Setting the Tone

As you know, the high school team at Lincoln School is spending our in-house, professional development time this year by focusing on our instructional practice. More specifically, we’re talking about research-backed, student-centered instructional strategies that form our instructional core. They define who we are and what we believe as educators, and they function as a common toolkit that we expect each of us to be able to rely on in supporting our students’ learning. Each month, we are focusing on a different type of instructional strategy and exploring ways that each of us can use it with students. But before we jump into a specific instructional strategy, let’s talk about a few simple ways that an educator can “manage” the learning environment.

Saying Hello

It’s amazing the power of a simple “hello.” Each morning I sit at the entrance of the high school and say hello to each student as they enter. It’s a joy to see them smile and say “hello” back, and I truly think it’s helped them see me as someone who is approachable and caring of them as individuals. I also think this morning greeting shifts their mindset, even slightly, from groggy acceptance of their fate to something a little more enthusiastic about the day to come. Sure, I sound idealistic, but if even one student’s mood or day is transformed by this interaction it’s worth it.

Now imagine if every teacher met every student at the door to their classroom to say “good morning” or “hello.” How might that impact students’ attitudes or perceptions? Having a hard time seeing it? Imagine yourself in the opposite situation. How do you feel if you walk into a situation with a person of authority and they ignore you? How does that frame your perception of that person or situation? I know in my case I’m bound to make negative assumptions that affect my mood and willingness to cooperate or learn.

By greeting our students, we’re sending a message that we care, that they matter, and that this time we’ll spend together is meaningful.

Setting the Purpose

The first thing I did each morning when teaching was to post the day’s learning goals/objectives/targets somewhere obvious in the room. Sometimes I did this by writing them on a board, other times I projected them digitally. I always wrote them in language I knew my students could understand and I sometimes (I wish more often) had the students write them themselves.

Posting an objective or goal for students is like showing a runner where the finish line of a race is. This gives the racer a goal, allows them to determine what route they will need to take and how they will pace themselves, and gives them a clear means of knowing when they’ve completed the task. For all of these reasons, it’s really essential to let students know in advance what they should learn that day, whether it’s a concept, content, or skill. Without a learning target, students can’t be metacognitive about their learning, can’t celebrate their successes, and can’t recognize when they need to do more to master the learning.

Summarizing Learning

As essential as it is for the teacher or student to identify the goal/objective of a lesson, it is equally essential for each student to summarize their learning at the end of the lesson. This simple act tells the student (and teacher) what they learned, what they still don’t understand, and where their learning needs to go next in order to continue learning. This summary can be informal or formal, written or oral…but it must be done if students are going own their learning and teachers are going to be strategic in their sequencing/pacing of content. We’ll talk more about this throughout September. 

Saying Goodbye

I also try to station myself at the exit of our high school each afternoon to say “goodbye” to our students as they walk out the door. For all of the same reasons listed above for saying “hello,” I truly feel that this sets a tone in our relationships. It again tells them I see them and care, that they matter, and that we’ll be happy to see them the next day to do it all again.