A Good Way to Start The Second Semester

Well, well, well, it’s that time of year again — the start of a new semester. And let’s be real, we could all use a little help getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break. You may be picking back up where you left off in the curriculum or beginning a entirely new geograpy curriculum second semester. Either way, its not too late to implement these strategies, some of which will also help you with classroom management.

So here’s a tip for kicking off the semester on the right foot: start by organizing plans (or at least pretending to). Get yourself a shiny new planner and maybe even a fancy pen — because nothing says “I’m ready to conquer this semester” like some fresh office supplies. 🤭 And if all else fails, just remember that pizza is always there for you in times of stress. So, here’s to a fresh start and (hopefully) not losing your sanity before finals week rolls around!

One of the stragegies I swear by are bell ringers. Not only, were they a life saver for me in so many ways, but students learned during those 5 minutes at the beginning of class. 5 minutes x 180 days = 15 hours of learning in total. First, students had something to keep their minds busy the minute they walked into the door. As has been said, “Idle time is the devil’s workshop.” Idol time creates opportunity for class disruptions. When someone (in this case a student) is not actively engaged in something productive, they are more likely to entertain negative thoughts, get into trouble, or succumb to temptation from other classmates, essentially opening the door to poor decisions and behaviors. Have you ever hear the term “mob mentality” where where individuals in a group can lose their sense of personal identity and act impulsively or in ways they wouldn’t normally do alone. This can happen in the classroom. Well, let’s “nip that in the bud!”

Students want a safe, predictable, conand nurturing environment — one that is consistent. Students like well-managed classes because they know what to expect to allow learning to take place. Now, to say you won’t ever have behavior issue is unrealistic. But when I implemented this stragegy, wow! My classroom enviroment changed.

Also, after winter break, it still important to review the classroom guidelines when they return teaching students to be in control of their own actions in a consistent classroom environment. When my middle school students left for winter break, they returned completely different people. I called it metomorphisis. If you teach middle school, you know exactly what I. am talking about!