No matter where you are in your career path – Newly trained, existing member of staff or even moving to a new school…you have to fill the spaces that you now find yourself in.
So what do I mean by this?….
Well there are 3 spaces that you will find in your school and you must have your own unique presence and interpretation of each – let me give you some more detail
Space 1 – The classroom area. It’s the space that you can make your own; it can reflect your own interests and tastes and you can create a fantastic learning environment for the children in your class. Your classroom is your base in school but lets strip away all the additions and you will see some great classroom settings in schools and also some poor classroom settings. Let me give you some examples. I remember my first teaching job was in an old Victorian School. The ceilings were very high and the sound quality was dire…the floors were solid and the windows were frosted and so high that even I couldn’t see out of them. To make matters worse separating us from the next class were full height concertina doors!! There was hardly any display areas and everything was painted in “hospital green!”
Another school I once visited was built in the “trendy years and all the junior classes were built around a central area where in theory children could move to extend the learning area. There were no doors on the classrooms! Fine in planning but totally awful in practice….sound from the central area carried into every classroom and children used to extend their learning area to meet their friends!. The first things that happened was that all the teachers asked for doors!!
What I am trying to say is that no matter what your basic classroom is like it is the space you are given…so use your imagination and with a bit of effort you can make it your own and an exciting place to be. Of course don’t forget that the classroom area is also the children’s area and their classroom as well – they have to own the space just as much as you…keep this in mind when you are “working the space”.
Space 2 – The School and your position in it. You need to understand your role in school. There’s quite a lot to this so in the context of this blog I will only touch on the areas so as to get you thinking and will write more in depth in a later article. Schools are communities and as such you as a teacher must be an integral part of that community – and don’t forget teachers are perhaps the most importantly involved participants in the school. For all but NQT’s you will have a predefined role in the school possibly as a position of responsibility and the school will look to you to lead and give guidance in that role. Whatever you do you must own that role and act as the schools expert in that area….this may mean extra training or study or simply keeping up to date with developments – but this is now your responsibility in the team. For NQT’s or teachers without areas of responsibility you must still play your part on the staff team. Get to know all the members of staff and be open to them getting to know you. Staff at schools are real communities and should include all members …teachers, TA’s, support staff dinner staff, caretaker etc etc – successful schools understand that everyone contributes and is valued equally.
Get to know the children and let them get to know you….try to learn names of children from other classes so that you can say “hi” when you see them. Talk to children in the playground or sit with them in the dining hall – it raises your profile and the children will love it !
Take part in the schools activities…volunteer to run a club or to help with an aspect of the play. Be known as someone who is part of the school life and who will put in the extra work for the schools and children benefit.
There are so many instances to fill your space in school that they are really too many to list – basically become part of the school and to be honest its more FUN when you pitch in with everything and “The School” becomes “Your School”
Space 3 – Parents. Even though it may not seem like it all the time- parents are a vital part in their children’s education and to the functioning of the school. In my experience parents want to get to know you as a Teacher and as a person. …the first more so than the second. All parents get initially is the second hand reports from their children as to what happens during the day and how you dealt with it all. So you will find that Parents evenings are well attended initially when you are a new teacher to the school as most want to “take a look at the new teacher”. So take time to talk to Parents after school as they collect their children (obviously more serious matters are in private)…share a funny moment or a success and go out of your way to be friendly and approachable. You don’t need to know the first names of the childrens parents and don’t always assume their surnames are the same. I used to often play safe and say (childs name) Mum or Dad. A Deputy Head in a very big school I taught at used to frequently say “Morning Mum” or “Morning Dad”…very approachable and very friendly.
If parents get to know you as both a teacher and person then they are confident in how their child is both being taught and treated. This makes for a great Parent/school relationship which benefits the children’s learning immensely and also guarantees you parents support when you may need it…for instance poor behaviour or homework issues.
So there you have it – your 3 spaces to fill in your school. Be an active participant in each and keep that smile on your face – your days will fly by and you will find you are a loved and valued member of staff.
Primary Practice would like to invite you to join our NQT and trainee teachers Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1347401775298840/?ref=bookmarks
Charles