The Return

This post comes at the hinges of many educators getting ready to return to work after the Christmas holidays. If you are like me, you so much needed the Christmas break. It should have been a time for you to re-energize, binge eat, binge watch a Netflix or Hulu series, sleep in, play unlimited hours of video games, and spend time with family. All of the things that I just mentioned are stress relievers (a topic that I will deal with at length during a later post) and something that we as educators need to cultivate and learn to do more of on a regular basis and not just during breaks.

However, I want you as the educator, parent, blog reader, etc to think about our students that are preparing to return back to school. This can be a joy for many students because the environment that they live in is not the most stable or safe environment. School has become a safe haven for them. Then there are others that do not like school at all and are just coming to keep their parents out of jail or because their parents are forcing them to come. At any rate you, the teacher, will be getting both of those students back in the classroom. What will make the difference in each of these student's return to school? YOU will! You, the teacher, will be the change agent, be it positive or negative, in that student's return to school. As educators we must realize that we possess the power to literally change a student's life from simply the way in which we view them and treat them. Even though you may not want to be back at work because your break was too short, never let the students know that. You must enter your classroom knowing that you are getting ready to impact a child's life for eternity. Like the rock thrown in a ocean, you initially do not see the impact, but the waves carry on for miles. Just like that, what you will do upon your return into the classroom from the break will set the atmosphere and send waves for the rest of the semester. Below are some tips to keep in mind as you begin a new semester:

1. Reestablish the rules and procedures for the classroom-Even though you may think they should remember the rules, never assume this. 
2. Be organized- No child wants to come into an environment, especially from a break, where the teacher is not organized and does not know what he/she is going to do next. 
3.  Rebuild relationships that were rocky or had been damaged during the 1st semester- No matter what happened you will have to look at and interact with that student for the next 90 or so school days. 
4. Say hi, hello, what's up, how is your day going, to at least 10 students a day- You never know how much just these few words will change a student's day.  
5. Greet the students as they enter your classroom- This sets the atmosphere and boost morale in your classroom.  

These are just a few ideas to assist you in creating a welcoming atmosphere as your students return from the break. Feel free to leave a comment or follow me on Twitter @dbchandler28 .