Short Reminders

Welcome back. I hope you had a wonderful break. The reading this week is a few short reminders for beginning the term.

1. Reteach Attention

• Many students haven’t sustained attention in weeks; this will need to be retaught and practised.
• Begin by explicitly reteaching your expectations for listening, checking for understanding, and independent work.
• Use short, structured activities to rebuild focus gradually. You might want to start with 7 minutes of silent, independent work and gradually build up.

2. Build Belonging

• Show genuine warmth – let students know you’re glad to see them again.
• Save personal check-ins and storytelling for the end of the lesson, once routines are re-established. This ends the lesson with good vibes.
• You can look for small moments to find common ground with your students.

3. Routines Take Time

• Many students (secondary) will not have been awake before 10.00am for weeks and may be out of sync with school hours and habits.
• Don’t just remind – reteach, model, and rehearse what you expect.

Happy coaching.

Kind regards
Mark

Upcoming events

• 7 May – Auckland, NZ: The Teachers’ Institute Improving Behaviour and Engagement in the Classroom
• 14 May – Free Webinar: Staff Development Collective
• 19-21 May – Hale School, Perth WA: IBSC Australasian Regional Conference