by Joy Buckner
When I look back on my years in the classroom, I always have fond memories of the first days of school. There is nothing more exciting than meeting your class for the first time… and nothing that can cause your anxiety to rear its ugly head faster. Early on in my career I worked at a school that valued Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and I learned to GET THE FIRST SIX WEEKS RIGHT!
Studies say it takes about 30 days to create a new habit so… if you nail the first 30 days of the school year you have set you and your class up for success. It is counter-intuitive but you need to “go slow… to go fast.” Now, you are probably thinking, I don’t have the luxury of going slow and believe me I get it. But going slow early on gives you the opportunity to prioritize your class dynamic. Knowing how your students build relationships with others, how they deal with adversity and what you can do to best support them when these moments arise is the foundation of everything else you will do together. Going slow doesn’t mean don’t teach, it simply means building a strong foundation. You may be asking how can you apply this approach to your context? Below are some strategies that will set you on your way.
Strategy #1: Create a strong sense of community – Taking the time to get to truly know your students helps them see school as a place where they belong and where they are destined to thrive. You can address this in many ways:
- Show your student they belong by putting their names on the door or desk. Learn about your students likes and dislike… what they do outside of school?
- Show you care. My first principal asked me during my interview “do you think a student needs to like you to learn from you?” My answer to that question was “I think your students need to know that you care and want them to be there to learn from you” It isn’t always easy to connect with everyone but taking the first 6 weeks to let them know you have an interest in who they are and that they are important to you and you value their success and it will set them up for it!
Strategy #2: Establish Routines – Students need parameters from year to year because students change every year, as such there is a new class dynamic to navigate. Remember a new year means a new start, and a new opportunity to get it right and everyone deserves a fresh start. On many occasions I’ve wanted to cry at the thought of doing another guided discovery; but I can tell you with pride that pushing though the monotony and sticking to the task of establishing vital routines works every time. The gain back when it doesn’t take 15 minutes longer than expected to line up for lunch. It’s when your students know when to sharpen their pencils during the day and how the rotate efficiently during center time. It’s NOT having to stop valuable instructional time because your students know what to do when they are stuck or need support, because you put the procedures in place and gave them confidence when executing them. The time you take in the first six weeks of school to establish your ‘Ways of Working’ will allow you to go fast after going slow.
- Set behavioral expectations… that are age and culturally appropriate, stated in positive language, specific and modeled. Consider creating them together!
- Explicitly Teach Rules and Routines… or ever better your students are involved in setting the classroom rules and routines.
- Keep it simple... Each routine should have minimal steps and rules should be concise.
- Give your students time to practice…. Rome was not built in a day and classroom routines won’t be either!
- Reinforce with visual prompts… Hand gestures, body movement, social stories and classroom rules posted in highly visible areas are a great way to ensure students know your expectations.
- Provide positive praise… when students effectively demonstrate a rule or routine, celebrate it!
Strategy #3: Build well-rounded students – Students who contribute to their school and greater community in a meaningful way are better able to deal with people, collaborate with peers, adapt and thrive in any environment. This work can be emphasized by doing the following:
- Stress to your students that being kind polite and empathetic to others is as important as showing dedication to their school work.
- Model what good sportsmanship and teamwork is on a daily basis.
- Reinforce that failure is ok and how we grow.
Educators are time poor but the benefit of slowing the pace far outweighs the negatives. Gift yourself with the time you need to create a solid foundation and thank yourself later when things go fast! We also need to remember that meaningful connections support our own SEL needs and give us the resilience we need to navigate the school year ahead. Whether you are in the early days of your academic year, or set to begin in the upcoming weeks I wish you all the success, and remember “GO SLOW… TO GO FAST!”
Joy is a passionate educator, exuberant presenter and founder of Buckner Education where she works with teachers, leaders, and industry experts around the globe to break down silos and promote a more holistic approach that optimizes innovation, collaboration and learning in education. Joy is driven by her own lived experience to enable educators with strategies that provide emotional and academic support to diverse learners. She is an expert in curriculum and instructional design with over twenty years of experience in the US, UK and the UAE as a Consultant, Senior Leader, Literacy Specialist, Instructional Coach, School Inspector, and Facilitator.