Preparation is Essential for Success Familiarize yourself with your school’s curriculum Consider how you might use your life experiences as powerful lessons with your students Get to know your grade-level/departmental colleagues Subscribe to a professional journal to remain abreast of current issues (Teaching K-8, Curriculum and Teaching) Explore educational websites and attend professional conferences Purchase plenty of comfortable shoes as your will spend more time on your feet than ever before

Develop a Class Syllabus A course syllabus accomplishes the following tasks: - provides evidence of responsible preparation - reduces during the year work by over 50% - communicates expectations to students and parents - places responsibility for success onto the learner A course syllabus accomplishes the following tasks: - establishes course goals - previews class content - sequences instruction - identifies performance objectives - provides a “contract” with learners - motivates students - promotes self-monitoring - articulates prior knowledge needed - institutes an evaluation system - serves as first wave of communication

Learn Student Names Quickly Familiarize yourself with names PRIOR to the first day (read the class roster several time and only focus on last names first) Use student expectation/information surveys that require names (study faces and look at corresponding names as students complete the task) Create any variation of a seating chart help with name recall Ask students to introduce themselves in class (on first day) Read expectation sheets on first night and make associations between names and interests (cover names and see if you can remember them based on the provided information) Immediately before the second class, review the seating chart

Maintain Cultural Sync with Students Get to know your students and the homes from which they come Understand and appreciate student interests (music, food, traditions) Ascertain their cultural scripts and best means of communication with them and their families Explore literature written by Lisa Delpit, Asa Hilliard, James Irvine, and Allan Johnson Familiarize yourself with their neighborhoods, friends, and other culturally indicative representations

Establish Positive Parental Rapport Ensure first contact is positive in nature Maintain open lines of communication - inform parents of class news and events - create a class newsletter and/or webpage - personally invite parents to conferences Invite parents to experience your teaching Send graded papers/projects home promptly Keep precise records to share with parents

Classroom Management Get to know your students, academically and culturally Establish and post classroom norms and expectations Observe consistency in your teaching Know your subject matter well and plan thoughtful lessons Develop authentic relationships with your students Provide prompt feedback and positive reinforcement before, during, and after all delivered lessons Respect the rights of all children in your classroom Differentiate instruction so that all students may achieve

Meaningful Lesson Plans Consider unit lesson design as opposed to daily plans Read Understanding by Design (McTighe & Wiggins, 2005) Take note of the “backward design” process Begin planning with results in mind and devise tasks to facilitate student attainment of those goals Unit plans promote contextualization as opposed to isolation Allows students and teacher to begin with the end in mind Makes activities applicable to students lives

Be Prepared for Evaluations Accentuate your classroom’s climate by displaying children’s work and encouraging student engagement Expose students to a wide range of collaborative educational activities as learning is a highly social activity Start lessons promptly and transition smoothly Employ high level questioning skills to encourage higher order thinking skills Model, guide, and reinforce all activities for your students Align all lessons with district benchmarks and state standards Always provide closure at the conclusion of all lessons

Motivating Students Create a business-like, yet welcoming environment Praise your students’ successes Use incentives – internal and external – to drive learning Understand your students individual needs Strong organizational skills on your behalf can prompt student response to teaching Assist students in establishing goals for themselves Provide authentic feedback in response to student progress

Avoid First Year Burnout Keep yourself surrounded by positive energy people Pace yourself!!! Remember, the school year is a marathon, not a sprint Continue pursuing your out-of-work hobbies and interests Rest, exercise, and maintain a healthy diet Keep yourself and your workspace (in school and at home) well organized Move beyond the bad days and reward yourself for the good ones