HOW TO RESUME THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR WITH A BANG!!!

Dear Teachers,

There are a lot of energies and emotions flowing through many schools as we get set for school resumption in the new academic year, 2023/2024.

It's that time when teachers welcome new faces into their classrooms and let go of the previous learners to meet new frontiers.  From my classroom experience, I can tell how the anticipation is racing through the hearts of teachers right now. That thought of "Oh, I need to win the heart of the new set of learners coming to my class!" and if you teach very young learners, you would agree how very important it is to make these cuties fall in love with you on the very first day they step into your class because some are still very much attached to their previous classrooms or teachers. Now, in a new classroom environment they meet a new "captain of the ship" 😃  Some will cry and may even want to run away.

As we prepare for school resumption in the coming days, we should take these useful tips into cognisance as starting the session with a bang🗯💥 is a great determinant of how the academic year progresses.

These tips have worked for me over time and I'm happy to share them with you.

💥 Make Your Environment Captivating and Stimulating:  Yes, this is the time to invest your energy and resources in creative classroom displays. Look through your scheme and choose topics you can make come alive through simple and beautifully made crafts. This will arouse the interest of your learners and make your classroom feel like a safe place. Be sure to use bright and warm colours as this combination will give your classroom an exquisite ambiance. There are a lot of videos and resources online to provide you with class decoration ideas.

💥 Start with an Engaging Icebreaker: Begin with a bang by introducing attention grabbers through games or songs. You can compose a chant with corresponding gesticulations to engage them through words and actions. This sets a positive tone and grabs their attention right away.

💥 Share Your Story: Tell them about your experience as a student when you also had a transition from one class to another and at first you dreaded the thought of being in a new class, with new friends, and with that new teacher but later you realised that it was the best thing ever!

💥 Listen to them: Hear them talk to you about their holiday. Let them share their adventures and escapades. Genuinely seek to know if they found the break exciting. Ensure that you sincerely show empathy if they open up to you about something terrible or frustrating that happened to them or their family during the break. This may just be a free ticket to winning their hearts.

💥 Set Class Goals Together: For older children in the elementary classes, find out from them about their expectations for the new class. Also, share your general class expectations and focus for the term's work with them. It's also good practice at this point to share class rules. Tell them to come up with rules to govern classroom behaviour and activities. They can do this individually or collectively in small groups. Choose a scribe to read aloud the rules they set for themselves, collate the rules then paste them on placards or wall charts. Place them in a conspicuous part of your classroom.

Kindly note that the first day or the first few days of resumption is not a time to show off our teaching proficiency by using high-sounding vocabulary to prove that we are articulate or solving very difficult math problems to impress our learners. As much as possible, water down all academic work during the first few days, and make the learners settle, and feel comfortable in your class.

Now, we have made them settle in smoothly on Day 1 with the tips above. How do we present our lessons to capture the interest of our learners?
Getting our learners interested in learning is the goal of every good teacher because comprehension of concepts and topics taught has a higher possibility to be assimilated once the learner shows interest.

The following tips will help us in preparing more engaging and meaningful lessons for our learners.

1. Use Visual Aids: Visual aids help make abstract ideas more tangible. Use visuals such as images, videos, or diagrams to illustrate concepts.

2. Introduce Storytelling: Sharing stories related to the subject and topic being taught, makes your lesson intriguing and relatable. Stories can make the content more memorable and trust me, if they do not remember anything you taught in that lesson, they'll most assuredly remember the story you shared.

3. Utilize Variety of Content: Mix up your teaching methods. Use a combination of hands-on activities, multimedia, outdoor activities, and group work to cater to different learning styles.

4. Set High Expectations: Communicate your high expectations for their learning journey. When students feel challenged, they're more likely to stay engaged especially if you teach older children or higher classes.

5. Get to Know Them: As the new school year kicks off, take time to learn about your student's interests, strengths, and learning preferences. Personalizing your approach can foster a stronger connection with your learners.

6. Use Technology Thoughtfully: Incorporate technology tools that enhance learning, such as interactive simulations or educational apps.

7. Surprise Element: Introduce an unexpected element like a guest speaker, a hands-on experiment, or a relevant field trip.

8. Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate small wins and accomplishments. Positive reinforcement encourages learners to do more.

9. Implement a good Feedback Mechanism: Encourage open communication and gather feedback on their experience during the first week. I love to involve my learners' parents in this one since I teach young learners and the same relationship can be established with the parents of older elementary children. This shows that you value their input as parents and are committed to improving the learning journey of your learners.

Remember, the goal is to create an environment where learning feels exciting and meaningful. Tailor these tips to your teaching style and your students will have the most fabulous first week of resumption and a spectacular 2023/2024 academic session.

Your dearest colleague,

Blessing Epum

Founder, Educators, and Parents Hangout

(EDU-P Hangout)