Teach17

The first full week back in September tells you a lot. You begin to see which routines are working, which classes need a different approach, where your time is going and which small changes could make the next few weeks much easier.

The aim is not to judge the whole year after five days. It is simply to notice, adjust and move forward.

1. Ask Which Lesson You Would Happily Teach Again
   Think about the lesson that worked best. What made it successful? Clear explanations? Good questioning? A strong task? Calm routines? Try to identify something you can deliberately repeat.
2. Unpick the Lesson That Did Not Work
   Avoid simply calling it a bad lesson. Work out exactly where it went wrong. Was the task too difficult? Were instructions unclear? Did you rush? Did pupils lack prior knowledge? Specific problems are much easier to solve.
3. Check Whether Pupils Know Your Expectations
   After a week, pupils should be starting to understand what entering the room, listening, answering questions, completing work and leaving the lesson should look like. If something is unclear, reteach it.
4. Look for Lost Minutes
   Notice where time disappears. Is it handing out books, waiting for silence, logging on, moving seats or packing away? Saving two minutes several times a lesson quickly adds up.
5. Think About the Pupils You Barely Noticed
   Which names are still difficult? Who has not answered a question? Who quietly completes everything without attracting attention? Make a conscious effort to notice them next week.
6. Identify the Class That Needs a Different Version of You
   Not every class responds to exactly the same approach. One group may need tighter routines, another more challenge, another shorter explanations. Adapt without abandoning your core expectations.
7. Check the Level of Challenge
   Were pupils genuinely thinking, or simply completing tasks? Look for places where work was too easy, too difficult or too repetitive and adjust accordingly.
8. Look at Pupils’ Books Rather Than Your Lesson Plans
   Your plans tell you what you intended to teach. Pupils’ work tells you what actually happened. A quick look through books can reveal gaps, misconceptions and lessons that moved too quickly.
9. Find the Misconception Worth Fixing Now
   Some errors will disappear with practice. Others will grow into bigger problems. Identify one important misconception from the week and deal with it early.
10. Review Who Was Doing the Thinking
    If the teacher is explaining, answering, correcting and demonstrating for most of the lesson, pupils may be too passive. Look for one place next week where they can think harder before you step in.
11. Check Whether Your Questions Reached Everyone
    Think about who answered this week. Were the same confident pupils dominating? Build in more cold calling, thinking time, mini-whiteboards or whole-class response next week.
12. Notice Where Behaviour Problems Actually Begin
    Behaviour difficulties often start before the obvious incident. Look for the trigger: a slow transition, unclear instruction, task that is too difficult, equipment issue or too much waiting.
13. Decide Whether Your Seating Plans Are Helping
    The first week gives you information you did not have before. Make sensible changes while routines are still forming rather than waiting until problems become established.
14. Audit Your Workload Early
    How much time did you spend planning, marking, emailing and preparing resources? If the week was unsustainable, do not simply promise yourself you will work faster. Decide what can be simplified.
15. Record Three Things That Went Better Than Expected
    Teachers naturally remember the difficult moments. Deliberately note three successes, however small. A class settled quickly. A quiet pupil contributed. A new explanation worked. Those things matter too.
16. Choose One Priority for Next Week
    Do not attempt a complete reinvention after five days. Choose one practical improvement: tighter starts, better questioning, clearer modelling, improved routines or more independent practice.
17. Give Yourself Permission to Reset
    Week one does not lock anything in. Change the seating plan. Re-explain a routine. Slow down. Raise expectations. Simplify a task. Start something again properly. Early adjustments are usually much easier than trying to repair habits later in the term.

After one complete week in September, the most useful reflection is not “How did I do?”

It is: What should I keep? What should I change? What is the one thing that will make next week better?

Then leave the rest until Monday.