First Day of School Tips: Building Relationships from Day One
The establishment of robust relationships within the educational milieu commences on the very first day of school, an assertion that underscores the essence of our discussion. In this episode, we elucidate the critical strategies that educators can employ to cultivate trust and foster connections with both students and colleagues from the moment the school year begins. As I navigate my own transition into a new district, I share insights gleaned from my experiences, emphasizing the significance of visibility, active listening, and the celebration of collective achievements in the process of relationship-building. It is imperative to recognize that relationships necessitate time and patience; thus, we advocate for an approach characterized by openness and grace. By adopting these foundational practices, educators can lay the groundwork for a positive and collaborative classroom environment, which ultimately enhances the educational experience for all involved.
In examining the complexities of integrating into a new teaching milieu, the speaker provides insight into their personal journey of acclimatization at Winnebago. They recount their experiences with newfound colleagues, noting the inherent awkwardness that often accompanies initial encounters. This awkwardness, however, is framed not as a barrier but rather as a natural precursor to the development of meaningful relationships. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being present and visible, actively engaging with fellow educators and participating in communal activities, such as staff breakfasts, to cultivate a sense of belonging. Furthermore, the speaker reflects on the significance of recognizing and celebrating the contributions of others, thereby infusing the educational atmosphere with positivity and encouragement. The episode ultimately advocates for a reflective approach to relationship-building, encouraging educators to embrace curiosity over judgment and to approach new experiences with an open heart and mind.
Takeaways:
- Establishing trust and relationships from the first day of school is paramount for fostering a positive classroom environment.
- Engaging in open dialogues with students and staff facilitates deeper understanding and connection from the outset.
- Participating in communal activities, such as staff breakfasts, enhances visibility and promotes camaraderie among colleagues.
- Teachers must embrace patience, recognizing that building meaningful relationships takes time and cannot be rushed.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Be a Funky Teacher
Transcript
Yeah, he's Mr. Funky.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Mr. Funky Teacher inspires greatness, makes you feel good.
Speaker A:Like your favorite playlist.
Speaker A:Keeping that fresh and funky.
Speaker A:Yes, he does.
Speaker A:He got some funky cool ideas to share for all you teachers.
Speaker A:He can empower others, students and teachers.
Speaker A:It's all about hard work and creativity.
Speaker A:He brings out the kindness in everyone.
Speaker A:He's got the passion to teach.
Speaker A:You hear it when he speaks.
Speaker A:He knows how to build strong relationships.
Speaker A:If you're seeking the best bunkiest, he is it.
Speaker A:He will empower you to improve.
Speaker A:He'll be helping others and loving it too.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Yeah, he's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:This is Mr. Funky Teacher with Be a Funky Teacher dot com.
Speaker B:I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.
Speaker B:I am so excited to be here with you, but because today we're going to be talking about new school, new teammates, new trust building, staff relationships from day one.
Speaker B:And that's going to be our focus on today's episode.
Speaker B:Before we get into it, though, let's talk about three things I'm thankful for.
Speaker B:Well, one thing I am thankful for is my wife and her relationship with our kids.
Speaker B:I, it's, I, it's just been kind of a crazy week.
Speaker B:Working some longer hours.
Speaker B:We're getting my classroom set up, getting some things sorted out, getting ready for students.
Speaker B:And so I've been coming home late.
Speaker B:But when I had come home late last night, I was talking to my wife and she had taken my son out.
Speaker B:My kids go to a school district where they're just getting into fall sports and my son's been busy with football practice this fall.
Speaker B:School has, doesn't start for, actually it starts a few weeks after when I start, but they are in football practice and it just kind of, he's in the grind right now, getting going and getting into practices.
Speaker B:But my wife took him out to, I think they went out to do.
Speaker B:They got some first day of school.
Speaker B:Oh, they wanted to get some school supplies.
Speaker B:I think that's what they did last night.
Speaker B:And my, my wife did that purposely to spend some time with my son and so they could kind of talk about how practice is going, how, how are things with school or with, with practice and just kind of building that connection and that open dialogue, just kind of having that conversation.
Speaker B:I love that about my wife and how purposeful she is about building that relationship with each of our children.
Speaker B:I am so glad and so lucky to be married to a woman who prioritizes Relationships and especially like building those relationships with our children and sees how important that is.
Speaker B:Another thing I'm thankful for is awkward beginning is because, you know, strong relationships start somewhere and, and the awkwardness that, yeah, it's just part of the bridge, especially the awkwardness where you, you don't know people, you don't know what, what you might be able to say or what you might be able to joke about or, or you're just building, you know, of course you want to keep things professional.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:But it's so there's an awkwardness, I think, to those awkward first beginnings when you're starting to meet people.
Speaker B:But I'm thankful for that because that's a part of that.
Speaker B:That's a part of is.
Speaker B:And then, and then unexpected staff connections.
Speaker B:That's some unexpected staff connections yesterday.
Speaker B:I'm thankful for those moments as well, because it contributes to the journey of getting to know the culture of a school, to become part of the school's family.
Speaker B:All right, so let's get into this topic now of new school, new teammates, new trust, building those staff relationships from day one.
Speaker B:Let's get into that.
Speaker B:And, and, and look at that now.
Speaker B:I'm leaving a district where I taught for over 20 years, where I knew the rhythms, I knew the faces, I knew some of the unspoken staff culture and how things worked.
Speaker B:And, and I loved.
Speaker B:I, I loved our staff that, that I got to work with.
Speaker B:I, I worked with so many great educators in my last school district, and in fact, it's hard to be away from them this year.
Speaker B:It was tough to leave the district in a district that I loved, a district that I had built those strong relationships.
Speaker B:And I knew, I felt like I was kind of, you know, in.
Speaker B:Woven into the fabric of, of our district's culture.
Speaker B:And so I'm coming into a district where no one knows my story yet and I don't know theirs.
Speaker B:And that's okay.
Speaker B:That's part of coming in as, as a new person.
Speaker B:This isn't just my new job.
Speaker B:It's a reintroduction of who I am really, as a teammate, as a colleague, and as a culture builder in the educational space.
Speaker B:When you're the new teacher at a school, you're not just trying to fit in.
Speaker B:You're hoping to find where you belong.
Speaker B:I believe that, and I want to live that as I progress through the start of this school year.
Speaker B:Now, here's what I've noticed at Winnebago, in addition to kind of going through those awkward beginnings and talking to people in an Awkward way as I get to know them.
Speaker B:Here's what I've noticed.
Speaker B:I, I, day by day, I, I, I am, this is day four of the new school year and day by day I'm picking up on some of the staff culture here.
Speaker B:And, and here's what I'm seeing so far that, that I'm really excited about.
Speaker B:People show up for each other.
Speaker B:They do.
Speaker B:I see that with the administration.
Speaker B:This I, I had had opportunities to talk to the superintendent, to, to our principals, to the other administrators and I noticed they show up for each other.
Speaker B:They show up for the staff.
Speaker B:The, the new teachers of course were, there's, there's a group of five of us that are just kind of, we're not brand new to teaching, which is kind of, which I found was interesting that there's no brand new to education.
Speaker B:Educators, all of us are, have taught.
Speaker B:I think we have anywhere from about six years, I think six years of education all the way up to my 22 years of, of teaching experience.
Speaker B:So we're all coming in with our own experiences, but we're, we're even, I think we're all in it together, kind of navigating, learning about the, the education culture and learning about the teammate dynamic where we're going to work collaboratively as a team.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:You know, yesterday as I was thinking with getting to connect with yesterday, all the staff came back and that was neat because even at our opening meeting there was laughter.
Speaker B:And just some other meetings that I've had, there's laughter.
Speaker B:Staff feel like they are giving like a truly a caring attitude.
Speaker B:It's not just about the work, it's about each other.
Speaker B:And I love that energy that by the I is being given off by the district.
Speaker B:You know.
Speaker B:Now please don't twist this or think that this is a put down on work on my last district because I love my last district and I loved the relationships I built there.
Speaker B:The, the, the, the teamwork that we did, the, the culture that we built together.
Speaker B:It was wonderful.
Speaker B:I, I'm talking about this from a, hey, I'm starting as a new teacher in a new place and what am I observing so far?
Speaker B:That's what I'm coming into this podcast talking about.
Speaker B:Like what am I seeing here as a, as a brand new to Winnebago teacher?
Speaker B:So people are showing up for each other.
Speaker B:There's laughter in these meetings with our administrators and with our new teachers and with our teachers who are coming back for a second or third or 30th year.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:It's not just performance.
Speaker B:It truly seems authentic.
Speaker B:It seems real.
Speaker B:And you don't build school culture with policies.
Speaker B:You build it with people who choose to care out loud.
Speaker B:You do.
Speaker B:Now, it's early.
Speaker B:It's early, early, early in the school year.
Speaker B:But I already feel this.
Speaker B:I feel that, that I don't feel like I have to prove myself.
Speaker B:I feel like I'm being invited to.
Speaker B:To be myself.
Speaker B:That's the feeling that I get now.
Speaker B:Do they have the high expectations for me coming in as a teacher and as a teacher leader coming into this district?
Speaker B:You bet they do.
Speaker B:They have high expectations for me, but it's not where I have to be performative or have to, oh, you better come in and prove yourself.
Speaker B:I think I.
Speaker B:During the interview process, I proved that, hey, this is.
Speaker B:I'm the type of teacher they want.
Speaker B:So now be yourself.
Speaker B:Come in and share that with us as a staff.
Speaker B:Share that with our students, and we'll share ourselves with you as well.
Speaker B:That's the feeling that I get coming into this district.
Speaker B:And what teacher would not be thrilled to come into a school district where that teacher is being treated that way?
Speaker B:That's a winning combination for any school district.
Speaker B:It is.
Speaker B:So how am I building staff relationships?
Speaker B:Well, I'm trying to, I'm really trying to do more listening than I am talking.
Speaker B:I now I'm asking staff about students.
Speaker B:I'm asking staff about their challenges, about what lights them up.
Speaker B:I'm asking fellow staff about their background, their experiences, what they're interested in.
Speaker B:Not in a creepy way like, what are you entering, you know, not, not.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:Well, I'm keeping it professional.
Speaker B:I am still trying to get to know staff and ask as appropriate, personable types of questions where I can get to know know them on a foundational level in a way that, that is appropriate for an educational space.
Speaker B:I'm here to learn.
Speaker B:I truly am here to learn before I lead, can't lead before I learn.
Speaker B:And that's part of the process.
Speaker B:I'm trying to also be visible and not just present.
Speaker B:I'm showing up early, I'm staying late.
Speaker B:I'm showing that I'm in.
Speaker B:Now, will I always show up early?
Speaker B:Will I always stay late?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:I mean, I, I, I have them.
Speaker B:I work hard to have a balance in my life where I don't want to burn out, and I have to have balance.
Speaker B:And we'll talk about that in future episodes about having balance in education.
Speaker B:But for as early on in my life, I've talked to my family.
Speaker B:Hey, you Know, the first couple weeks here, I'm putting some extra hours in to make sure that I can take care of and set the school year up the way that I need to.
Speaker B:So I'm trying to be that visible person in my space.
Speaker B:And then I'm also stepping into shared spaces, even when it's easier to hide in my room.
Speaker B:For example, yesterday they had like a staff breakfast for us.
Speaker B:It didn't feel like it was required.
Speaker B:They had some breakfast burritos and I like some of these juices.
Speaker B:Now I could have just stayed in my room and just kind of hung out.
Speaker B:I'm not a big breakfast person.
Speaker B:Doesn't necessarily fit into my, my health and fitness and what I'm doing for myself.
Speaker B:But I, you know, I, I was like, I, you know, I better go because this is a opportunity because all of the, the staff are going to be there or a lot of the staff who choose to come are going to be there.
Speaker B:So I decided to go, I decided to go grab a burrito so I could have a few bites of it and it was wonderful.
Speaker B:It was 45 minute breakfast where ate a few bites of the breakfast burritos.
Speaker B:But then I got an opportunity to say hi to people and I had administrators introducing me to people.
Speaker B:I had teachers, teachers, some of the, the, the teachers that I've met introducing me to other teachers.
Speaker B:We had conversations, we exchanged, of course.
Speaker B:Awkwardness, right?
Speaker B:Isn't it?
Speaker B:There is an awkwardness, as I mentioned about, you know, as you're coming into this new space.
Speaker B:But I also got to experience some warm, some genuine warmth through that awkwardness that I recognize.
Speaker B:And so I'm so glad that I chose to be visible.
Speaker B:Could have I gotten a few more minutes squeezed out working in my classroom?
Speaker B:Yeah, you bet I could have.
Speaker B:And could have.
Speaker B:I used that.
Speaker B:Yes, it was more important that I go down and be visible in that way.
Speaker B:And I think there's another breakfast this morning too.
Speaker B:And I think I'm doing the same thing to have that mindset about being visible, not just this, being president, not just being present, because I want to look for those opportunities where I can connect with people and be a part, truly a part of the school in that way and get to know people.
Speaker B:And then, you know, another thing is celebrating early and often.
Speaker B:When I'm hearing some good ideas, I'm complimenting them, I'm recognizing effort, I'm saying thank you out loud and often.
Speaker B:I'm trying to celebrate others.
Speaker B:I'm trying to celebrate often and I'm trying to bring My own energy and vibe and positivity.
Speaker B:Not like a, like a toxic positivity where it's as fake as fate can be and it's overly done and it just makes everyone awkward around you, but a true, genuine positivity where I celebrate others and I celebrate the individuals around me.
Speaker B:I have a new paraprofessional who's going to be in my classroom.
Speaker B:And getting her set up, an opportunity I've had, is to get to talk to her and ask her questions about herself, about her education, experience, working with kids.
Speaker B:What does she like about working with kids?
Speaker B:What are challenges she faced?
Speaker B:And I'm so excited.
Speaker B:And she is actually, she's native and knows the community, she knows the students.
Speaker B:I'm so thankful and so excited to have her in my classroom.
Speaker B:What an opportunity of her and I to partner up as a team.
Speaker B:You know, she's coming in probably with, with all kinds of reservations too.
Speaker B:Like, who is this, this guy?
Speaker B:He's Mr. Funky Teacher.
Speaker B:What.
Speaker B:And, and he's got all these crazy ideas already, I can tell.
Speaker B:And what, what's going on here?
Speaker B:It was important that I take that opportunity to build, start building those connections with her.
Speaker B:And she still, I, I'm sure, has reservations about me or, or some not knowing about me.
Speaker B:And, and that's okay, that, that's part, once again, it's part of the journey.
Speaker B:It's part of what we have facing us here for navigating through these, building these new connections, these new teams as they change and evolve for this school year.
Speaker B:And then I guess thinking about, you know, I talked about what I've done so far for building staff relationships.
Speaker B:I'm, I'm listening more than I talk.
Speaker B:I'm being visible and not just present.
Speaker B:I'm celebrating early and often.
Speaker B:And then the fourth thing is I'm trying to stay curious, not critical.
Speaker B:When I don't understand something, I say, you know, what's the reason behind this?
Speaker B:Or can you explain more to me why this is being done?
Speaker B:Why do we do this?
Speaker B:Not in a standoffish way or a confrontational way, but more of a curious way, not critical.
Speaker B:And one thing, as educators, we have to be really careful.
Speaker B:Well, I think any business or any, any, any interactive career or job, we, when we, when we come to asking about why is something done in a certain way, it's really about the, the, the tonality of.
Speaker B:How do you say it?
Speaker B:Because you can say, you can say the same thing with a different tone, and it can come off as meaning different things.
Speaker B:So as we as educators have to be really careful and dialed into how do we say things.
Speaker B:It's not about just what we say.
Speaker B:Big part of it is how we say it and how we say it can mean, can be taken in a lot of different ways.
Speaker B:How we say something can give, can reflect on us as, hey, we're going to be.
Speaker B:This individual might be a big pain in the butt to work with versus, hey, this person sincerely cares and wants to know more about systems and practices and culture of our school.
Speaker B:So I'm, I'm.
Speaker B:And sometimes we get it wrong.
Speaker B:Heck, in my 22 years, I've gotten it wrong many times and I'll reflect back and say, oh, I did not say that correctly.
Speaker B:And it came off as not so great.
Speaker B:When you know better, you try to do better.
Speaker B:So, advice for teachers starting fresh.
Speaker B:And I don't care.
Speaker B:I'm speaking to those new teachers out there or anyone starting in a new building.
Speaker B:Be patient.
Speaker B:Relationships take time.
Speaker B:Trust can't be rushed.
Speaker B:It can't.
Speaker B:Second thing, don't isolate yourself.
Speaker B:Say yes to sitting with someone new.
Speaker B:Join those.
Speaker B:The staff breakfast, the staff lunch.
Speaker B:Go to optional meetings.
Speaker B:You know, maybe just once, right?
Speaker B:But if there's an optional staff meeting or a staff get together, try to go to them if you can and not just isolate yourself.
Speaker B:Be visible and be open.
Speaker B:You don't have to be polished.
Speaker B:You don't have to say all the words in the correct.
Speaker B:All in the correct way.
Speaker B:You, you don't have to try to impress people.
Speaker B:I'm not coming down here trying to impress anyone.
Speaker B:That's not why I'm.
Speaker B:That's not why, why I'm doing this.
Speaker B:I'm.
Speaker B:I'm trying to just be real, trying to be my real authentic self.
Speaker B:And I think that's going to be good enough for building those relationships and those connections.
Speaker B:And then another thing with advice to teachers starting fresh is to give people grace.
Speaker B:They don't know you yet either.
Speaker B:Everyone's trying to figure it out.
Speaker B:Everyone's trying to figure.
Speaker B:Figure it out.
Speaker B:Especially coming into starting a new school year.
Speaker B:Everyone has their own fears, their own concerns, their own insecurities, their own strains, their own levels of comfort when it comes to meeting people, too, because they're meeting just like you're meeting them.
Speaker B:They're meeting you and they don't know you.
Speaker B:They don't know if you're going to be a big old pain in the butt or try to change a bunch of stuff.
Speaker B:So give people grace and recognizing that it's a two way street when it comes to building that relationship.
Speaker B:And, you know, you build a positive school culture not by having the answers, but by showing up with consistency and care.
Speaker B:If you take that approach when you when it comes to interacting with staff and building that trust with staff, it's going to be a winning combination.
Speaker B:It really is.
Speaker B:So, new school, new teammates, new trust, building staff relationships from day one.
Speaker B:What an important topic.
Speaker B:What a critical topic to talk about.
Speaker B:I know I'll talk about different elements that I talked about today and build on them even more as we go on.
Speaker B:In future episodes, as we bring us to a close, I just want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people and remember to be a funky teacher.
Speaker B:Bye now.
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher, yeah?
Speaker A:He's Mr. Funky Teacher?
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, yeah?
Speaker B:Sam.