Subject knowledge is a superpower

Showcase your talents to engage learners.

Based on experience, we’ve got good advice for the First Day Back. We say ditch the clichés - and stand out from the crowd instead.

The cliched first lesson of a new school year is, “let’s all get to know each other”. Pupils introduce themselves by listing fun facts, such as their pet budgie’s name, or whether they like pineapple on their pizza. It usually includes their favourite song or movie - or where they went on holiday.

This seems like a good idea, but we don’t agree.

Learners are going to have this lesson in every class with every teacher, and repeat the same personal information all day.

We can do better.

Although these first-day-back lessons are well-intentioned, they don't create an impact. Actually, they tend to backfire. By handing over responsibility for the lesson to the kids, putting them under pressure to “entertain” one another with “fun” info about themselves, the opportunity to capture their interest in the subject is lost. It’s also a recipe for either chaos or crickets. At best, it’s too casual. At worst, the class is shy and no one wants to say anything.

This won't establish a climate of learning - more a test to establish social hierarchy.

Don’t put your learners on the spot.

You’ll get to know them in time. Seat them alphabetically to begin with, to make it easier to learn their names, and shift the focus to your subject instead.

The second cliched first-day lesson is the “rules and regulations” one.

We think this is overly hostile.

Admin overload on day one is unnecessary and ineffective: learners won’t remember the school rules and each teacher’s classroom rules too. Also, it’s boring.

So, what should you do?

We say, impress your class with your subject.

Rock day one by demonstrating something awesome in your area of expertise!

• Introduce a topic that is mind-blowing to learn about. Pick one fact, phenomena or example, and dedicate the lesson to this.

• Excite your learners with a new skill or problem-solving hack, and they’ll be back on day two in a good mood.

Good luck for 2024!