Building a Positive, Trusting Classroom EnvironmentSeptember 19,
2012 | José Vilson Believe it or not, I had a bit of a freak-out
before the first day of school. All summer, I had prepared my
curriculum, re-thought my lesson plans, reflected on the
energies I would put out to my students, and got plenty of
professional development (specifically in science and math
integration). Yet, a few hours before I went to bed, I posted on
Facebook, "Always nervous about the first day of school with the
students. Not because I'm scared of them, but because I want to
do right by them." Despite my best efforts, I always feel like I
can do better. Then, on the first day, I received a text message
from one of my former students saying how much she missed her
teachers -- including me. This reminded me that, despite some of
my mistakes, I did a few things well last year, and these
strengths continue to be the signature I leave on every class of
students. Most teachers I know want to have a positive
relationship with their stud