More Ideas for New Student Intake

If you're looking for extra ways to get to know your brand new students, consider getting interactive!

• Show them an "About Me" Powerpoint presentation slide and have them make one of their own! 
• Have them discuss their "About Me" slide to you and during their speech, you can listen for their reading comprehension skills, background knowledge or any speech issues.
• They could even do a Piktochart
• Or a short movie
• Or an essay.

In all these interactive methods, you can further get to know their educational background and understanding, which will help you further personalize their education.

Check out this sample Interactive "About Me" slide and have students create one too!

What interactive method would you use?

Welcome Your New Students with a Welcome Letter!

In my teacher prep classes, there was one phrase that always stuck out to me:

Students perform for who they love.

If they love themselves, they will perform their best. If students love their parents, they will try to impress them. If they love their friends, teachers, tutors, pastors, etc., they will try to perform their best for those people.

Students crave performing their best for someone. It gives them purpose. So, what happens when a student doesn't love anyone? Not even themselves? That's the attitude you want to nip in the bud from the very beginning. Give your your students the structured environment that allows them to express themselves and get to know you while you get to know them. 

Provide them with a welcome letter on their very first day. This letter will set the tone for the rest of their time in independent studies. You can also provide pertinent information like:

• contact information
• a little bit about yourself and your life
• school rules
• their appointment time and hours.

See the attached link for a sample welcome letter!

What else can you add to your welcome letter?

Calling all Independent Studies Teachers!

Welcome!

I've been an Independent Studies teacher for over two years now. In all this time, I have found a wealth of information for traditional high school teachers, but not a lot for Independent Studies teachers.

The thing is that Independent Studies teachers and their students already have the odds stacked up against them. Most likely, your students couldn't make it in a traditional high school setting. They were on the verge of dropping out for reasons that feel out of their control. When they sign up with you as a new student, their self-confidence is most likely already broken. They may feel like failures before they even meet you.

Consider this blog your resource bank, a place where you can get ideas to run your classroom successfully; a place where you can get the tools to lead your students to success. They need you and you need them.

Thank you for tuning in and enjoy!

Ms. Ling.