Starting the School Year - Class encounters of the first kind

The very first lesson with a class can go a long way towards establishing the kind of climate which will exist for the rest of the term or whole year. Some examples are provided below that indicate some of the differences between experienced and student teachers.

Experienced Teachers:

• Are usually very clear about their classroom rules.
• Will not hesitate to describe what they think is 'right' and 'proper'.
• Are conscious of the massive effort needed to establish relationships with a new class.
• Use their eyes a great deal to scan the class or look at individuals.
• Are quick to deal publicly with any infraction of their rules.
• Are more 'formal' than usual.
• Are especially brisk and businesslike.
• Establish their presence in the corridor before the class has entered the room.
• Introduce themselves formally, but, as if to temper the formality, give incidental details of their personal background (I was watching television the other night....)

Student Teachers:

• Are not so clear about classroom rules, either their own or those of other teachers in the school.
• Do not use terms such as 'right' and 'proper' when talking about rules.
• Are unaware of the massive collective effort the school and individual teachers have put into starting off the school year.
• Make less use of eye contact and were very conscious of themselves being looked at.
• Often neglected early infringements of classroom rules which then escalated into larger problems.
• Tend to concentrate in their preparation on lesson content rather than rules and relationships ('Will I have enough material?' 'How can I find a topic which will make an impact?).

Some Questions to answer before meeting a new class:

• What would you like to know about the class in advance, and why?
• What sort of topic or theme will you choose for the first lesson, and why?
• What will you be doing and thinking about:
  • (a) an hour before the lesson?
  • (b) five minutes before the lesson?
• Do you plan to be present before the class arrives, if this is possible?
• If you are present in the corridor before the lesson begins what will you be doing:
  • (a) before entering the room?
  • (b) as the children enter the room?
• How will you begin the lesson:
  • (a) if the class settles down quickly?
    (b) if the class is slow to settle?
• How do you think the class will see you on first meeting you?
• Are there any rules you will want to establish from the beginning?
• What kind of relationship would you like to have with the class in the longer term, and how will you set about establishing it?
• What strategies, so far as you can see, will you employ during the first lesson (lecture, group work, individual assignments, question and answer, projects) and why?