7 Ways for Teachers to Get to Know Their Students at the Beginning of the School Year

Getting to know students at the beginning of the school year is one of the best investments of time that a teacher can make.

7 Ways for Teachers to Get to Know Their Students at the Beginning of the School Year
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7 Ways for Teachers to Get to Know Their Students at the Beginning of the School Year

Getting to know students at the beginning of the school year is one of the best investments of time that a teacher can make. When you take the time to learn about your students, you are letting them know from the very beginning that you care about them as people.

The more students and teachers know about each other the better their relationship will be.

Here are some tips and resources for getting to know your students.

  • Have the students create a name tent. I usually have them bring their tent to class for the first couple of weeks. They write the version of their name they prefer on the tent and draw a picture that connects to them in some way. Asking questions about the picture is a good conversation entry point.
  • Students create a notecard that has their name on it and a few pictures that connect to them in some way. I often ask them to record one or two “Big Dreams” they have for themselves. I use the cards throughout the year to make teams, and lab groups and t0 randomly select students in a fair way. It doesn’t happen too often, but I love it when a student requests to make a new note card because they just aren’t the same person they used to be 😀.
  • I teach 8th-grade science and social studies. One of the best ways I’ve found to learn a little about all of my students is to have them complete a survey in science class. Here’s the survey I’m going to use this year.
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