Consistency Matters

It's the first week back from our 3 week break and things are a little hectic in the classroom. Kids forgot how to hold their pencils upright, lots of chatter going on since this is the first time they've seen each other in weeks, and all my procedures I've enforced and practiced with the students for months seemed to have disappeared. The good news: the first half of the year has come and gone. I survived up to the holidays, so it should be a breeze from here right?

I'm not going to deny the fact that I'm still working on many factors to hone in on becoming a better teacher (i.e. organization and every aspect of the word: lesson planning, paper management, homework grading), but one thing I feel like I have down is consistency. If there's one thing I learned it's CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY CONSISTENCY!

Before winter break started, I actually had a substitute cover for a whole week. That means I was actually seeing my students for the first time after a month this week. As much as the students forgot when it comes to any of the math concepts they learned before vacation, it was amazing to see how quickly they remembered the little things about how I like my class periods to go. When the bell rang to dismiss the students, they quickly stood up and jet toward the door. What made me so happy was the fact that I could sit at my desk, give them my "teacher look" and immediately they remembered they had to sit back down and be quiet before I dismissed them. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but it was to me for 2 reasons. 1) I was able to control the class from my seat. I am definitely a fairly little teacher compared to my students, so I always felt like I had to stand up to be more "assertive." This made me realize the respect I've always wondered if I commanded in class. I tell all my substitutes to always dismiss my students and don't let the bell dismiss them, but I have secretly watched how my kids deal with subs and this is one thing they never do with the sub, so I was happy they followed my direction. 2) Perfecting the "teacher look or stare down" comes a long way because you don't have to waste your breath by yelling at your students. Once they see the look, they yell at each other to be quiet or sit back down and your job is done.

My other "consistent" practice (among others but I'll only talk about this one for now) is saying "good morning/good afternoon class" right when the bell rings. At first I thought it was cheesy or I even felt a little embarrassed doing it. Teenagers are a little intimidating sometimes...especially when they just stare at you and don't respond back! I got over the doubt quickly and continued to do this every beginning of the period. One day, I eventually got a response back from students and I jokingly responded "Oh, it's nice to hear that you all have manners after all" (I definitely don't recommend being sarcastic to your students as a new teacher until you really feel like you understand the students on a personal level). Since then, I've been receiving more responses and even enthusiasm and smiles too! At the end of the period, I always tell them "have a wonderful rest of the day class" (after the students are quiet and in their seats of course). Some of my best days now include students actually reciting "have a good rest of the day class" before I can even say it to them when the bell rings. It makes my heart smile when students actually pay attention to the little things and how much they hold you to it. I truly feel that greeting them every morning and wishing them well when they leave makes them better people. I notice a lot of them walking out smiling and telling me they'll see me tomorrow or they'll tell me to have a wonderful day too etc.

Just some things for you to keep in mind when you think of your procedures in class...