Marmara region Day 1

What do we need to prioritise on Day 1?

• getting to know the participants, 
• helping them forge strong relationships with their learners     

One of the most meaningful pieces of feedback I heard was from a teacher with about 15 years' experience who said that she realised (near the end of the two weeks) that she had been losing the kids each year for 15 years. That's an incredibly brave thing to admit. I hold you in high respect, hocam! 

I would be SO happy to put my son in your class. 

We can all (myself included) learn to do it better. 


'I' is for celebrating the individuals in the class: 

All learners are stars, as our display shows. Imagine doing this with your Young Learners :). You would learn a lot about them. 

'O' for Ownership: 
We included the group members in setting our classroom rules, just as we would our own students in class. Even Kindergarten children can contribute. If we want to teach children to respect rules, we should include their ideas as much as possible. 

'J' is for journey:
A training program or a school year with a class is like a journey. There is a beginning, many ups and downs, smooth and rocky patches, and an end of the road where we say goodbye. How do you chart the process with your learners? 

Don't think, 'oh yeah, I do a few 'get to know you activities' at the beginning of the year.' I'm afraid if you want your students to make the real progress they are capable, they need you to have a deeper understanding.