Beginnings: The Student
This summer we’ve enjoyed a pair of orioles visiting the feeder on our front deck. The other morning, they introduced their babies to the feeder. It was clear that these juvenile birds were experiencing the wider world for the first time. Whereas the adult orioles always fly in, slurp up their treat, and fly off while keeping a wary eye out for danger, these young birds hopped around the deck. They perched on the chair backs. They ventured close to the windows. They balanced on the edges of flowerpots, exploring this new world. I watched these young orioles and thought how very like young first graders they were.
Young children and the young birds are both curious. They explore with their bodies, they touch, see, listen, and taste. Danger in their surroundings is not an eminent threat. They are immersed in the here and now—life outside their periphery is held at bay. Their days are filled with wonder. That quickly changes, however, as both the birds and children gain experience. In just a few days, the young orioles swoop in, grab a snack, and depart just as the adult birds do. The process is slower in children, but experience teaches them to control their curiosity, to be aware of life in a broader sense, to hone their sense of focus. This is good; it’s how we are created. As teachers, we have the opportunity to share in this process. It’s a responsibility we should not take lightly.
A New Term and First Grade (or Kindergarten)
In a few weeks, new students will enter the classroom. This world of school is a brand-new experience for them. They may have visited before. They may even have spent a few days at preschool or kindergarten the term before, but maybe not. They may know their teacher and classmates, but they may not. Teacher, you get to help them adjust to this world away from home.
The kindergarten or first grade classroom is a special place. Most students enter with high expectations. They are “big enough” to go to school. They will learn to read and write. They will spend time with their friends. They are going to have a good time. But, with those expectations also come some fears. School is a strange place. Mom and Dad are not there. The teacher is an unknown quality. The other students may be strangers.
Handle your beginners with care. Understand that beneath their excitement of this new adventure, lie some fears and anxieties. On the first day of school welcome them to your classroom with their name. Show them where to put their things and where to sit. Give them something to do. Make sure they know where the restrooms are. Teach them the new games. Let each student know by your actions that you notice them and will take care of them at school.
Beginners have a lot to learn. Not only are they going to learn to read and write and figure; they need to learn to sit in a desk, speak only with permission, walk in a line, share their time and space with other students, follow procedures, and much more. They need to learn to pay attention and focus on class, to do their lessons in a timely manner, and to complete the whole assignment even when they don’t feel like it. They need to learn how to learn. We ask a lot of beginners during those first days of school. Never before have they been asked to sustain their focus for six hours straight. Never before have routines been so restrained for so long. Yes, we give them breaks, but even those breaks are structured. Thankfully, young children are flexible. They soon learn to fit the new schedules, but it is good to realize how strange this world of school is to a beginner.
Young students learn with all their senses, so you as a teacher need to make use of their senses when you teach. You tell them the information, you demonstrate or show the information, and you get them to handle the information. Young students enjoy the process of discovery as they learn new things. As the teacher, you guide the discovery process. Use questions to start their thinking. When teaching the sound of /d/, show them a picture of a duck, ask them what it is, ask them to say the word duck and listen for the first sound, ask them what sound they hear at the beginning. Let them discover the /d/ sound in their ears and on their tongue. Engage as many senses as possible to invite students to learn. And if they are enjoying the process, they don’t know they are learning.
Don’t be surprised at how basic you must be when teaching young students new things—even something as basic as how to hold their pencil and where to start on a page. I’ve heard teachers say, “But I can’t make it any simpler than this.” Usually, you can if you use your imagination and break things down to the simplest part. A writing lesson on “d” may begin with touching the starting dot with your finger and tracing it. It may need to begin with the teacher holding the hand of the student as they air-write “d” to guide their motion. Keep your teaching simple and basic to start with. If students aren’t connecting with the material, back up and try again.
A New Term and Second Grade
Second graders are no longer beginners. They can read and write and are able to do basic math facts. They are no longer the youngest in the school. However, be prepared for how much second graders have forgotten over the sun-filled summer days. Some of those students will not have opened a book for three months, much less practiced 5 + 4. Often students return to second grade with the skill level of what they knew last March. They have some catching up to do. This is normal. Don’t panic. If they were doing well at the end of first grade, they will soon be back on grade level.
Many second-grade curriculums don’t take this learning loss into consideration but start off with second grade level work that has more text, more writing, and so on than they were used to in first grade. This can be daunting to a child who realizes this is not first grade anymore. To build student confidence and cut down on teacher frustration, plan to do a lot of work in class the first weeks. Read text and directions chorally (together). Discuss answers. Help them get over this hump. They will soon be back in school mode and ready to move on by themselves.
A New Term and the Rest of the Students
As students return to school, they have adjustments to make. They may have a new teacher. They may have a different classroom. Some of them may be ready to dive into the school world again; others may wish they could still be working outside. Sitting at a desk and learning new routines can take some time.
Every student wants you as the teacher to notice them and appreciate them as a person. Some students will go out of their way to let you know that they don’t need your approval—but they really do. You may need to be more subtle about how you give your approval. Whereas young students thrive on one-to-one notice and attention; older students just want to fit into the group.
Build rapport with your students by being kind, showing appreciation, and staying consistent. Be the teacher in charge, not their buddy. Use praise with caution; never gush over a student, but a thank you is never wrong. Watch out for cliques, don’t play favorites, don’t let one sanguine or choleric personality make all the decisions. Use appropriate humor, tell stories, and teach the lesson well. Demand excellence with a realistic but high bar for performance. Enjoy school life with your students.
Students who step into your classroom this fall have several basic desires and fears. They want to learn; can this teacher teach them? They want to be safe; can they trust this teacher? They want to be appreciated; can this teacher see below their exterior and know who they really are? May God go with you as you welcome your students to class.
