Daily board schedule- Starting each day out structured is great for the students. When they come into the classroom, by having a schedule listed on the board, it lets them know the plan for the day and it eliminates questions or concerns.
Communicate with families- Direct engagement with parents is one of the most important actions you can partake in as an educator. Giving the parents a face to a name, helps break down barriers and make them more comfortable. Also, then you can build meaningful relationships with the parents, which will in return benefit the student.
Project based learning- This type of learning makes students responsible for their learning. This puts them in the driver’s seat of their education and helps them to think on a critical level. Students learn how to solve problems, communicate with others and build social skills in the process.
Greet students at the door- I started doing this at the beginning of the school year and the students loved it. So much so, that if I wasn’t out there greeting them, they thought I had a substitute teacher. They love knowing that someone cares enough about them to greet them at the door and speak life into their lives in the process.
Be flexible- It’s important to remember that high school students are also going through things in their life that are unfortunate. Therefore, there is power in being flexible. Students really cling to a teacher that challenges them, teaches them, and knows that there are things going on outside of high school that they have no control of.
