10 Tips for Heading Back to School (Teacher Edition)

Hi everyone! It's that time of the year again: a new school semester and year. I thought I'd get these posts out early because this time of year can be tough. Hopefully, these 3 posts from August 7 to August 9 will help out.

Here are 10 tips for heading back to school, teacher/professor edition.

Tip 1: Understand that your students, new or returning, may have some beginning-of-the-semester jitters.

I get beginning-of-the-semester jitters practically every semester, even if I've had a professor or two in past semesters and know what to expect from them. For me, at least, once a week or two has passed, the jitters have passed. Teachers: I'm asking that you be patient during the first week or two to allow for the jitters to pass.

Tip 2: During the first couple of weeks, regularly remind your students that you're available outside of class.

This is especially true for high school teachers and college/university professors who teach freshman and sophomore students. They're new, and although sophomore students have a better grip on what to do and not do, school can still be nerve-wracking. Letting your students know that you're available to talk and help will ultimately allow them to better succeed. Whether your availability is during official office hours, before/after class, or during recess and lunch, your students need to know when you're available.

Tip 3: Try to get assignments graded and returned in a timely fashion.

Getting assignments - quizzes, tests, papers, etc. - back in a timely fashion help students know how they're doing and if they need to work harder on the upcoming assignments. If something comes up and you can't get assignments back, with grades, in a timely fashion, your students will understand. You just need to let them know that it may take a little while longer.

Tip 4: If you graded an essay or paper, and didn't give it a 95-100%, explain a little why more points weren't given.

As a student, it's a bit bothersome if we don't get full credit on an essay or paper, and there's nothing suggesting why we didn't get full credit. Even if it's something as simple as "Grammar needs improvement" or "Paragraphs X, Y, and Z weren't necessary," give us a little information why we didn't get full credit. That way, we can know where we can improve for the next essay or paper.

Tip 5: If you assign quizzes and tests, be aware of the time.

In most class situations, you only have 1 hour and 15 minutes for students to complete a quiz or test. The quiz or test may not take the entire 75 minutes for every single student, but being aware of the time will help you decide if you'll have time to do anything else during class that day.

Tip 6: If you assign quizzes and tests where submissions happen online, allow for the submission to occur within a time frame of a couple days.

Planning online classes and assignments can be tough. However, if the quizzes and tests you assign are taken and submitted online, allow for at least 3 days for submission. This way, the student can do it during a time where their attention can be solely on the quiz or test and not on 5 things including the quiz or test.

Tip 7: If you plan to lecture and have a quiz in one class period, and your class is in person, do the quiz during the last 15 minutes of class.

Most students are okay with taking a quiz in class, it annoys us a little when we take it at the beginning of class and we still have an entire lecture to get through. Most of us are mentally checked out after a quiz. While it makes sense why you'd have it at the beginning (students aren't worrying about it during the lecture), assigning it at the beginning runs the risk of students not paying attention to the lecture since they are mentally checked out afterward. Doing it after the lecture allows the student to take it during their time (not limited to the first 15 minutes of class) and then leave class afterward.

Tip 8: Don't assign reading just for the sake of assigning reading.

Most of the time, it's obvious when books are assigned just for the sake of assigning reading. We most likely won't read the book if it seems like you, as the instructor, assigned the book just for the sake of assigning a book to read. Assign books that directly relate to the class somehow and will enhance our learning as students.

Tip 9: Allow for discussion during or after the lecture.

With certain classes (math, science, and some others), in-class discussions isn't really part of the setup of the course. However, if you're teaching a history, English, or any class where some sort of analysis comes into play to some extent, then allow some time for discussion. Discussion helps students to better understand a topic if they can voice their own understanding of the lecture.

Tip 10: It's okay to keep things simple.

I feel like some teachers and professors try to get too much into a single day or semester. This will only stress everyone out, the teacher and the students alike. Keeping the agenda of the day and semester is perfectly okay, because that allows for the student to better succeed.