Here are some great ideas to start the school year off to a good start!
1) POW - Have all the students complete information note cards about themselves with questions like: What is your birthday? What do you have in common with others? What is unqiue about you? What is your scar story (or tell me about a time you were hurt)? What is your least favorite food? What is your most favorite food? If you could have one superhero power, what would it be? If you could go anywhere in the world where would you like to go? Is there anything else I should know about you?
Put the note cards in a box and once a week, draw one and have a Person of the Week (POW). Use the information on the card to narrow the class down to one person standing. For example, ask the class "Stand up if your birthday is in the summer months of June and July" or "Keep standing if you own a dog named Fred". Do this with the information from the card until only one person is left standing.
This just takes a few minutes and the POW student becomes the "helper" for that week. You could also reward this student in some fashion - maybe first in the lunch line or give them a special pencil or pen. Also, write the student a short note acknowledging something the class (or you) learned about them and how interesting they are!
2) Get to know the secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and guidance counselors (or anyone else students may not know or see on a regular basis) in your building. Invite them to your classroom and introduce them to your students. Explain how difficult their jobs are and what could make their job easier. Give them a small gift to show your appreciation. This can be done any time of the year, but would really be appropriate in the first few weeks of school.
3) Don't forget - everyone loves to laugh! Find a few appropriate school-related cartoons to share with the students or tell a funny story to start the day/class (even better if it relates to the subject matter!).
4) Create a box for each school month. In the box, collect everything you use for that month. For example, April could have everything related to spring, Easter, spring break, etc. and November could have everything related to fall, Thanksgiving, elections, etc. If you keep everything organized and add to the box as the years progress, you'll have a great resource to use and simply update every year, plus everything will be easily accessible and available.
5) Create a binder notebook for every course you teach. In it, put you lesson plans, your resources for the course (such as worksheets, quizzes, tests, answer keys, vocabulary, etc.), samples of student work from previous years, etc. This way, you'll never lose anything valuable for that course and you can update it as needed. Create yourself a personal library which will become a resource for you every time you teach that particular course.
Just remember - every day is a new day. If you have had a bad day, just think - the next day will be a new one, no matter what!
The above information was adapted from WeAreTeachers, a site devoted to the teaching profession. The site has loads of information, ideas, grants and contests, a community where teachers can "talk" to each other, Webcasts, etc. Check them out soon!
