Teaching needs thorough preparation to achieve effective teaching. Just like pupils, teachers need to condition himself, make careful preparation and plot strategies, methods and techniques to make the teaching-learning process more valuable.
Craven enumerated several components that are keys in laying down the foundation for the great school year.
- 1.Organization. Good organizational skills are a must! This can include everything from juggling a paper work to effectively managing your time. Reality dictates all too quickly that teachers always seem to have a disproportioned amount of tasks to perform within the allotted time. Yes, I strongly suggest making lists and prioritizing tasks. But for those of us who do that and consistently lose our lists, or perhaps can’t find pen and paper under the “piles” to even make lists at the first place, these skills are a real challenge. Decide on an organization system that works best for YOU, depending upon your situation. Are you a labeler, a color coder or a file folder person? Remember to keep it simple! Good organization can help you manage your time and relieve stress.
- 2.Communication. Communication is really a partnership. The word “partnership” is defined as the relationship of between two or more people that are involved in or share the same activity or goal. It also denotes cooperation between people or groups that working together. Teachers form many important relationships which require them to have effective communication skills. These include relationships with students, parents, co-workers, administrators and other professionals. Truly productive communication involves the ability to not only express yourself clearly and professionally, but being able to be a good listener. Keep your communication lines open and
- 3.Building Community. The first weeks of school are vital for laying the foundation for the whole school year. The more attention paid early to the concept of community, character, and quality, the more time and effort you’ll spared later. This is one of the first steps for creating and caring, smoothly run classroom community. The classroom can be compared to a mini-society with goals, expectation and limits. Students will be living and interacting with one another in a shared environment for ten out of year. I think also that the word community speaks of a group uniting, caring for each other and working cooperatively while respecting the individual contributions of its members.
So how teachers begin to juggle the responsibilities of meeting academic objectives,while taking a time of establish a vital sense of community in their classroom? By getting to know your students and your students getting to know you and each other. I’m not referring to a few surface qualities, rather delving deeper into likes, dislike, talents, unique histories, etc. Stating clearly what you expect from your students as individuals, but also what you expect the classroom to accomplish as a team on a daily, weekly and yearly basis. When the effort is put forth from the beginning of the year to establish strong relationships it makes for more overall success in the classroom. Integrate your academics into team and community building activities. Be creative and innovative!!
Remember teachers, lay a solid foundation for your school year. Be prepared, persevere, be supportive and seek the support of others. And perhaps this year will not feel so much like a marathon race, but a successful journey.
References:
- 1.Heather Skipworth Craven. Ready, Get Set,http://www. inspiring teachers .com/classroom_resources/articles/beginning_of_the_school_year/ready_set_teach.html. Retrieved: 18 February 2014.
By: Alicia F. Tabugan | Teacher III | Bagumbayan Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan
