The first month of the school year is always an exciting and challenging time for teachers and students alike. You have to get to know your new class, establish routines and expectations, and start building a positive learning environment. But what do you do after the initial excitement wears off and you need to keep your students engaged and motivated?Â
Here are some ideas for what to do as a teacher with your students a month into the school year.
Review and reinforce the learning goals and objectives for the year.
Remind your students of what they are expected to learn and achieve by the end of the year, and how you will help them get there. Better yet, instead of you reminding them, ask the class or cohort to create a visual of the expectations for them as a group while together.Â
You can also ask them to reflect on their own strengths and areas for improvement, and then have them set some personal goals for themselves.
Introduce some interactive and creative projects or activities that align with the curriculum.
For example, you can have your students personalize their learning through the use of various strategies like a poster, a video, a podcast, or a website about a topic they are interested in or passionate about. If you have not already, you can encourage working in groups or pairs to foster collaboration and communication skills.
Need help with a personalize lesson plan? See some past blogs for more inspiration:
Inspiration #72: Using Moon Knight to Personalize Learning
Inspiration #87: Using Chat GPT in the Classroom
Inspiration #67; What if…? Lesson Plan
Build on the incorporation of some formative assessments to check for understanding and provide feedback.
Formative assessments are not meant to grade or judge your students, but to help them monitor their own progress and identify gaps in their learning. You can use quizzes, polls, exit tickets, self-assessments, or peer feedback as formative assessments. You can also use the results to adjust your instruction and differentiate your support for different learners.
Celebrate your students' achievements and successes.
A month into the school year, your students have already learned a lot and accomplished many things. You can acknowledge their efforts and growth by giving them praise, recognition, certificates, stickers, or rewards. You can also showcase their work on a bulletin board, a website, or a newsletter. Make sure to celebrate not only academic achievements, but also social and emotional skills, such as kindness, respect, responsibility, or resilience.
Plan some fun and relaxing activities to reduce stress and build rapport.
The school year can be stressful and demanding for both teachers and students. You can help your students cope with stress and anxiety by providing some mindfulness exercises, breathing techniques, yoga poses, or meditation practices into your daily routine. You can also plan some games, icebreakers, or team-building activities to help your students bond with each other and with you.
These are just some of the things you can do as a teacher with your students a month into the school year. Remember that every class is different, and you know your students best. You can adapt these ideas to suit your own context and needs. As you are well aware, the most important thing is to keep your students interested, challenged, supported, and happy throughout the year.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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