consistency

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Home : 2002 : May : 5

consistency
By Dedi

This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but my advice is to deviate as little as possible from the original teacher's procedures/routines. Even if you disagree with certain aspects of the classroom management or think
you can do them much better, it is best not to try to make any sweeping changes right away-- you will meet with much less opposition from both parents and students. Also, don't get discouraged if the children are not as well behaved or motivated as you might have hoped-- the end of the year has already set in in many classrooms. You may find that some students have renewed interest because

you are a new person to impress, while others may be uncomfortable at first because you are a new person, or even worse, may be worse because you are "not the real teacher."

I don't think you need to spend too much time on icebreaker activities, because they all know each other already. One long term substitute at my school did a few of these activities, but also had a neat idea: she split the class into 5 groups and let 1 group stay in the classroom to eat lunch with her each day for the first week, so she would have a better chance to get to know them individually. The parents ane principal were both very impressed. My suggestion is to take it slow your first day or two, giving them plenty of time to warm up to you, and trust in yourself-- you'll do great!