From the Guidance Counselor's Office

Get off on the right foot...

The school year will be here before we know it.
Remember at the beginning of the year to hand out to your students a syllabus and make sure you include not only the assignments, but also your grading policy. This way, there will be no questions about why Tommy received such and such a grade. He will know what is expected of him and it will be up to him to make it happen.

Be stern in the beginning. I find that this sets the mood for the rest of the year. You are the child's teacher, not his buddy. If he is looking for buddies, he can join a club. This doesn't mean that you will not be understanding or that you will not listen to his concerns; it simply means that you are demanding respect and not putting yourself on his level. I find it often helps to give an outline of the class or to write one on the board for each class. This facilitates a student's understanding of the material and helps him to stay organized. You really should go over study skills, note taking, and listening skills. Believe it or not, many students have not mastered these and if they have, they have forgotten them over the summer and need a refresher course.

Let students know when you have "help night" and encourage them to come if they encounter problems with their work. It is important for them to realize when they don't understand something to immediately seek clarification. If they do put it off, their confusion will just increase. Stress to them that learning is like building a house. Right now they are doing the foundation. If they do not do a good job with that, the rest of the house will not be sturdy. As students speak to you, listen with your heart and with your head. Both are important.

Good luck as you begin the school. year. You are playing such an important part in the lives of so many! Be sure to visit some of the sites that I have suggested. A really good one, that deserves mentioning again,  is www.baggetta.com. It will provide you with some free material, a lot of ideas, and excellent software that can be ordered.  

Please write me about your experiences and your problems. I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time..... My door is always open.