Every school year is a new beginning when you’re a teacher, and of course when you’re a student as well. Before each new school year, I used to get a few new items of clothing, redesign my methods for eating breakfast and lunch, get my “teacher supplies,” put a few new decorations up, schmooze with the other teachers, make any necessary copies :(:(:( , and restructure some of my beginning of the year assignments.

As the years passed, I learned to spend less and less of my personal funds on my classroom. For the first decade or more, I spent oodles. I didn’t even think about it–just did it. It was pretty ridiculous. No wonder I was usually broke in those days! Then finally, in maybe about 2010 I think, the state started giving us a couple hundred to get supplies. It was nice but clearly not enough, and they got more and more stringent with the types of supplies you were allowed to purchase, plus the receipts had to be just so. Oh well! It was at least something…

For the majority of my teaching life, I had difficulties figuring out what and how to eat at work. Since I can never eat before about 9 AM, I only ever have coffee before then. Once the hour of 9 arrives, I begin to feel famished and cranky. Some schools are very particular about teachers or students eating in the classroom, and I do understand that completely. However, if I don’t eat anything by about 9:30, I usually get a pounding headache and feel weak and distracted. I know…poor me.

Anyway, for the last ten years of teaching, I had a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a coffeepot in my classroom, towards the back near my designated “teacher’s area.” I had signs saying that students were not permitted in that area at all. I have to admit, once that breakfast hour hit, I did eat in my classroom: breakfast sandwiches, bagels and cream cheese, even cereal sometimes. This was something my students just got used to, even though they knew they were not allowed to eat in class. Once in a while, a kid would eat a protein bar, and I truly did not mind as long as they threw the mess away without crumbs. I always felt like a hypocrite, but I couldn’t function otherwise.

As far as new beginnings, a syllabus is a crucial tool for a teacher, and so is a seating chart. Almost every year, I made an alphabetical seating chart on the first day of school. Knowing or having access to student names right away is the key to establishing a positive and productive classroom. It never ceases to amaze me when teachers either don’t have seating charts or don’t keep them nearby all the time. I keep mine on a clipboard and carry it around the classroom with me. Using sticky notes for the names is a pretty good idea, in case changes are made, but sometimes the stickiness wears off and the names fall off.

After the seating chart and going over class guidelines, my first assignment is called “Class Introductions.” Depending on how many students are in the class they call out numbers twice, like from 1-15, and then 1-15 again in a class of thirty. Then the number 1’s pair up, the number 2’s , etc. They have to next interview each other and ultimately, introduce their partner to the rest of the class. I make a big deal out of speaking clearly, making it interesting and long enough, and also taking notes while listening so they pay closer attention (plus learn listening and notetaking skills).

Giving students an opportunity to do public speaking often has always been important to me. It is a skill they will benefit from forever.

Many students will FREAK OUT from the fear and nervousness of it, but I tell them: “Well, at least you’re up there with your partner, so you can BOTH make fools of yourselves together.” They seem to find this reassuring. The activity as a whole takes about two days, depending on the size of the class and the class schedule at your school. It becomes the first grade in the gradebook, and I use a rubric.

Rubrics are the greatest classroom tools I ever discovered. They assist us in that tricky area of grading SUBJECTIVE assignments, like speeches, essays, and projects. I have my lesson about Class Introductions, and I have placed several excellent rubrics on my Teachers Pay Teachers store, at this address:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/literary-ladder-lessons

I also have (at my store) free presentation called “Managing and Facilitating a Positive Classroom Environment” that I used to present to other teachers at the early faculty meetings. You can either just view it or share with with your colleagues.

Therefore, on the auspicious occasion of a new start, I wish all teachers and students everywhere, a very happy new beginning!!

Here is an article about the necessity of seating charts:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/seating-charts-high-school/