To establish a positive
classroom environment, share what you will do the first few days of school.
A: I
know that those initial days of a new school year are critical, as well as
anxious – especially for ninth-grade students.
Some of the things I would do would include 1) meeting and greeting my
students at the door to my classroom. I
want to shake their hands, call them by name, and welcome them into the
room. 2) I want to establish a seating
pattern or seating chart early on. I’d
want to assign them to desks alphabetically, at least initially, so I can learn
their names quicker. 3) I would want to
talk briefly about myself – sharing with students my own education, my family,
and especially my philosophy of education in general and English education
specifically. 4) I’d want to take attendance
each day, making sure I add a positive comment about each student as I begin
learning their names and the correct pronunciation of those names. 5) I
would also share an initial set of rules and classroom expectations – no more
than five in number – and invite them to help establish additional classroom
procedures throughout the year. Finally,
6) I would inform students about my expectations for each class and each
period. They need to know my
expectations about bringing textbooks, note taking, homework assignments, and
appropriate behavior. I know it’s a tall
order – but one that will be essential to the eventual success I envision for
each and every student.
