In this third course in this salary advancement course series for teachers, you will read chapter 12 and look back at chapter 14 of the book The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher (5th edition) by Harry and Rosemary Wong. These chapters involve introducing yourself to students and starting class effectively. You will also analyze resources and classroom videos from effective teachers like Tyler Hester (Educators Thriving). Often, being a teacher in a classroom can be like living on your own island. It is not very often that educators are able to peek behind the curtain and see what other teachers are doing, and learn from one another. Even less often are we able to see how the really effective ones start off their school year. 

How are some teachers able to maintain complete control of their classroom at all times, while others have to beg their students just to be quiet? What does giving a warning or sending a student to time out look like? What does enforcing a consequence on multiple students at the same time look like? What does “build relationships” with students truly look like?? This course takes you beyond the simple answers and verbal descriptions and aims to SHOW you, not just TELL you, what effective teaching looks like.

Aside from all of that, the majority of this course actually involves doing all of the tasks that come with creating or updating your lesson plans for the first days of the year. Whether you are a new or veteran teacher, if you need units to advance, want to learn how to be a more effective teacher, or just want to have a more organized and calm classroom next year, what are you waiting for? Enroll in this series.