Can It Be That It's Already 2nd Semester? Tips for Starting Your Semester off Strong

The first week of school is a time of excitement and anxiety for teachers. Do I have all my materials? How will I ever learn all the students' names? I hope I have planned accordingly. Will my students succeed this year? All questions that plague teachers at the beginning of a school year, and for some twice a year with the start of a fresh new semester.  However, making a good first impression and starting off on the right foot can really set the tone for your semester.

This week's blog posts focuses on strategies for starting your semester off on the right track. Within this post, you will find suggestions for 1st week ice breakers, classroom management/procedures suggestions, and some examples of assignments to get to know your students. 

Breaking the Ice 

Just recently I stumbled across a great blog by Jennifer Gonzalez called Cult of Pedagogy. Gonzalez has written several books about education and teaching - one being Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School.  I love reading Gonzalez's blog because she really gets what it means to be a teacher and her activities and suggestions are actually doable---unlike many of the "pie in the sky" activities teachers run across online when searching for new activities. You know the one's I'm referring to. Those lesson plans that look AMAZING, but when you really start to think about how to teach them, you realize there is no way a teacher actually taught that lesson to a classroom full of students and then you take off your rose colored glasses. 

Recently,I was searching for some fun ice breakers for the beginning of a new semester and I came across this post from Gonzalez, Ice Breakers That Rock: 3 No Cheese Activities That Won't Embarrass Students. 

As teachers of high school students, ice breakers can be a little tricky. Our student population is "too cool for school." Yet, we want to get to know them and have a little fun during the first week of classes. Gonzalez really focuses on activities to reach our population. 

Another blog I recently stumbled across is by Jen Siler, a former high school science teacher, and she shares "the most useful ice breaker your high school kids need". Check it out here. 

What I love about Siler's activity, is not only does it get kids moving around getting to know each other, but she has found a way to begin introducing her content during the first day in a fun way too!. 

Getting to Know Your Students 

The first week of class can feel like the longest week of the semester for teachers and students. Often times, students leave feeling like they are on information and procedure overload. Class periods are filled with going over syllabi, rules and expectations, classroom procedures, seating charts, paperwork, and endless introductions outlining what to expect in each class. Teachers are reluctant to "start new material" since rosters are still shifting and schedules are not settled. Therefore, the first week of class is a great week to begin working on building a classroom culture and getting to know your students. The following links below will take you to some ideas for activities to assist you with creating a cohesive culture in your classroom. 

Activities for Big Kids the First Week of School

First Week Activities for Secondary Students 

The 6 Word Memoir

Filling the Awkward 3 Minutes You Have Left in Class

We all have it...that awkward three minutes of class time before the bell rings and for many it can feel like an eternity. How did it happen? You carefully planned every minute of your 90 minute lesson from the warm-ups to the exit tickets and here you are ..left with this three minutes of eternity. How will you fill the time? Experienced teachers know they always need to have something in their back pocket--an activity to fill the extra space, a give the kids a brain break, to use for a little friendly class competition. If you are looking for an activity, try using brain teasers in your class. Just because the bell is about to ring doesn't mean that learning should end. Check out these brain teasers from Laura Randazzo's blog---Brain Games--Mess With Their Mind.

Classroom Management and Procedures

Classroom Management is an essential part of teaching. Of course, we all dream of having classes where all students follow all the rules all of the time and do all of their work every day. Unfortunately, this is not a realistic expectation and what teachers should realize is students really do crave structure and organization within a classroom even if they outwardly display pushback. Students need to know where their boundaries are and the consequences that will follow if they go beyond those boundaries. Finally, teachers need to stick to those consequences and follow through, so their students will respect the guidelines they have put into place. Below are a few helpful infographics for managing one's classroom expectations. 

And another great piece of advice by Jennifer Gonzalez

Just Remember.......

Citations:

America, Teach For. "15 Inspirational Quotes for Teachers in the New Year." Pinterest. N.p., 22 Dec. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

"Cult of Pedagogy." Cult of Pedagogy. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

Https://www.facebook.com/Jensilersclassroom/. "The BEST "icebreaker" Activity for High School Students." Jen Siler's Classroom. N.p., 09 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

"Mess With Their Minds." Laura Randazzo – Solutions for the Secondary Classroom. N.p., 22 June 2016. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.