It's back to school

The start of the school year brings with it that invigorating smell of fresh stationery, new names, bright faces, and a to-do list that goes for days. Here are some of the best teacher tricks and secrets to get you off to a flying start.

The summer holidays might already seem like nothing more than a fond and distant memory, but there’s no reason why you can’t maintain that relaxed and rejuvenated vibe even as you work through the mountain of tasks you have to do for the return to school. With a bit of planning now, you can hit the ground running and stay ahead of the game for the rest of the year.

Set the scene

Whether you’re a primary teacher with your own classroom or a secondary teacher who moves around each period, it’s important to feel confident in your space. Planning the layout of the room – which may change from day to day based on the different ways you’d like your class to interact – is time well spent.

One or two inexpensive wall decals or a few eye-catching posters will help make it that little bit more inviting. Own the room and make sure your students take ownership of it, too, by requiring them to keep it orderly and respecting class rules when they are in it. Make it clear from the start that your classroom is a safe space where everyone is encouraged to take risks with their learning so they can challenge themselves, work to their potential, and rise to the high expectations you have of them.

Build rapport

Establishing a great working relationship with each of your students from the outset is critical. Research has proven that positive connections with a teacher, along with a teacher’s genuine interest in a student, has a highly significant and hugely beneficial impact on that student’s motivation, engagement and academic development. So get to know the children in your class by asking them about their interests and hobbies, and their hopes and dreams for life beyond school. Then, make sure you seize opportunities that allow you to relate the content of your lessons to something relevant and interesting to each of them.

Automate systems

Make a list of all the tasks that are unavoidable but that are tedious or take up a lot of time, then brainstorm ways to implement a more efficient system around it. Once you’ve designed something you’re happy with, communicate with your students so they’re aware of the way you’d like the classroom to run.

Take collecting homework, for instance. Rather than collecting it from each student individually and checking their name off the roll, set up a homework folder or basket with the roll attached. Students can drop their homework in by a certain time specified by you and tick their name off themselves. Or, if they haven’t got it, they can instead drop in a note explaining why it isn’t done and when they’ll turn it in.

Come report writing time, the roll and those notes from students will be helpful to track each student’s diligence and capacity to manage their time outside lessons.

Set reminders

Every teacher knows there’ll never be a time when you’re just kicking back in the staffroom, twiddling your thumbs out of boredom. The year is always packed with excursions, assessments, marking, reports, camps, parent-teacher meetings, assemblies, sports carnivals, professional development days … the list goes on. Take some time at the start of the year to go methodically through the school calendar and set reminders on your laptop or in your chronicle for one or two weeks before something is due to happen. That way, you’re less likely to get caught out at the last minute and you can enjoy that wonderful feeling of joy and relief when you’ve finished your reports before the deadline.

Schedule self-care

This last one is definitely easier said than done. The life of a teacher, while truly exciting and fulfilling, is also incredibly fast-paced. Safeguarding the wellbeing of teachers is increasingly becoming an important issue to which schools and society should pay careful attention. So that you don’t burn out, make sure you start the year with a view to scheduling time for yourself. It may be something as simple as noting the busiest times in each term and scheduling small breaks or rewards either during those periods or as bookends on either side of them.

A weekend away, a staycation, committing to regular times for exercise or relaxation – there are so many different ways to make sure that you’re kind to yourself. These little breaks can help you to maintain a healthy outlook, avoid wearing down your immune system, and sail through to the summer holidays.

Angelica Hannan is a secondary English teacher of more than twelve years who specialises in gifted education. She loves nothing more than helping students find exactly what it is that sparks their curiosity. Angelica is also a writer and researcher with a strong interest in sustainability, zero waste living, behavioural economics, and progressive education systems.