Time to celebrate

We are almost to the end of the first academic term. Student projects are coming to an end, assessments are being marked and the box of chocolates is circulating the office and classroom. Will power is low due to the holidays approaching and resisting the sugary wrapped treats is unsuccessful.

This first term is always an important one, it sets the tone for the rest of the year and victories won during this term should be celebrated as the end of the term and the year approaches.

You may have used new teaching strategies such as starter activities, assessment methods or implemented classroom management techniques. Consider how these strategies worked, be pleased with yourself for trying something new, too often in our teaching practice it’s easy to stick to the tried and tested methods.

You might have started the academic year well by setting positive routines such as sessions starting on time and breaks that have been are kept to time. Your teacher to student relationships have been formed and are proving effective. For me this time of year to celebrate your progress as a teacher and your student progress.

For me this quote sums it up ‘Students will remember little of what you taught them, but will never forget the way you make them feel.’ Celebrating progress is important, it might look different for every student, for some it will mean arriving to sessions on time, being a little more organised, learning what language to use and when certain words are not appropriate to shout out in class. It might be the work students have produced, their response to feedback both written and verbal you have given them.

What are you celebrating? It might be the relationship and rapport built up with your students, this foundation will help you both in the terms to come. So how will you celebrate your students as you come to the end of the term?

• How about a small card, an image that means something to the group, with a general worded message that you can personalise for each student.

• At an FE college, staff could send texts to students (which were then recorded in the student’s profile). This was a method that would work time and time again, and be appreciated by my students.

• Have one to ones with your students and take time to praise their progress face to face.

• Prepare a small seasonal treat and attach a label with some personalised words for each student.

I know these above ideas are time consuming, and what teacher has time? These things in my experience mean a lot to students, just as their thank you notes and comments mean a lot to us. Remember it is not the gift itself, it is that you made the time to celebrate them and their progress. What is important this act of celebration is how it makes them feel and how this will impact their learning in the New Year.

This was a blog originally posted on my previous blogging platform