This was awesome. The line about no one above you knowing your students, classroom, subject, or how to teach it better stopped me cold. I’ve said some version of that more times than I can count.
I’m writing Thursday about my own first-day ritual as I begin my thirtieth campaign. You make gunpowder; I stand at the door and learn every student’s name before letting them enter. We both try to make the first day memorable, just with different levels of combustion.
My students leave wondering whether I’ll remember their names tomorrow. Yours leave wondering whether they should increase their insurance coverage.
Chemist here. And excited reader now. Such a great idea and article. I will try it at my next start.it will definitely be impossible to live up to their expectations after such a start, but that comes later. We can still make gold :-)
We just got the vague details of the “videos & slides”!they want us to show on day one, period by period. I’m 27 years in and I totally agree with you on this. The first day sets the tone for the whole school, and when this “damage” is done on the first day in each class and period, we have lost them.
Yeah, they tell us what pages of the student handbook we have to go over on Day 1. That’s part of this too - if they’re mandating death by boredom on day one, they’re undercutting our entire mission and what they say they want us to do.
How many relationships are built when teachers just look like puppet authority figures, doing whatever dance they’re told to do?
What a great challenge to all teachers......MAKE THE GUNPOWDER, for “This teacher knows where we’re going. I might want to go with them" could be the best doorway back into learning possible!! I love every part of this article and this idea. Your voice and tone make me want to always read here. Thank you for writing.
This was awesome. The line about no one above you knowing your students, classroom, subject, or how to teach it better stopped me cold. I’ve said some version of that more times than I can count.
I’m writing Thursday about my own first-day ritual as I begin my thirtieth campaign. You make gunpowder; I stand at the door and learn every student’s name before letting them enter. We both try to make the first day memorable, just with different levels of combustion.
My students leave wondering whether I’ll remember their names tomorrow. Yours leave wondering whether they should increase their insurance coverage.
I remember the names. They remember “fffft.”
Different gunpowder. Same promise.
Glad we found each other. I go back on the 6th.
Chemist here. And excited reader now. Such a great idea and article. I will try it at my next start.it will definitely be impossible to live up to their expectations after such a start, but that comes later. We can still make gold :-)
We just got the vague details of the “videos & slides”!they want us to show on day one, period by period. I’m 27 years in and I totally agree with you on this. The first day sets the tone for the whole school, and when this “damage” is done on the first day in each class and period, we have lost them.
Yeah, they tell us what pages of the student handbook we have to go over on Day 1. That’s part of this too - if they’re mandating death by boredom on day one, they’re undercutting our entire mission and what they say they want us to do.
How many relationships are built when teachers just look like puppet authority figures, doing whatever dance they’re told to do?
What a great challenge to all teachers......MAKE THE GUNPOWDER, for “This teacher knows where we’re going. I might want to go with them" could be the best doorway back into learning possible!! I love every part of this article and this idea. Your voice and tone make me want to always read here. Thank you for writing.
thanks so much. Felt good to slip a little bit of cussing in there as well.