Saturday, August 6, 2011

First day of school: How do you show your class who you are?

When you meet your class for the first time, how do show them who you are? Do you outline all of
the things you expect and give the consequences if expectations are not met? Or do you sit and talk to your students and ask for their input for expectations. Both are different ways of doing things and can set very different tones for the year. Which do you prefer?
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14 comments:

  1. Esther VieiraAugust 6, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Hi
    The second one sounds more appealing to get students involved. But I tried, and with 6 different groups some of the expectations and rules they came up with. It became hard to follow them.
    This year I will try ta combination of the two: listen to them, give my ideas for the rules and get to an agreement.

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  2. Nunavut_tweeterAugust 6, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Indeed, I feel they must have input but so should the teacher. That is the second choice; it allows for their input, too. Thanks for your comment!

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  3. UnknownAugust 6, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    On the first day, we define rituals. On the second day, we define norms. On the third day, we define values. On the fourth day, we create a class slogan. The process is democratic (or perhaps, more accurately republican, because I am still the executive branch).

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  4. Nunavut_tweeterAugust 6, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    John: Just one word-- Awesome!

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  5. Jason GrahamAugust 6, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    Great post. I like talking engaging with my grade 1 the first few days, collaborative projects and feedback on their interests

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  6. jcoffeyAugust 6, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    Good post

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  7. Jessica MillerAugust 6, 2011 at 9:56 PM

    Listen to the students' input. Let them have a voice.

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  8. Diane HaddadAugust 7, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    One expectation - mutual respect between all members of the classroom and school community. Then - we get to know each other.

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  9. AnonymousAugust 7, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    When I listen to my students' expectations, they usually coincide with my expectations.

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  10. Douglas GreenAugust 8, 2011 at 3:01 AM

    As an administrator for 30 years I found that the best teachers involved the students as much as they could in classroom operations and curricular options. Anything that can engage student interest and passion should serve to motivate. I firmly believe that student motivation is the biggest factor in student success. For more on motivation see my summary of "Drive" by Daniel Pink at http://bit.ly/jl7ara. Douglas W. Green, EdD

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  11. LindseyAugust 8, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    Hey Nunavut,

    Sorry to leave an off-topic comment, but I couldn't find any other way to contact you through the blog, and I wanted to ask about a possible guest post. Please drop me an e-mail!

    Thanks,

    Lindsey

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  12. Nunavut_tweeterAugust 8, 2011 at 8:49 PM

    Hi Lindsey, you can email me at mathscience99@gmail.com

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  13. Larry F.August 28, 2011 at 5:30 AM

    What about a third option? Dive into something exciting and interesting. Show the kids what your class is really all about. Make the first exposure really set the tone for your class. They should leave that first exposure having experienced your expectations for theor learning. Then, you can easily go back and fill in the expectations.

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  14. Leslie Forsyth-EnoSeptember 23, 2011 at 7:40 PM

    I ask my grade 7 kids what school rules they think they need to follow. Since they have been in school for 8 years, they know what is expected. Then I ask them what rules they think I should follow. They are first dumbfounded and then quickly come up with some guidelines for me - most of which I am happy to comply with. This sets the tone for the collaborative learning community that I hope will exist throughout the year.

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