child “got it” or not? |
|
| There are so many things that can set a child off, but there are only a few things that can calm them down. Knowing the things that interest them will divert negative energy into positive energy and can change an outcome of a situation. It only makes sense to know the subject you will be dealing with when teaching; it is no different when dealing with human subjects. |
|
| 5) You be the difference they need in their lives! |
|
| Yes, there are a thousand lists of do`s and don`ts when dealing with children. Here are some more! Don't be like other teachers and have the kids write an essay about the things they like or dislike. Don`t measure their writing abilities by the “what I did over the summer” essay. Don't have them stand up before the class and tell everyone a little about themselves. Be creative! You be the different one they were looking for as a teacher! Do some research beforehand with the parents or guardians and find out some things on your own before class begins. Be the one that they`ll be talking about 30 years from now… in a good way that is! There are more bad stories about teachers than good ones. Get it in your mind that you are going to be the great teacher (not friend) they remember and tell others about for years to come, and whenever they do, it will bring a laugh or smile to their faces. |
|
| Surprise the students with things you know about them. For example: Let`s say you were telling the class about a certain sports game. You can interject a statement like, “Well, I know that Timmy and I like the Cowboys, but Jeanette really likes the Eagles. Who do you think will win in this week`s game?” Here you have laid groundwork for an open class discussion that sets a calm atmosphere for learning, while revealing some personal facts about the students. |
|
| Watch the expressions of the children`s faces when you tell the class about something you never asked them about themselves! It shows you care and are interested in the things they like also. |
|
| 6) Hello and good morning! |
|
| It may take time, but you will reach a child by acknowledging they are in the room! Sounds silly doesn`t it, but it`s not. When a child walks into the room in the morning, stop whatever you are doing and bid them good morning. Every person needs to feel they are important and noticed for just being themselves. You can determine how a child`s day will be simply by watching them when they first walk into your room and listening to their tone of voice. Let them know they are important to you and that their presence does make a difference to you. It will also help you to understand how to minister to a hurting child. |
|
| You can test this yourself. In one class let the students come in and do whatever they do when they first enter your room. Keep your nose buried in your desk of “must do” things that are so important to you stuff (I`ve been there and know exactly what I used to do wrong!). Then see how long it takes you to get off to a good start in your lesson. |
|
| When the second class enters, stop everything you are doing and acknowledge them individually. Ask a few questions and strike up a short conversation about something light. Don`t make the mistake of asking “How are you or did you have a good night?” Ask a question another child would ask them…as they enter into the room. “Morning Jimmy, have a ballgame last night? How`d you do? Keep it moving and short, but listen to what they say, how they say it and how they look. You entire day`s success with that child is measure up in that 30 seconds you took to check out “how” he entered your classroom. |
|
| Let the second class get settled in their seats and see how the atmosphere in your classroom differs from the first. See if your lesson goes smoother. If it doesn`t for them, it will certainly go smoother for you and you will respond to situations on a rational more level. |
|
| Believe me, things go smoother when your class likes you for your genuine caring. They can and will see a phony before you do. Teaching is not about a paycheck or about liking the subject matter that you teach. Being a teacher is not easy. A teacher changes a life for the good or bad… your effort and time put into it will determine the changes made for each child. |
|
| It is about liking the children and wanting them all to succeed. It is about them, all the time. It is never about you, their parents, the other teachers or administration. There have been many times when I have advised teachers to “please stop teaching and go do something else.” Because they just didn`t like the children, no matter how good they were. Teaching is only 10% of the job. The main part of teaching is you listening, you learning and you changing so that you can effectively be a counselor, parent, guardian, advisor, pastor, disciplinarian, administrator and caregiver to each child in whatever way they need you on any given day. You are never their friend, but are to be-friend them. When we finally get that right, we have a successful year with our children and still have a head full of hair come June! |
|
| 7) Gaining the Attention of Students by Acting not Re-acting |
|
| Confusion is almost a given on the first day of school. However, you can anticipate some things and have a plan of action before there is a reaction to something that confuses a child. The main thing that brings on confusion to a child is the “not knowing” what to expect from you, the new class, the school or schedules, etc. You can be sure that not just one child has questions, but every single one in that room has one and they all want to know the answers at the same time…now. When this happens, a noise level generally manifests itself, and before you know it, you`re raising your voice so they can hear you. I have found that raising my voice doesn`t work for me in my yearlong plan for control in my classroom. If the class learns that I am a yeller, they won`t respond to my directions until my “yeller” is turned on. My ultimate goal isn`t to bring the noise level higher, but to bring it down. |
|
| There are several ways to control noise levels in your classroom, depending on the activity you are planning to do. Many teachers flick the light switch off and on. To me, that is annoying and frankly I don`t feel like walking across the room to make my point. There are several things I do, but I mainly make my point by walking to the front of my desk, crossing my arms and legs while standing and leaning on my desk. It doesn`t take long before I am noticed. Even if the room isn`t completely quiet, those in the front row see what I am doing. Since the front row is noticing me, I notice them and give them my attention by doing or saying something interesting to draw them into what I am doing. Not long into my conversation, the rest of the class is wondering what I am doing and they get quiet. I set the pattern and they quickly learn that when I stand in front of my desk, I`m getting ready to do something, and they want to know what it is. It could be anything! Therefore I establish interest, not yelling in my classroom as a method of quieting the class. Students also learn that I only interact with those who are listening and are attentive to what I am doing at that time. Those who listen, whether they understand everything I am saying or not, get rewarded. (See side note) |
|
| 8) Attention, Control and Fun go hand in hand. |
|
| Over the years my students have learned that if Miss Cher doesn`t like doing something, she doesn`t do it, and if you can`t have fun doing it, why do it? Learning can be and should be fun for everyone, not just the student. If you don`t know your subject and don`t like it, they`ll know it by how you teach the lesson. You get the attention of the class by the attention and energy you put into each lesson. They`ll buy into it if you do. |
|
| It is also proven that controlled activities in a classroom make for better learning and higher test scores. Controlled activities promote an environment that is stimulated by the child`s interests meshed with the teacher`s abilities to hold the attention of those involved by doing something they all like. Learning actually takes place. |
|
| 9) Shut their mouths...with food! |
|
| A sure way to keep the noise down on the first day while you are trying to get all the “first day administration stuff” done is to keep their mouths full. Introducing anything you want to do with a food product, and it will help to break the ice and gets you into the lesson. I use food for each subject I teach (not each lesson). Why? Because these day`s kids don`t eat they way they should or need to in order to increase brain activity. A child that is hungry doesn`t learn as much as one who has been fed, because they are focusing on their need to eat, not their need to learn math! Simple foods like stick pretzels, bagels chips, dry cereal with nuts or raisins, various kinds of yogurt, etc. are more nourishing and will accomplish much for you throughout the year for many learning projects. Rarely do I use sugary products because they make don`t last long in the stomach. Something crunchy is good. (Be sure you know if any child has food allergies and never serve them, because they could accidentally get eaten. There are plenty of foods, so choose something else other than working around the allergy. Better yet, pray it out of the child.) |
|
| If I have a lot to accomplish in the first 15 minutes of the day or each class, I might begin with a quick taste testing project and have the students evaluate each item and rate it according to the standards on a handout I have already made. It`s easy, and not real involved. The only “real” writing would be for them to tell me what they would do to improve an item. Set a time limit of about 10 minutes and have them sit quietly if they finish early. Don`t forget about the assignment. Nothing should ever be busy work, but work should be geared toward something bigger in your plans. |
|
| You can make it as involved as you like depending on the paperwork you need to do for the office, your records, etc. Remind them if they are talking they are not eating or they are eating with their mouths full. When they are done, you can have them pair up and see how each other liked the products. Have them discuss what they liked and what they may perhaps change. This is a great project to get kids talking to one another about things other than gossip. |
|
| 10) You are their cheer…leader! |
|
| Finally, laugh each day! |
| A merry heart does good like a medicine... Proverbs 17:22a |
|
| Whatever direction your day may take, make sure that your students have an opportunity to laugh each day. Encourage them that this is going to be their best year ever in school. Let them know that you will help them in any way you can, and that together this class will be the best class ever! You be the leader with the cheerful attitude and let the Holy Spirit guide you into a peaceful, productive year with your students. |
|
| Side note: Basically, the adult has to learn to always play “nice” to receive the nice class they want. We have to realize that our class is a reflection of what we are and do in the classroom, just like our own children learn to respond by the way we act or react to a situation at home. If the first things my new class learns about me is yelling and panicking, they will learn how to use it to their best defense and it will work against me and they will have control over the classroom the rest of the year. |
|
| From the first moment that the children walk into the room, you must have control and be kind but firm in everything you do. Don`t waver or give in to anything, even if you want to. The class won`t completely understand the pattern you want to have established in your classroom until about the end of the second marking period. You decide the fun things (but don`t let them know you made your decision on what they want to do and like to do.) If you don`t establish control in your classroom and insist on acting in love from everyone, you mind as well forget having control over the holiday season and ever getting it back after the New Year`s break. (Your best time for teaching and children learning is the first and third marking periods, so it is vital to know when to do the fun activities and when to focus on getting more lesson time done.) |
|
