Teaching Tips

Guest post by Jerry Blumengarten @cybraryman1

From day one it is very important that your students know that you care about them. This was especially important for me as I worked in a very high crime area and many of my students came from broken homes. (East New York – Brooklyn https://cybraryman.com/eny.html )

At the beginning of the school year, I had each student complete an information sheet. I wanted to know what skills or abilities they possessed. This information came in handy when I had: to do bulletin boards as I used their artistic ability or plan auditorium programs like class plays where I was able to use their dancing, singing, and musical talents. I felt it was good to know their passions and help them achieve them especially when it came to choosing high schools to attend.

When I served as Attendance & Lateness Coordinator I would stand at the front door as students entered the building. I greeted each student with a smile and a kind word. It was rare for many of them to be acknowledged with a kind word. For my track team members when they came to school I would hand them a recap of the previous day’s meet making sure each runner was mentioned.

I made sure during passing between periods to greet all the students who came up to our floor. The Assistant Principal loved this and she also joined me with the welcomes. I also made sure to greet each student as they entered my classroom. I told my classes that I was not a mind reader. I wanted them to notify me either by speaking to me or giving me a note if they were having a problem or did not feel well before our class started.

It is wise to build community in the classroom and have your students help you design the expectations for your classroom. Classroom and Behavior Management

https://cybraryman.com/classroom.html

During my first year of teaching, I decided to give students who did their work, handed in their homework, and tried their best letters to take home to their parent/guardian before the December holidays. I wanted to acknowledge the work of the good students as usually, I would contact the parent/guardian of the students who were either acting out or not doing their work. The day after I had given out those letters a student came back to me and told me she told her mother she had a letter from her teacher and the mother hit her. She had never gotten a good letter about her child before. In future years I told the students to say they had a good letter from their teacher.

Students are very perceptive and know from the start if you really care about them. Make sure to let them know that they matter to you.

Have an awesome year of learning.

Jerry Blumengarten

@cybraryman1

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