The First Day of School: Getting Started

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The First Day of School Getting Started
Your success during the school year will be
determinedby what you do o n the first days of
school (Wong 3).

• Presenter Kristine Stein
• St. Thomas More High School

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• What will I do to get to know the students?
• . . .She could have avoided power struggles if
  she had gotten to know her students as people and
  understood their perspectives rather than trying
  to control them (25).

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What I do. . .

• Letters about self
• See packet
• Inspiration board

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What else can you do?

• Questionnaires
• Surveys
• Note cards
• Bio poems
• Artifact bags
• Student interviews

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• How will students get to know you?
• Be sure to let them get to know you. Share the
  books you are reading and the things you are
  interested in learning more about (25).

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What I do. . .

• Quiz/PowerPoint about myself
• Recommended Reading Board
• Direct conversation
• Why I teach
• Why I teach at St. Thomas More

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Recommended Reading Board

• Postings of books I recommend
• I give extra credit points if you want to
  recommend a book

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About your teacher. . . Miss Stein
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All about Miss Stein. . .

• Miss Stein graduated college from
• A. UW-Milwaukee
• UW-Eau Claire
• Marquette
• University of Florida

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All about Miss Stein. . .

• Miss Stein has lived in. . .
• A. Milwaukee
• B. Spain
• C. London
• D. South Africa
• E. Eau-Claire
• F. Mosinee
• (Hint Choose more than one answer)

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All about Miss Stein. . .

• Miss Stein read how many books this summer?
• A. 15
• B. 8
• C. 4
• D. Read?? Who has time to read?

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All about Miss Stein. . .

• Miss Stein has went to how many Brewer games so
  far this season?
• A. 4
• B. 8
• C. 16
• D. 22

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16 Games
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What else can you do?

• Pictures
• Any of the games you ask of students, also
  participate!

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• How will I establish a rule system for my class?
• If you are inclined to set up a dictatorship,
  be prepared to deal with stealth attacks and/or
  revolutions if however, you are interested in
  establishing a more democratic type setting, be
  clear what the parameters are. Not only must you
  be clear, you must clearly communicate the
  boundaries (8).

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What I do. . .

• Syllabus
• Clear expectations
• Classroom of Comfort and Challenge
• Get ready to play!
• Create rules together

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Ms. Steins Classroom of Comfort and Challenge
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Comfort Zone

• One feels comfortable
• One does not feel anxious in this zone
• One finds it easy to accomplish whatever activity
  they are engaged in
• Examples??

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Challenge Zone

• One feels somewhat challenged in accomplishing a
  task
• One feels anxious, but one is still capable of
  accomplishing the task
• When one does accomplish the task in this zone,
  one feels successful
• Examples???

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Panic Zone

• One feels helpless because they are confused with
  a task in which they are unprepared or they
  havent the experience.
• The mere thought of the experience brings on
  panic.
• Pushing people into their panic zone will thwart
  future risk taking efforts.
• Examples???

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Directions

• You will be given a statement.
• Each statement centers around an activity you
  could potentially participate in.
• For each statement, write down what zone you
  would find yourself in if you have to complete
  that particular activity.
• Ready to Begin?

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Perform in the next St. Thomas More school play
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Introduce your team at the pep assembly
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Write an article for the school newspaper
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Raise your hand and comment on a students idea
you disagree with
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Backpack Europe for a two weeks on your own
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Skydiving out of a plane
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Displaying your artwork in the hall for all
students to see
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Performing in a mock trial in front of the class
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What else can you do?

• Create rules together
• Work on instruction?
• The better the instruction, the less issues there
  are with management.

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• How will I set up a system to control the paper
  load so I do not go crazy?
• Organizing our stuff is one of the hardest
  tasks of all (210).

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What I do. . .

• In Box/Out Box
• Stackable crates
• Files
• Binder system

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Handing In Assignments

• Please put your paper assignments in the correct
  bin when you are asked to hand something in.

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Class Crates

• If you are absent, check your class-designated
  crate to pick up any missing handouts or
  assignments.

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What else can you do?

• Color-coded system
• --colored duct tape
• Electronic files

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• How will I create an engaging environment that
  inspires students?
• Reason and balance should prevail the
  displays should not overwhelm the space and
  should be focused on student work (245).

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What I do. . .

• Inspirational Board
• Quotes
• Posters
• Colors

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What else can you do?

• Bulletin boards
• Post standards
• Student work
• Desk positioning
• Book area
• Supply area

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• What can I do to make sure I provide clear
  instructional goals for the students daily?
• Good teachers are clear about their
  instructional goals (47).

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What I do. . .

• Assignment board
• Class Wiki
• Msstein.pbwiki.com

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Assignment Board

• Check every day when you are in this room.
• Your assignment for the next day will always be
  posted.
• Any additional
• materials you
• will need
• will also be
• posted.

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What else can you do?

• Unit packets/calendars
• Write out instructions over three steps.
• Create procedures
• Beginning of hour
• Transitions
• Taking attendance

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• How will I learn students names quickly?
• The students are real people, who just happen to
  be a little younger than the teacher, and who
  have ordered to report to your care (9).

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What I do. . .

• Inspiration board
• Name games at the beginning of the class period
• While engaging in activity, study class lists.

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• What should I think about and perhaps include in
  the syllabus?
• Given that we want to have both small and large
  group experiences, we have to have systems in
  place to make transitions as smoothly and quickly
  as possible (236).

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Procedure Potpourri

• Tardies
• Missing assignments
• Late work
• Restroom visits
• Hall passes
• Office hours
• Grading student achievement
• Expectations

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• What should I make sure to know/complete before
  the start of the school year?
• These three, culture, collaboration, and
  communication, are the keys to not only surviving
  but thriving in the education universe (206).

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What I did. . .

• Understand your grading system
• Understand any electronic programs/e-learning
  platforms
• Fill in needed information
• Set up all electronic subscriptionsQuia/wikis/blo
  gs etc.
• Procedures for checking out books/supplies in
  classroom

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What else do you need to do?

• Ideas?

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• How do I survive the school year after the first
  days?

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What I do?

• Humor
• Utilize all your resources
• Other teachers
• Counselors
• Administration
• Dont reinvent the wheel
• Organize/plan as much as possible given your time
  constraints
• Variety is the spice of life
• Eclectic/keep it interesting
• Find healthy/positive people to center yourself
  around
• Continue professional development opportunities
• Humbly learn, learn, learn!
• Relish in the good moments!

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• Your work is undoubtedly important may your
  school year be filled with excitement, success,
  and worthwhile experiences.
• Teaching is always a group effort
• Im here to help kstein_at_tmore.org
• Never hesitate to contact me!