Westcoast Teaching

“You know that the beginning is the most important part of any work, especially in the case of a young and tender thing; for that is the time at which the character is being formed and the desired impression is more readily taken...." - Plato During the first week of school, I focus on building a community of caring and compassionate learners. I do this through class discussion, devotion and reflection time, and also by providing them with opportunities to work collaboratively to solve problems! Below are a few of my favourite first week activities.  The Human Knot This activity has been around forever and is a great communication and problem solving challenge.  Materials Needed:  - Empty space - clear the classroom or go outside! Instructions:  - Split your class into four groups (I did two groups of girls and two groups of guys)  - Have each group make a circle facing in - Have students raise their right hands, wave across the ci...

When I first started teaching, I wished there was some kind of handbook that would guide me in how to start a year off well. Maybe such a thing exists somewhere, but in the limited time I put into looking for it, I found nothing. Thankfully, I worked with some wonderful educators who let me borrow some of their ideas and put my own spin on them. Now, after a few years of starting off a new year with students, I thought I'd share what I've learned with others who might want some direction.  School Schedule All schools have their own way of starting the year. At my school, students know their class and teacher before arriving on the first day of school. Other schools take a few weeks to figure out which classes students will be placed in before starting their year. Hopefully my ideas can be used by both types of schools.  Welcome the Young Ones Students come to school excited and nervous about the new year. They don't necessarily know or feel comfortable with everyone...