What do you remember most about your time as a student? You most likely remember two things the most clearly - which teacher(s) made you feel great; and which teacher(s) made you feel bad. That’s a simplified way to look at it, I know, but simplifying ideas can lead to robust discussions.
As a new teacher, I wanted to be like Mr. Wight, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Wiltshire, Mrs. Christman, Mrs. Burhan, Mr. Bradshaw and the teachers who made me feel good; feel cared about; feel like I mattered.
I won’t list the ones I hoped I wouldn’t be, but I could, because I absolutely remember their names.
I know that relationship-building takes time (and the best investments always do). Kids need to know they have an adult leading their learning who values them, recognizes their talents and needs, and who loves them. It can take a long time to build that relationship of trust, but I believe it all starts in the first four minutes you spend with your students.
Minute One: YOU
Do you look like a teacher, or one of the kids? Now, there will be a lot of discussion here, but I’ll say this - it’s easier to be casual after you’ve been formal. The opposite is also true. I’m not saying everyone needs a business suit, but if you present a casual presence, your ability to lead the class depends on how you present yourself on that first day.
Minute Two: Attendance and Environment
Do your students know you’re glad they’re there? If not, they probably think you wish they weren’t, or that maybe you wish the you weren’t there. Do you know their name? Not on day one, maybe, but do you at least acknowledge their names, ask them if you sang the music of their identity correctly? Did they hear you promise to get it right, or did they hear you say their name is just too complicated and you’ll come up with a nickname. That first interaction may not measure your investment for the year, but it tells them how much you’re willing to invest.
One of the areas in the Virginia Department of Education Teacher Evaluation Manual addresses environment. Is the classroom clearly where business is done (the business of mastery) or a place where chaos reigns? Do your students know that you live up to the same standards of presentation you’ll expect from them? An orderly classroom (trust me, ”orderly“ doesn’t mean “pristine”) tells your students you care enough to provide a space in which they can be comfortable.
Minute Three: Warm-Up/Bellringer/Appetizer
Whatever you call it, it’s the first activity of the class period (or the year). Is it one that invites the kids to think? Is it one that ignites curiosity? Is it one the measures prior knowledge? Is it one that is totally disconnected from the rest of the content of the day? How you start establishes how your day will go and that’s more true for kids than for adults. If you want positive results, invest in the opening moments of your instruction.
Minute Four: Consistency of Expectations
If you’ve told the kids how you want the class to run, then don’t hold them to your expectations, your consistency is not only suspect to kids, but nonexistent. Being consistent isn’t just an all year thing, it’s a moment-to-moment thing. If you can‘t be consistent, your kids won’t trust you. If they don’t trust you, they have to learn in spite of you; instead, make sure they’re learning because of you.
Look, it’s not always going be four minutes, but there will always be a beginning and you will always have the chance to make the most of it, or to miss The opportunity to set your students up for success. I know which of those possibilities I want to recognize, and what story I want my school to tell.