It doesn’t matter whether you have been in the teaching game long enough or you are still new in the system, it is great to always design how the rest of the school year would look from the very beginning.
A lot of students joining your class for the first time would have lots of questions in their minds. They would be wondering if their teacher would understand them if they would be able to cope with other students in class and how they would feel being in your class.
All these questions would be hovering in the minds of your students and it would demand answers.
Every student is unique in their ways. They have different stories, challenges, experiences, aspirations, and dreams.
Therefore, it is the job of a good teacher to go beyond mere introductions.
There is a high need to knowing who our students truly are and give them listening ears each time they speak to us.
Knowing our students has a way of improving their learning pace and our teaching too.
So, in this piece, you will know the 6 important questions to ask students meeting you for the first time in class.
Can you identify your greatest strength?
Every one of us has things that we are good at. There are things that we do effortlessly without even blinking an eye, those are our strengths.
And as teachers, it is our job to aid our students in recognizing and utilizing their strengths.
If we encourage our students to make good use of their qualities, we will improve their confidence, motivate them to achieve greater things, and, the student-teacher relationship will be increased.
As different as each student is, identifying their individual qualities would make this questioning session easier and you as the teacher would categorize them accordingly.
Define ‘success in this class’ in your terms
Success is defined differently. For some people. it means them achieving their goals, while for some others, it may mean them being tops in class.
As teachers, it is your core responsibility to help students find out what success means to them.
This can be done by having a class discussion on what success looks like generally before relating it to them personally.
If a teacher understands what success means to the students, it would help the teacher to understand how the students perceive themselves, it will motivate them and the teachers would adjust their expectations of them.
What do you love engaging in outside of class?
Everyone has got lives outside of the school environment. It is the responsibility of teachers to know what the students engage themselves with outside the school.
When you ask this question, students will know that you care about their activities outside of the school walls.
It would increase their trust in you because they see you as one who is interested in their welfare.
Teachers can also adjust their teaching procedures to encourage learning through their hobbies.
What strategies do you employ when classwork seems challenging?
This question and the answer got from it will give the teacher an insight into how the student can learn effectively.
A teacher can provide support to the students in identifying and using their different approaches to learning while in class.
Describe your ‘working environment’ at home?
It is important for teachers to know how supportive their learning environment is at home.
This may include access to a quiet space, good internet connection, access to learning materials e.t.c.
If teachers are armed with this knowledge, they will in turn support their students.
How do you want me to teach you in class?
Different learners know their learning preferences and what they don’t like more than anyone else.
They are the best persons to provide feedback on whether they are learning adequately or not.
A good teacher should know how the students want their teaching to go and it should be incorporated for a better classroom experience.
Conclusion
The start of the school year is always exciting, it is the best time to know your students more than just surface-level knowledge.
When you know them better, then, you can readjust your teaching method to suit their needs and improve classroom learning.
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