School's Almost Here!

Hello Everyone!

As promised, I am going to post one of my pieces that I wrote at one of my workshops this week. With school coming up, I thought this would be a good time to share it, since school is almost here! I am ready for school to start, I am SERIOUSLY getting excited about the new year. My heart skips a few beats every time I walk into Target and see all the supplies out!

First Impressions

As each school year begins, teachers and students alike are excited and nervous. We all wish for a great year together, parented included. Being prepared is vital to making a good first impression to start the year off smoothly.

As a teacher, your classroom is a reflection of yourself, because of this, teachers spend many hours before "Meet the Teacher Night" preparing their room. A teacher's classroom can send many messages to parents and students. An organized, clean class shows things run smoothly and orderly. A classroom with well stocked bookshelves, buckets of supplies and manipulatives communicates that the classroom will be a place where an abundance of learning will occur. A classroom with encouraging sayings and educational reminders tell students it's okay to make mistakes and to keep trying.

Along with a teacher's classroom, her appearance and personality also contribute to making a great first impression. When parents and students first meet their teacher, they will look at her outfit. If a teacher is not dressed as a professional, she will not be viewed or treated as such. A teacher's ability to communicate is important as well. They not only need to speak with eloquence and intelligence, they also need to be friendly and warm. This will let parents know that you are competent and compassionate to not only educated, but care for their child as well.

As I look back to my very first "Meet the Teacher Night", I remember how nervous I was. There I was, a first year teacher, looking young. I worried about my first impression on parents and students. The fact that I looked so young worried me. It worried me that parents would not find me competent, since I lacked experience. I realized to make up for that, I needed to make a great first impression.

All of these things take preparation and time on the teacher's end. Being a prepared teacher will, without a doubt, start the year off on the right food to help aide toward a successful school year.

Thanks for checkin' in!
Meghan