The Master Teacher Blog

Some of the most important tasks to accomplish during the first weeks of school are to learn what students know and can recall, where they may need to review and refresh their learning, and what will need to be retaught before moving forward with new content. Of course, it is best if we can engage students in activities that generate the information we need, while also reinforcing what students already know and building their confidence. A bonus is to have the process be interesting, engaging, and enjoyable. 

There are many potential approaches and strategies for gaining the information we seek. Here are five activities to consider.

Have students build “This I know” walls. For this activity, briefly refer to or describe a concept or skill that students have learned previously. Then ask students to write what they remember on sticky notes and place them on a wall poster you have labeled with the target concept or skill. You may have to offer some gentle probing and nudging to assist students to inventory their memories but resist reteaching at this point. Once students have finished placing their sticky notes, ask students to help you group the notes into subtopics or connected ideas. Follow with a discussion and debrief about what students know and where there are gaps that will require further attention. This activity can be a catalyst to ignite curiosity and motivation for students to fill in their understanding and be ready to move their learning forward.  

Provide student teams with blank or partially completed graphic organizers, timelines, or outlines to complete. Identify a previously learned multi-component concept, multi-part skill, sequence of events, multi-step process, or other content that is comprised of multiple parts, steps, or components. Have teams fill in the blanks with what they know about the components or relationships. The activity might involve a scientific process, a series of historical events, or a mathematical concept, or other content important to future learning. Depending on the age and maturity of your students and the concepts and skills involved, you might fill in some key blanks and gaps in advance to give students hints and guidance. It also might be advantageous to allow students to access resources that can assist them with the task but not immediately provide the answers.   

Design an information scavenger hunt. Create a list of questions that tap into learning from the past year that can help to set the stage for learning that lies ahead. Short answer and fill in the blank questions may work best for the purpose of this activity. Divide students into teams of two or three. In the first phase of the activity, students will respond to the questions they already know the answers to, without accessing resources other than their team members. When they are finished have them designate the answers they generated and with which all team members agreed. Responses to which there is not agreement should be deferred to the second phase. When students are ready, designate resources they can utilize to answer the remaining questions. You might limit the options to the textbook, tangible resources in the classroom, other teams, or you may open the options for students to search online. When the teams are finished, spend some time debriefing the activity, including what they already knew, what they learned, and where they remain uncertain. This activity can be a good stimulator for recall of past learning while also providing you with information about what may need to be reviewed and retaught before moving forward.

Give low stakes quizzes with a twist. Rather than only collecting question responses related to past learning, provide space next to each question for students to indicate whether they are certain their answer is correct, sort of sure, not sure at all. By collecting this next level of information, you can discern where students are solid and confident with past learning, where they have some recollection but may need review, and areas where more extensive review or reteaching will be necessary. Armed with this information, you can plan what needs to be reviewed and retaught, form flexible groups for instruction, and decide when students are ready to move forward with new learning.

Create retrospective anchor charts. Identify key concepts and skills that students typically struggle to recall or likely will need refreshing before they are ready to move forward. Capturing this information in a few anchor charts and posting them as you introduce new content will make it convenient to provide students with real time reminders and support you to offer quick reviews for students. They can also provide subtle reminders for students to access if they need reminders to fill in some gaps but do not need reteaching.

Armed with the information we have collected, we can plan the next steps in instruction and decide how best to group students in the initial weeks of school. Of course, any of these activities might be employed or repeated later in the year when we are ready to introduce new content or skills and need to know what students already know and can do. 

What if, by investing a few minutes each day, you could significantly reduce disruptive behavior, increase student engagement, and reclaim up to an hour of instruction time? What if, by investing a few minutes each day, you could dramatically lengthen and strengthen the impact of the feedback and praise you give to students, and build exceptionally strong connections with them to best support their learning? Seems impossible, right? Maybe not.

The truth is that we can gain all these benefits and more by regularly engaging in five simple practices. These practices do not require an exceptional amount of time, but they can generate exceptional benefits. Let’s explore these student-focused behaviors and why they can be so powerful. 

Positive, personal greetings. Meeting students at the door, greeting them by name, and giving fist bumps or similar gestures may not seem like much. However, studies show that warm greetings and brief check-ins can have a significant impact on how the day will go. One study found that these simple acts can increase student engagement by as much as 20% and reduce disruptive behavior by 9%. The difference can add up to as much as a full hour of additional instruction time per day!

Positive, specific feedback, compliments, and praise. Noticing and talking with students about their excellent attitude, improved effort, and other positive behaviors lets them know that they are seen, valued, and belong. We can make our messages even more powerful and memorable if we extend our message for as little as 20 seconds. By telling students what we noticed, why it is important, and the difference it made, we dramatically increase the impact and memorability of what we say.

Personal connections. There is amazing power in sharing what we are passionate about, people we admire, challenges we’ve faced, embarrassing moments, and other personal information that helps students understand and connect with who we are. Having students see us as regular people who share some of their life experiences and have overcome what life has presented can be a powerful connector. Of course, we need to avoid oversharing or being too personal or intimate but having students feel as though the know us beyond our professional role opens the door to stronger relationships and can build greater credibility. Sharing a few facts, stories, or interests every week can go a long way in building the connections we need to influence the students we teach. 

Individual conversations. Brief one-one-one conversations with students about how they are doing inside and outside of school also can open communication and build connections. The information we gain can help us to better understand, support, and motivate students. Meanwhile, students will appreciate the attention and interest we show. Setting aside time for conversations with a few students each week and rotating among students can make the conversations manageable while generating rich information that can help us to relate to and teach students.  

Invite input and listen to students. Students feel our trust and respect when we take the time to ask their opinions, seek their ideas, and listen to their perspectives. We might ask for their suggestions regarding class routines and rules. We can occasionally pause and seek input regarding what is and isn’t working for students. Depending on the age and maturity of our students, we might inquire about their preferences for how to approach a learning task. We may not always be able to accommodate and implement what students suggest, but when we listen, consider, and explain why we can or cannot use their input we demonstrate our respect for them and their perspectives.

Obviously, time is a precious resource. We want to use every minute to our advantage. The good news about these five practices is that by investing a few minutes every day and week, we can recapture time and accrue benefits that far outweigh the effort they require.

One of the most important and challenging beginning-of-the-year tasks is forming strong, positive, influential relationships with students. Building relationships with some students comes easily. We may have past experiences with them, they may be confident and ready to form a relationship with us, or they may share characteristics and behave in ways that draw us to them.

However, our challenge is to form influential relationships with all students. Not every student is immediately open to forming a relationship. Some students may lack the confidence or skills to respond to or reach out to us. Other students may have a history that makes relationship building difficult.

Consequently, we need a strategy that is broad and encompassing enough to invite, interest, and accept students, despite their backgrounds, experiences, and skills. Here are seven relationship-building “hooks” we can employ to communicate our care, demonstrate our respect, and create new connections.

First, lead with your heart. Students want to know we care. Caring counts for all students, but for students who struggle, have or are experiencing trauma, lack confidence, or are not certain they belong, our caring can make a crucial difference in how they feel and learn. Our empathy and compassion reassure and invite connections with students.

Second, demonstrate and expect honesty. If we want students to trust us, we need to articulate and model its importance. Our willingness to prioritize fairness, consistency, and transparency can assure students of our trustworthiness. Further, when we assume the honesty of students, we communicate our trust in them. Obviously, trust is at the heart of strong relationships.    

Third, consistently communicate and encourage hope. Students want to feel our belief in them and their success. We can treat their mistakes and setbacks as nothing more that temporary conditions and opportunities to learn and try again. Of course, our hope and confidence are most important when students do not feel the same way about themselves.   

Fourth, show your humanity. Sometimes students are surprised that teachers are real people who have lives outside of school. By sharing appropriate information about ourselves and our families, we invite students to understand and relate to us. Knowing our interests, our passions, and even our dislikes can be interesting and appealing to students. When we use personal experiences and examples to explain a concept or reinforce a point, we also make it more meaningful and memorable.  

Fifth, demonstrate humility. We are not­­­­­—nor should we pretend to be—perfect. Students often assume that teachers “know everything.” Consequently, our openness and willingness to admit our mistakes and learn from them can be surprising and reassuring. Our humility also makes us human and can facilitate relationship building.

Sixth, enjoy and share humor. Humor is a strong connection builder. Humor can break tension, relieve stress, and make us accessible to students. Delighting in the unexpected, appreciating irony, and even telling a weak “dad joke” can help students see us as safe for relationship building. However, we need to be careful to avoid humor that is disrespectful or at the expense of another person.

Seventh, look for ways to honor students. When we notice and value the experiences and cultures of our students, we send a message of respect. Recognizing and reinforcing positive behavior not only reduces incidents of negative behavior, but it also reassures students that we are paying attention and appreciate their cooperation. Finding frequent, small ways to honor effort, progress, and achievements communicates our expectations and support. Students are drawn to people who notice, value, and respect them.

Relationship building is important, but it is not always easy. We need good strategies and patience. These seven “hooks” can support a good start. What else have you found to be effective relationship building actions? Consider sharing your go-to secrets with your colleagues.   

In the coming weeks we will be meeting new groups of students. They will be making assumptions about us that will influence their behavior. We, too, may make assumptions about the students we meet that will influence how we perceive and engage with them.

While impressions and assumptions can create short-cuts for our thinking and decisions, they also can undermine our efforts to engineer a good start to the year and derail our attempts to form productive relationships with students. While quick judgments can feel efficient, they can mislead us in ways that threaten our effectiveness and make the success we seek more difficult to achieve. Consider these five potential missteps that can make our work more challenging and our students less successful.

Misstep #1: Assuming students have the skills and background knowledge presumed by the curriculum. It may be that the students we face in the fall did not complete last year’s curriculum or develop the skills necessary to succeed with this year’s curriculum. Or, they may have lost some of last year’s learning over the summer and need review and reteaching. We gain little by plowing ahead as though students are ready for learning challenges based on faulty assumptions. By setting aside time in the first weeks for some low-stakes assessments and diagnostics, we can gauge background knowledge and skill readiness. Time spent now preparing students for the learning that lies ahead can generate lasting benefits as the year unfolds.

Misstep #2: Presuming language skills reflect intelligence. The poor grammar we hear may reflect an absence of exposure and support. A student’s dialect may be more reflective of how family and friends speak than the capability of the student. Accents are more reflective of culture and language acquisition than learning potential. Meanwhile, students who seem well spoken may struggle with some content and skills and need more time and support to find success. Our challenge is to look past how students speak and commit to helping them learn and succeed regardless of their background and current language skills.

Misstep #3: Overinterpreting the absence of active engagement. The absence of student contributions, questions, or other interactions can be the result of many factors. Culture, natural shyness, and fear of mistakes can influence the choices students make about visible learning engagement. Some students need to feel comfortable and safe with us before they choose to engage. Other students may need more time to think and may seek ways to avoid the risk of public exposure. Still other students may need to see more purpose and relevance in what they are asked to learn before they are willing to invest. Taking time to get to know students and explore the causes of their behavior can help us to understand and respond in supportive and effective ways.

Misstep #4: Confusing students with their behavior. It is important to distinguish between our perceptions of students and their behavior. Character and behavior are not the same. A student who misbehaves or is not meeting expectations is not a bad person. Rather, their behavior may not be serving them well. We can accept and support the student while rejecting their behavior. We also need to keep in mind that our assumptions, expectations, and support can have a powerful influence on how students behave and whether they achieve.

Misstep #5: Allowing the behavior of siblings or past reputations to influence our expectations. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of being confused with or assumed to be the same as our siblings. It may be that older brothers or sisters were exceptionally strong students, or they may have not established a behavior record worthy of emulation. Regardless, such expectations are unfair and can lead to unrealistic or undeserved expectations. Similarly, students who have struggled in the past with other teachers may not necessarily struggle with us. They may find success if given an opportunity for a new start. Meanwhile, students who have excelled in the past may find learning in our classroom more of a challenge. We can avoid this danger by offering students a “clean slate” and building a relationship with them based on shared experiences.  

Without question, the first weeks of school will be filled with new experiences, new students, and new challenges. These are aspects of teaching that make it an exciting, self-renewing career. However, we need to guard against making assumptions that do not serve us and our students well, and that can derail our efforts to successfully launch the new year.

Hopefully, the summer has offered opportunities to disconnect from the press and stress of the past year and provided time to engage in other activities and endeavors. Mental and physical breaks are important to our health and feeling of well-being. They can also help us to refresh and re-energize.

However, the beginning of another school year will soon be upon us. These final weeks of summer can be a good time to begin to mentally re-engage. It can also be a time to revisit and maybe shift some important mindsets that can help us to have a successful start and sustain us throughout the year. Here are five perspectives that can help us to balance our thinking and inform our work as we prepare for what lies ahead.  

Less expectations for control and more prioritizing connection.

Classroom management is a key element in maintaining order and a focus on learning. We need to establish routines and clear behavior expectations. However, effective and sustainable classroom management requires more than setting rules and controlling behavior. The best classroom management grows out of mutual respect and strong, positive relationships with our students. Our success in the opening weeks of school and beyond will rest as much on the connections we make with students as they will on the rules we ask them to follow.

Less focus on covering content and more attention to nurturing learning.

For most of us, preparation to become a teacher focused heavily on how to organize and present content. Priority was often placed on coverage of what was contained in the formal curriculum. While these elements remain important, more crucial is what students understand, the purpose learning can serve, the ways in which they can use it, and the value they assign to it. A perfectly presented lesson carries little value if students fail to absorb, integrate, and retain what is presented to them. Now is a good time to remind ourselves that our work is nurturing learning, not just presenting content. We might think of our work as designing learning experiences, not planning lessons. Only when students are active participants in the teaching and learning process can we expect deep and lasting learning to result.

Less preoccupation with deficits and more valuing of assets.

It can be tempting to fall into the habit of focusing on what students do not know, what they cannot do, and the many things they do wrong. Students are not perfect, but every student has unique experiences, multiple strengths, and their own perceptions, perspectives, and strategies for managing life. The more we can identify, focus on, and leverage the valuable assets students possess the more we can build their confidence, gain their trust, and nurture their engagement. Of course, some students may not be convinced of their assets, and we may need patience and persistence to help them shift their thinking and begin to appreciate their assets.

Less pouring information in and more drawing insights out.

Many traditional teaching practices are based on the John Locke theory that students come as empty vessels and need to be filled with the information and knowledge that teachers present. Yet, we know that students come with many experiences, preferences, prior knowledge, and a desire to drive, or at least influence, what they learn. We also know that students learn better when they see connections to things they already know or have learned. The more we can draw out the ideas students have, help them make connections with what they already know, develop insights about what they are learning, and provide them with opportunities and options to influence and use what they learn, the more engagement, commitment, and learning retention we will see. 

Equal priority on products and process.  

During the school year, it is important to not only prioritize student success with grades, test scores, and other outcome measures, but also to equally value the learning process to obtain success along the way. While final products are important, they carry little value if the considerations, decisions, and processes necessary to generate them are ignored or lost. Increasingly, artificial intelligence can generate a product without students understanding context, being aware of sequences, or gaining crucial knowledge. Grasping key principles, managing essential information, developing core knowledge, and other process elements can be equally as important as generating a grade, obtaining a test score, or completing a project. The more we can help students to meaningfully engage in and value the processes that contribute to or generate important outcomes, the better prepared they will be for the world after graduation.

Undoubtedly, the coming year will be filled with its share of challenges and opportunities, delights and disappointments, successes and setbacks. Consider the balance of these five mindsets as you navigate what lies ahead. Also, feel free to add other mindsets that you have found helpful to guide your thinking and inform your actions. 

People commonly assume that those who possess special talents will naturally be more successful than those who do not. Similarly, some students often assume that their classmates possess talent that will make their learning and success easy and inevitable. Consequently, the perceived absence of obvious talent on their own part can lead some students to lower their expectations for their success and diminish their level and consistency of effort.  

Such perceptions, though, are not necessarily supported by experience and research. While innate talent certainly offers some advantages, it is only part of the formula that leads to success in learning and life. In fact, talent and effort play near equal roles in achieving success. Talent may make some aspects of learning easier, but effort creates the conditions necessary for talent to flourish. Consider how this truth is revealed in the words of Albert Einstein: “It is not that I am so smart. But I stay with questions much longer.” 

As we begin a new school year, it is important for our students to understand and tap the value of dedicating consistent effort to develop the talents they possess and overcome challenges in the areas where their talents may be less obvious. Here are five insights we can share with students to help them understand and manage this crucial relationship.  

Innate talent can make initial learning easier. Talent, the seemingly natural inclination toward a particular skill, topic, or discipline, can mean that initial learning requires less effort. However, talent takes many forms, and it may be obvious, latent, or developable. Some people display their talent(s) in clear and natural ways. Others possess talent but rarely display it due to circumstance, lack of confidence, or other factors. Still others may not currently demonstrate a particular talent, but with exploration and effort might develop exceptional skills and capabilities. 

Effort can accelerate and deepen learning. Effort has the potential to overcome multiple barriers, including the lack of background knowledge and experience or an absence of opportunities and support to develop a talent. When given consistently, effort can fill experience gaps, reveal hidden potential, and help an individual develop skills and tools that overcome the absence of obvious natural talent.  

Curiosity and interest are crucial contributors to the development of talent and consistency of effort. Exploration and discovery can be the fuel that drives the development of talent and the investment of effort. Feeding interest, providing opportunities to explore, and allowing students to discover can be powerful ways to reveal potential talent and inspire students to invest their energy to learn and develop skills. Meanwhile, we can tap interest that occurs naturally or help students build it through creating experiences, building relationships, and nurturing a sense of value or purpose.  

Talent that is not supported by consistent effort never fully develops. Having obvious or potential talent carries little long-term value unless it is supported and developed through consistent effort. In fact, talent that is not developed offers few benefits and often leads to frustration and regret. Curiosity, experience, and opportunity can lead to the discovery of potential talent, but its development requires commitment and effort.  

Focused, consistent effort can overcome a lack of natural talent. Some students may not possess obvious talent, but they have the power to decide whether and where to invest their effort. Talent supported by effort can be a potent combination, or effort can compensate for the absence of specific talent. In fact, over time, effort can mimic and even substitute for much of what talent can offer.  

The bottom line: Talent may be naturally bestowed, but effort lies within the control of each student. The progress they make and the success they achieve will be determined as much by the effort they give as by the talent they possess.  

The first days of a new school year are typically filled with anticipation and excitement—and some nervousness. As teachers, we are engaged in a new beginning. We have an agenda and a plan, and we can shape the path that lies ahead.

Students experience many of the same feelings. However, they have less control over what lies ahead and thus feel even more uncertainty about what the experience will be like. Consequently, they come with many questions, even if they may not ask them explicitly.

As we think about the first days of the new year, we might consider the questions students will have so that we can think about how we will answer them in ways that set a positive tone and preview an attractive, meaningful, and reassuring start to their learning journey. Here are six questions we can be sure are on students’ minds and to which they are hoping for answers.

“Is my teacher interested in me?” For students we have not had in the past, the first week of school is too early to have a relationship, but students will be looking for clues to discern whether a positive relationship is likely. Do we greet students as they arrive in our classroom? Do we make eye contact and notice their presence? Is it obvious that we are committed to learning their names? Are we interested in learning something about them?

“Do I feel like I am accepted and belong?” We might plan some community-building activities to help students reconnect with existing friends and discover potential new friends. We can share the classroom behavior norms and rules, including the reasons behind them. Even better, we can engage students in the discussion and development of norms and behavior expectations. When we do, they will be more likely to feel ownership of and accept and abide by what is decided. Remember: Students will be asking themselves whether they can be themselves or if they must monitor and modify their behavior to fit in.

“What is expected of me?” Students are likely to want to know if they will be expected to sit and listen, or if they will be invited and encouraged to contribute ideas, insights, and experiences. Will learning be directed or co-constructed? We can share examples of how we will design and approach learning tasks and challenges. We might share an estimate of how much out-of-class time students should expect to spend on assignments and projects. We should also consider discussing how much background knowledge will be necessary to succeed in this class and how we will help students to fill any knowledge gaps.

“What am I going to learn?” This is a time to “sell” what we intend to teach. Students will likely be asking themselves whether the content sounds interesting and how they might use or benefit from what they will learn. This is a great time to answer the “why” of learning the content and skills we will be introducing and nurturing during the class.

“Can I be successful?” To reduce our new students’ fears of failure, we might share tips and strategies that previous students have found helpful. We can assure students that we expect them to succeed—and believe they will. We might also share with students the supports available should they begin to struggle.

“Is this a class that I will enjoy?” The answer to this question rests on what students have learned from the first five questions. If students feel that we are interested in them and want them to feel accepted, and if they believe that they can participate and be successful, this is likely to be a class to which they will look forward and in which they will invest.

We only have one opportunity to get off to a good start. It is worth the time and effort to think through what students want to know and how we can provide the information and assurance they will be seeking.

There may have been a time when parents, family members, and other caregivers deferred to their child’s teacher and trusted that said teacher would do what was necessary to support their child’s learning. Families may have sent their child to school without a specific expectation to hear from the teacher unless there was a problem. However, if they existed, those days are long gone.

Parents and caregivers today expect to be informed. They want to know who we are, how we will support their child, and what we will do to ensure their success. They also seek assurance that we value them and want their involvement. Of course, they also want to hear that we are committed to and enthusiastic about our work.

With this context in mind, taking a proactive approach to communicating with parents is a wise decision. As we approach the beginning of the new year, it would be wise for us to develop and share with parents the information and reassurance they seek while also setting the stage for a strong, positive relationship.

Obviously, we need to share information on beginning-of-school logistics, including schedules, necessary supplies, and other need-to-know information. In addition, we might share with parents several key messages to introduce ourselves and reassure them of our commitment to their child’s success and our readiness to partner with them. Here are five key parent and caregiver messages to consider, modify, and share before the year begins.

I am looking forward to getting to know your child and building a relationship with them. You might discuss the early and ongoing activities you have planned to help their child feel welcome and develop a sense of belonging. Share your anticipation of the opportunity to learn the child’s unique personality, strengths, and interests. Invite parents to share any concerns, advice, and hopes that they believe would be helpful to your getting to know their child and forming a relationship. The invitation might be general and informal, and it may be followed by a survey or, if practical, a conversation with the child’s parents or caregivers.

I look forward to developing a productive partnership with you on your child’s behalf. Note that a crucial component of learning and social success is a sense of shared commitment and expectations among the adults in a child’s life. A strong partnership featuring frequent and timely communication and coordination of effort can make an enormous difference for students, especially when they struggle or lose focus. Provide parents with specific options and opportunities to connect with you. Share examples of when parents can expect to hear from you and what they can do if they have questions, concerns, or need to connect. This also is a good time to highlight school events, opportunities to volunteer, and other avenues for parents to participate as partners in their child’s school life.

I am committed to your child’s success. Be explicit in your commitment to make each day an important experience and step in the child’s learning journey. Emphasize the importance of regular reinforcement of past learning, building learning through the introduction of new concepts and skills, and the crucial role of practice to strengthen and lengthen retention of what is learned. Underscore the importance of the child’s regular attendance to sustain strong relationships with classmates, maintain learning momentum, and build continuity and rhythm in the school experience.

I want to help your child grow intellectually, develop socially, and gain strength of character. Remind them that while formal education is about building academic knowledge and skills, a strong, well-rounded education also helps students to develop and manage relationships with others. Further, for students to make the best use of what they learn, they need to grow their character. Honesty, compassion, fairness, responsibility, and other character elements help students become more than informed and knowledgeable; they become better people.  

I am excited and energized to begin a new learning journey with your child. You cannot know all that lies ahead in the coming months. There will be hours of exhilaration, days of disappointment, and weeks of amazing progress. Yet, with each step in the journey, you will be creating with their child a unique path of learning and growth. You can expect some twists and turns, maybe even a few side trips, but you can assure parents that your focus will remain on building knowledge and skills, nurturing good people, and encouraging their best work.

The beginning of school is an exciting time, but it is also crucial to setting the stage for a successful year. Sharing key messages of reassurance, expectations, and commitment can help us get off to a great start.