One thing I started doing a few years ago that I will always do from here on out is make a video for the first day of school. As an art teacher, I have a rotation of upwards of 30 classes a week. That’s a lot of repetition in your teaching. And that’s a lot of “first day talks.” I saw other art teachers post on social media about how they film themselves explaining things for the first day of school and then use that video over and over again. What a great idea! I tried it and will never go back! You have to remember to keep it simple and only talk about the most important things in the video – introduce yourself, main school or classroom rules, emergency drill information, etc. Keep it short and don’t get too carried away! Here are the reasons why I love using an introduction video and I think you should make your own this year!
1. Your Voice
Did you hear me mention I have about 30 different classes each year? That means I have a first day of art 30 different times. That’s A LOT of talking! By making a video that explains all the important things I need to tell my students, I play that video for every class and by the end of the week or end of my rotations, however it plays out, my voice is not strained and tired. Before doing this, the last couple days would roll around and my voice was so tired and sore just from having talked so much over and over again. And don’t forget, this is coming off of summer break! You don’t talk nearly as much during the summer than you do at school. And not in your projecting “teacher voice.” So, do yourself a favor and save your voice by creating a video!
2. Time
If you’re anything like me, you talk a lot. I don’t mean to, I just sometimes get off track or just use too many words to explain a simple idea. Making a video keeps me from rambling on! I record the video and can plan out all the important stuff I need to say. Then I can edit the video so it’s not too long! And don’t forget, kids can ask A LOT of questions. When I explain the emergency drills, there are so many “what if” questions. Questions that don’t even make sense. The video keeps it short and to the point and keeps kids from asking those questions. You watch the video and then move on. They won’t interrupt a video, but they’ll interrupt you talking live and in person! When you make a video to show and can keep it straight to the point, it really doesn’t take that long to explain all the important things you want to tell them. With it being short, you now have more time to create! Since I started doing a video, I have had a lot more success fitting a little activity to create something on the very first day of art. And let’s be honest, that’s what the kids really want anyway! And us too. 😉
3. Consistency
With so many classes all getting the same information from you, it can get really hard to remember who has heard what. Everything starts to blur together. By having a video to explain your most important announcements to your classes, you repeat the video for each class and they are all getting the exact same information! No more stopping in the middle to ask them if you already told them something and no more forgetting to tell one group something that the others heard. Videos make this consistent and that’s important for all your classes!
So do yourself a favor this year and make a video for the first day of art. Save your voice, save time and have more time to create with your classes, and keep things consistent. Most importantly, save your sanity! Keep the video simple and just touch on the most important things you need to tell your students. If you do it right, you can even use the same video year after year! If you’ve never made any kind of video to show your classes before, it might be a little uncomfortable at first, but by the end of your rotation of classes, you’ll be so happy you did it!
Keep blending,
Laura