Well the week has started and as I write this diary entry we are now on day two.
It turns out that covering boards in your classroom takes a strange level of skill. However, after fighting the roll of brightly coloured backing paper and the funny frilly borders I finally have a presentable classroom.
And, even if I do say so myself, my room looks the best it has ever looked. It is strange how coloured paper and some fresh posters can change the feel of a room and really make it feel like your own.
Having Monday off timetable with my form group for the first two lessons of the day was great! I have a lovely tutor group (so far), although I can already see some friendships forming that I can tell are poor choices.
I have already set very high expectations with my tutor group. This includes outlining the school’s expectations for them over the next three to five years also setting out my own expectations. I know it is really important to give these expectations early to the pupils who are new to the school and get them used to my routine.
However, one thing that I am currently finding difficult is to put across my expectations and routines with the already-established students in school.
Years 10 and 11 are used to the school and how things work. They had a routine with their previous chemistry teacher that may be very different to how I want them to behave and handle themselves in lessons. Also, changing seating plans from last year to the start of this year has not been very popular.
As a result of this barrier that seems to be between me and the established students in the school, I need to make sure I am consistent and treat every student in the same way as they come through my door. To do this I have set myself certain rules that I will apply to all my classes:
First, have exactly the same routine coming into the classroom each day, every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s Monday morning period 1 or Friday afternoon at the very end of the day. All groups will be greeted at the door with a smile. Students will come into the lesson quietly, sit down ready to learn with the starter work for the lessons ready and waiting. This sets a great routine for both myself and the students to be ready to begin a lesson at the time it should begin.
Second, always wait before talking over somebody else in the class. I do not believe any student should be talking while either myself or another student is talking. I find this rude and not something I am prepared to let happen. If this persists then I will move the student or relocate them to another room.
Third, always expect students to complete the work that is given in the lessons. If anyone in the lesson does not finish the work then I expect them to finish that content in their own time. This way there are no excuses for any unfinished work in exercise books.
I know these things might seem really basic and something that should have been learned and understood during our training year, but it’s something that I really think helps students get into the rhythm of things and therefore worth focusing on.
They might only be three simple rules, but so far things are going really well (I hear you all say “don’t speak too soon”).
- SecEd’s NQT diarist this year is a teacher of science from a school in the Midlands.