When you’re gearing up for a new semester, you have an exciting opportunity to refresh your classroom and strategies to better support student learning and engagement. Today we’ve got ten things you can do to get geared up for the new semester, and we’re breaking these into physical environment, emotional environment and academic environment.

Resources

Brittany’s Blog Post

https://thecoloradoclassroom.com/2020/01/starting-new-semester-off.html

Related Episodes

Ep 1: https://pod.link/1708462661/episode/12356ae8cdb4c26e8b3a84044526094d

Ep 4 https://pod.link/1708462661/episode/a464bfec4a7a0117e3e57c6d59fc39e5

Ep 13: https://pod.link/1708462661/episode/91804ee8af24cc76968872078c8455f0

Ep 31: https://pod.link/1708462661/episode/a29cba7ff792e5c82bba72a2b81f5275

Ep: 47: https://pod.link/1708462661/episode/83e7732049cf645554a5abc0b2680563

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Mentioned in this episode:

Make your social studies lessons engaging and interesting!

Explore ancient Egypt by writing notes about the mummification process inside a mummy and build the landscape of the great pyramid out of two sheets of paper. In ancient Greece, students create their own polis (little town), compete in the games, and explore Alexander’s conquests. And if you want to explore Mexico, students can simply color a map, or digitally, they can try to put the landscape formations into the correct places and label the map, all with the mouse. Stop by The Colorado Classroom on Teachers Pay Teachers to choose the next unit your students will rave about.

Ellie 0:00

Are you getting ready for the second semester of the school year or the first semester? When you're gearing up for a new semester, you have an exciting opportunity to refresh your classroom and strategies to better support student learning and engagement. Welcome to The Teaching Toolbox Podcast. I'm Ellie and I'm here with my friend Brittany.

Brittany 0:39

Hello,

Ellie 0:41

And today we've got 10 things you can do to get geared up for the new semester, and we're breaking those into physical environment, emotional environment, and academic environment.

Brittany 0:51

Let's look at things to do in the physical environment first. Number one, revamp your classroom seating, rearrange the seating plan to foster a more collaborative or focused learning environment. Consider grouping desks for cooperative learning or creating individual spaces for independent work. Flexible seating options like bean bags or standing desks could also be introduced to accommodate different learning styles.

Ellie 1:21

Oh, and we have an episode strictly about seating, don't we?

Brittany 1:25

We do!

Ellie 1:25

So we'll have to link that in the show notes, in case we want to think more about seating.

Brittany 1:29

Number two, organize or reorganize your classroom materials. Take time to declutter and organize your classroom supplies. Labeling bins, creating easily accessible resource center,s and ensuring that materials are well stocked can save time and reduce stress during the semester. An organized space also helps students stay focused and organized themselves. And number three, organize or reorganize your systems. We have a podcast on this as well. Take time to think about how your systems, like your bathroom checkout, your goal marking, your discipline area, your library checkout, etc, are going and if adjustments need to be made. Maybe an area needs more or less space. Perhaps a bulletin board needs to be added, or distractors need to be lessened. Take the time to do those things now so you can explain them to the class when they return.

Ellie 2:31

Were you a big bulletin board switcher? Like, did you switch your bulletin boards a lot?

Brittany 2:36

No,

Ellie 2:36

Just wondered. You know, sometimes, like every month, it's like, oh, new bulletin board, do something new. And other times I'dd be like, No, that's fine. It can stay.

Brittany 2:44

I was not a peppy bulletin board person.

Ellie 2:47

Next up, emotional environment. So you can review and update your classroom rules. Start the semester by revisiting the classroom rules and expectations. This can be done through a class discussion or interactive activity to ensure students understand and buy into the guidelines. Updating rules based on past experiences can help address any issues and set a positive tone. Second, you can revise the discipline plan if you think you need to. Reflect on the effectiveness of your current discipline plan. If certain strategies aren't working, consider incorporating new approaches, such as restorative practices, positive behavior interventions or a more consistent reward system. Clear communication and consistency are key to an effective discipline plan. Third, set academic and behavioral goals, establish clear academic and behavioral goals for the semester. Share these goals with your students and involve them in setting their own individual targets. This can foster a sense of ownership and motivation. Regularly track and celebrate progress, to keep students engaged and accountable. And take some time to chat about how the routines and systems, both in the classroom and in students own lives can help keep them on track for any goals.

Brittany 4:04

Number four, build a positive classroom community. Focus on building a supportive and inclusive classroom culture. Plan activities that promote teamwork, empathy, and respect among students. Establishing strong relationships and a positive classroom atmosphere can enhance student engagement and reduce behavioral issues. Our last episode focused more specifically on building a positive classroom culture, as did our very first episode. So you can head back and listen to those if you're looking for more ideas, and we'll link them in the show notes. And number five, build an SEL corner. Although this goes back to the physical adaptations in the classroom, perhaps you want to add an SEL area to your room where students who are struggling to calm down or gather their emotions can go to breathe, calm down, fidget, write, to express what they're feeling and so on. This can just be a desk with a basket of supplies, but it can be an amazing outlet for those who need it.

Ellie 5:13

That's a great idea. So now that we have some physical and emotional environment Ideas set, let's think about how to get geared up for your academic environment. Of course, you want to try to plan engaging lessons and units. You can develop a fresh set of lesson plans that incorporate diverse teaching strategies, such as Project Based Learning, technology integration, and hands on activities. This can make learning more engaging and cater to different learning preferences. Align your lessons with curriculum goals and standards to ensure comprehensive coverage. This might seem overwhelming, so take some time to check in with other teachers who are teaching the same subject as you and see what has been working for them. Maybe they have some great lesson ideas they can share. Or consider sitting down and having a brainstorming session with these teachers to see what new ideas or what little twists on lessons or activities that you can think of together.

Brittany 6:06

I used to love having those math meetings together and just sharing ideas. Number two, in academics, take advantage of professional development opportunities so refresh your skills and learn new teaching strategies by taking advantage of those professional development opportunities provided by your school or district. Attend workshops, webinars, or as we mentioned, collaborate with colleagues to share ideas and practices. Spending just a little bit of time staying updated with the latest educational trends and research can inspire new approaches and improve your teaching effectiveness. Even though we feel like we don't have time, sometimes it's actually taking that time to get our minds out of our classrooms and open to something different that really helps re-energize us, or helps us find our way to get a great breakthrough.

Ellie 7:03

Yeah, when you get your head out of the busyness and all the things you have to do in the classroom, sometimes it just makes your brain more open to something new.

Brittany 7:14

And sometimes you find a system that really can change things for the better.

Ellie 7:20

Absolutely. So when your physical environment, emotional area, and culture are established and your lessons seem fleshed out and on point, you'll be set with your teaching tools for a new semester of fresh ideas, fun, flexibility, and focus with your students. Your students will be clear on the changes they've been presented, and you'll be ready to tackle them with a renewed spirit. If you want a few more ideas we didn't cover here, check out Brittany's blog post in the show notes.

Brittany 7:47

We'd love to hear from you. Catch up with us on Facebook or Instagram or contact us through our website. Have a good day

Ellie 7:55

Bye.