The First Day of School: Setting Your Students (and Yourself) Up for Success

Do you remember your first day of school jitters when you were younger? Chances are you are feeling them again, only this time the butterflies in your stomach are because you’re the teacher. And not only is it the first day of school, but you’re in a new country, too. Don’t worry, there are definitely things you can do to make that first day go as smoothly as possible.

• Know the school’s expectations. The expectations in another country are often different then the expectations at home. Check up on things like the dress code, school hours, what exactly is expected of you in regards to the curriculum and your activities. Also take into consideration the things that we don’t even think about – athletics, after school activities, tutoring, the parent’s role in the school and in their child’s education, etc.
• Lay out your expectations of your students. Whether you make the classroom rules with your students or have them already set up, go firm for at least the first few weeks, and frequently remind them of the rules. You can always back off a bit later later, but it’s much harder for students to take you seriously if you are a pushover at first. I’m not saying be mean or a drill sergeant, but you want to establish respect from the beginning, both the students respecting you and you respecting them on some level. This is something else that could be different then you are used to at home – is the curriculum based on direct instruction? Student-centered? Hands-on or worksheets/book work?
• Be organized. The more organized you are, the less scattered you will feel. Even if it’s just having everything ready for the first day, that’s a start. Being organized will also help you to look and feel more confident towards the students. If lesson planning feels a bit overwhelming, check out 5 Ways to Simplify Your ESL Plans.
• Read your materials ahead of time. This goes with being organized. I’m not saying read the entire curriculum book or lesson plan, but have a general idea of what you are doing and how it’s supposed to go. If you have to spend time reading ahead, the students are going to pick up that you don’t know what’s going on and you might start to see some behaviors arise.
• Have a behavior plan. The best way to eliminate negative behaviors is to prevent them from occurring in the first place by keeping the kids busy and engaged, but the reality is there will be behavior problems (If not, I want to know where these kids are because I’m going there to teach next year!). Are you going to use a “time out” or “quiet area” system? What about a card system in which the students have to “change their color” when they behave inappropriately? More on behavior management in another article, but this round up of blogs is a great place to start.
• Be positive and excited. It’s the first day of school, after all! It’s setting the tone for the rest of the year, so get the kids excited about coming to school and seeing you every day. It will make everyone’s life easier.
• Start working on your relationship with the parents. If there are parents that bring their children to school, make a good first impression. Swallow the lump in your throat and remind yourself that you are their child’s teacher. They see you as the expert and look to you for guidance and advice about their child’s education. Send a letter home to the other parents introducing yourself and inviting them to call or email you with any questions. Just because a parent isn’t able to come to the school doesn’t mean that they don’t want to be involved.
• Accept that things will go wrong. One thing I always say about teaching is that “every day is a challenge.” The good (and bad) thing about kids is that you never know what to expect, so be ready to change plans or trash a really cool lesson you had planned if it’s just not working. You will know that it’s not working because the kids will be staring at you blankly the entire time or the majority of your class will just not get the activity or concept you are trying to teach.
• Reflect. This is a good practice to get into everyday, but especially the first few days. Even if you just think about it on the way home from school, consider what was a success, what wasn’t so successful, and what action you’re going to take the next day.

When all else fails, remember why you decided to teach abroad in the first place and know that you truly have the power to make a real difference in the lives of these children! Good luck!

Photo Credit: Rex Pe on Flickr