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Back to School Message from Hidden Sparks
By Karen Kruger, Director of Education
September 2011
Happy New Year and best wishes for the upcoming school year! It’s September and principals are wondering how to inspire their teachers. Teachers are wondering who their new students will be. And, students are wondering what this new school year will bring.
Recently, a principal asked me “How can I encourage my teachers to begin building relationships with their students from the first day of school?” Just as each student has unique strengths, interests, and areas of struggle, so does each teacher. How a teacher introduces classroom rules, handles transitions with students, and teaches subjects can vary tremendously.
Everyone, the students, the teachers, and even the principals want their strengths to be appreciated and acknowledged. One way to build positive relationships with your students and your colleagues is to look for their individual strengths and interests, and talk with them about what you have observed.
Set a goal for yourself, that by the end of the second week of school, you will be able to list a strength and an interest for each student in your class. This will help you build positive relationships with every child in your classroom, and you will be gathering information to guide your teaching and to share in future parent teacher conferences.
Transitions, setting up your classroom for student success, and differentiating your instruction are very important. To reinforce your teaching skills, take a look at the HSWOW archives for webinars on these topics and related subjects. And, don’t forget to Ask Esther about your classroom challenges.
Back to School Message from Hidden Sparks
By Karen Kruger, Director of Education
September 2011
Happy New Year and best wishes for the upcoming school year! It’s September and principals are wondering how to inspire their teachers. Teachers are wondering who their new students will be. And, students are wondering what this new school year will bring.
Recently, a principal asked me “How can I encourage my teachers to begin building relationships with their students from the first day of school?” Just as each student has unique strengths, interests, and areas of struggle, so does each teacher. How a teacher introduces classroom rules, handles transitions with students, and teaches subjects can vary tremendously.
Everyone, the students, the teachers, and even the principals want their strengths to be appreciated and acknowledged. One way to build positive relationships with your students and your colleagues is to look for their individual strengths and interests, and talk with them about what you have observed.
Set a goal for yourself, that by the end of the second week of school, you will be able to list a strength and an interest for each student in your class. This will help you build positive relationships with every child in your classroom, and you will be gathering information to guide your teaching and to share in future parent teacher conferences.
Transitions, setting up your classroom for student success, and differentiating your instruction are very important. To reinforce your teaching skills, take a look at the HSWOW archives for webinars on these topics and related subjects. And, don’t forget to Ask Esther about your classroom challenges.