The first day of school is the most significant and the most decisive moment for both the teacher and her students in relation of course to the learning environment. The first meeting is the most important factual contact that puts up the base pillar on which the whole academic year is founded. It is on the first day that the whole year design is drawn:
- Teacher student relationship
- Routines and classroom rules are established
- The establishment of certain habits.
- The creation of an atmosphere of emotional stability
- The school ought to be a friendly environment.
- The reason why the students come to school
- The reason why this or that curriculum is chosen
- Respect of the milieu, the staff and the mates
- Getting the impression that success is easy to reach through hard work
- How to become accepted in the class community.
- How seriousness leads to success
- What the teacher appreciates and what she doesn’t.
- What the students expect from the teacher.
This means that the teacher and the students should draw the layout of how things should go during the whole school year so as to avoid interruptions and disagreements. The students should be aware of the importance of
- Punctuality
- The gravity of being a person who yearns for success.
- The holiness of the school as an institute of learning that deserves respect and esteem.
- Time management importance.
- The well functioning of the classroom is in the benefit of everybody
The students should know exactly what the teacher is like and who is going to be her favorite among them:The students (being adolescents or young adults) should take into consideration that learning comes first through:
- Hardworking students are the most likeable of all.
- Discipline and decent behavior are greatly appreciated.
- Sincere acts are welcomed and appreciated.
- Extra work from laborious students always pays off.
- Commitment to school work
- Punctuality
- Homework done
- Text-book and exercise books ready
- Etc
The teacher should not leave room for funny remarks in this day. From the very beginning the students should have a fixed view of how serious and independent the teacher is. Adolescents usually try to test the teacher’s vulnerability since the first day. Though the teacher intends to be friendly with them, she should show them a stern attitude at the beginning. Later on the nature of the relationship between the students and the teacher will be gradually built according to the teacher’s rules. Mutual respect will be settled in favor of the learning process.
Most importantly however is the fact that the students should learn something during the first sessions so as to gain some confidence and carry on with learning more enthusiastically. In order for the teacher to reach this goal she has to present simple and trouble-free lessons in her first contacts with the new students. This way the teacher will obtain total power over their loyalty to school. Difficulty grows with the curriculum and few students only will feel that. The majority will grow with the difficulty until the flow of the course runs normally.
