Creating the Perfect Teaching Atmosphere
As we start the return to on-campus schooling all teachers have been preparing for the best way to re-establish expectations and have a positive outlook for the remainder of the year. By creating the perfect teaching atmosphere you are also creating a positive learning environment. We have spoken to teachers heading back to school about their strategies to get their positive classroom back into learning.
1. Smile!
Every teacher we spoke to said the same thing – go in day one with the biggest smile. Have a hop in your step and be grateful for being lucky enough to be a teacher. We get to mould the minds of the next generation. If you need some inspiration before you head in you can watch this TED talk. As a teacher you have probably seen Rita a thousand times – but if you are anything like me it still stirs all of those emotions that make me proud to be a teacher.
2. Make connections
As Rita says "Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be." So take the time to learn more about your student – there are thousands of icebreaker activities online or you can check out our 3 free icebreaker activity sheets here:
These games are a great way to get to know people better. Remember when you show your students you are interested in getting to know them, it will show that you value and respect them and support you in creating that positive learning environment.
3. Get back to work
I always remember the words of guidance officers whenever we had a crisis or traumatic event at school – get back to normal asap. Why? Structure means normal. For students they crave structure and the normality that comes with it. So don’t be shy just to jump back in with work.
4. Give students the opportunity to express themselves
COVID-19 has definitely changed the face of education. Teachers have been adaptable and resilient no matter what this crisis has thrown at us. I believe that this is one of the most important times in history to be a teacher. We have a job to do when students come back and I don’t know any teacher that isn’t up to challenge. We have had time to process and check out all the education memes that the internet has to offer and now that our students are returning we have the opportunity to give them the time to express their needs or concerns in a positive way.
You can have an anonymous box where they can ask any question they may have, start a personal journal to note all that they have been through and are going through, give students the opportunity to write, paint, draw, create worlds on Minecraft and anything else that you can think of that will allow them the to have a positive outlet of their thoughts and feelings.
Do you have other strategies that could help teachers?
Head to over to our Facebook group exclusively for teachers and let us know how you are going to get your classroom back to ‘normal’.