FIRST TIME AS A TEACHER-I

Facing classroom.

You already signed your contract as a teacher and it’s your first time!

Welcome to one of the most beautiful adventures any person can experience. As a teacher you will feel that your family has grown and your students will start feeling as your own children. If you have children already, then you already know that feeling of taking care of someone’s future.

A good idea will be to read as much as you can and to be ready to listen to your students’ needs. Also you need to dedicate the first days in knowing your pupils. Put that in your schedule and if the school allows it, you can prepare a nice pie to share with students or some candies as a welcoming gesture for the first day.

Your students need to feel that your class is a safe place where they will make mistakes but they won’t be judged, because after all they are there to learn not to perform.

Decorating your class gives a personal touch that will help your students feeling happy or positive about the environment; take in consideration the school policies when decorating it and do your best. You will want to use your course as main theme of decoration. i.e. A language teacher should decorate its classroom in relation to its language lessons. –As an English teacher, I used to have flags from the different English speaking countries. I also had some international newspapers and here and there some encouraging quotes. I even asked my students to help out in order to make them feel more important.

By now you already have your curriculum ready and plan of action. Being nervous is fine, although remember that you need to find a combination in between authority and friendship. Your students need to feel that they can trust you in order to succeed.

Check list of first day of school:

• Present yourself and say your name as you want them to say it for the rest of the school year; either as Mr./Mrs.[YOUR LASTNAME] or your First name (depending on culture and school rules)
• Establish the basic rules and if possible print them out and display them in the classroom.