Teaching your classroom management plan is critical on the first day of school.
100 percent, cannot be missed.
It’s also smart to begin modeling and practicing basic routines, setting high work-habit expectations, and teaching at least one great academic lesson.
All are essential elements, to be sure.
But to effectively launch a SCM classroom, there is one thing that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
It’s a bit counterintuitive, especially for those who believe you shouldn’t smile for the first month of the school year. However, it’s key to building fast rapport, getting parents on your side, and making your consequences matter to students.
Do you know what it is?
If you’re a longtime practitioner of the SCM approach, then it’s already part of who you are and how you manage your classroom.
It is this: When your students leave for home after the first day of school, they must already love being in your class.
This is my number one goal.
Because, when your students feel lucky that you’re their teacher, they’ll want to listen to you, behave for you, and please you. This gives you powerful, behavior-transforming leverage.
All of our strategies here at SCM support and enhance this goal. But to hit the ground running, you must put the love of your class at the top of your first-day-of-school to-do list.
The good news is that it’s easy.
- Smile and greet each student as they enter.
- Tell a great story.
- Maintain a spirit of humor.
- Enjoy teaching your plan and routines.
- Get them up and moving.
- Teach with passion and clarity.
- Let every student experience success.
In other words, embrace SCM from the start. Don’t ease into it or feel as if you have to put on an air of toughness.
Instead, have fun and be friendly and pleasant from the very first minute. This doesn’t mean you need to throw a party or plan an outrageous getting-to-know-you game.
It just means that whatever you have planned, make it interesting. Make it exceptional and enjoyable. Put yourself in their shoes. Ease their fears. Make them smile. Cause them to run home at the end of the day excited.
“Oh my gosh, my teacher is awesome!”
This is what you want on the first day. To leave your students happily shaken, with a buzzing in their ears and a slow-fading glow from a classroom experience they never expected.
In this way, as long as you follow through on your promises, you can create your dream class in a single day.
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