Wormeli also recommends doing something like hiking up a mountain together. Otherwise, Jerry doesn’t think it’s important.” “It drives Carla crazy when there’s nothing creative, so don’t be boring.” And “Lena finds sweat stains under teachers’ armpits revolting, so please keep them dry or don’t raise your arms.”Īnother idea: ask students to write on a card everything that helps them learn – perhaps using high-contrast colors on dry-erase boards, speaking more slowly, allowing students to drink water or juice in class, identifying online tutorials, and making homework interesting. In addition, Wormeli suggests asking parents at the beginning of the year, “In a million words or less, tell me about your child.” He’s found that this open-ended invitation garners better information than conventional parent surveys.Ī related strategy is asking students, “Write a letter from your parent to the teacher describing you.” This approach is surprisingly effective – some sample responses: “If it’s important to remember, please write it on the board or screen. Challenges such as Tourette syndrome, Asperger syndrome, ADHD Social-emotional learning strengths and challenges Personal interests – sports, music, movies, TV, movies, books, hobbies Wormeli recommends that teacher teams glean from students, over the course of the year, information on key areas that affect learning and keep them in a secure database in the guidance office: We share our unique interests – a favorite sport or book how much we liked Legos as a child our dream of going into space someday our fondness for summer camp, bike touring, and pecan pie and a little about our families and our deep commitments to them.” We don’t embrace students’ cultural likes and dislikes just to be more accepted by them. “The first few weeks should provide consistent proof of personal authenticity… We are sad at sad moments and happy at happy moments. “Students detest duplicity in their teachers,” says Wormeli. What’s really going on?”) giving students specific feedback on their work and a chance to improve it affirming risk-taking and welcoming participation, however imperfect, in class discussions asking students to explain their thinking and affirming what’s right and when students say they don’t know, trying this line: “Pretend that you did know the answer – what words would come out of your mouth?” Some key steps: Teachers laughing at their own mistakes and modeling how to handle them constructively not ridiculing students’ questions, however silly they may seem removing “all sarcasm from our comments, realizing that the sting of even a small, tossed-away remark can leave a lasting scar ” not assuming that students understand the idioms and references we use not taking students’ inappropriate comments or reactions personally (“That doesn’t sound like you, Matthew. “Once students feel sure these needs are met, they’ll dive into learning,” says Wormeli. Make sure students feel safe and know they belong.In that simple act, we make a connection.” Wormeli has several other suggestions for the opening weeks of every school year: “ll of us feel honored when others whom we respect think our names are worth remembering. “It was the first leg of the year’s journey in relationship building,” he says. In this article in Educational Leadership, consultant Rick Wormeli remembers how hard he worked as a middle-school teacher to learn the names of all 185 new students in the days right after Labor Day. (Originally titled “What to Do in Week One?”) Building Relationships in the Opening Days of School
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