Off to a Flying Start
- Induction
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Or that’s what
that old Staples ‘back to school’ ad used to tell us at the end of the summer
holiday period. Whether it’s your favourite time of the year
or not, Induction is a crucial time both for the college and for our
learners. It’s a time that sets the
tone for the whole year, a time to make a good impression to our brand new
students, and a time to lay the foundations for a smoother and easier year for
staff too.
So, what do we focus on?
Well, I would suggest that five broad questions are particularly useful
at this time of year. Consider:
What
do we need to find out about our new students?
In order for them to learn as well as they
can, and in order for us to be able to help them to learn effectively whilst
they are with us, what do we need to know about them? How might we get this information from them
during Induction activities within our sessions?
What expectations do we want to communicate
to our students?
It is important that our students are aware
of our high expectations. It may also be worth discussing and agreeing some
class rules but also, very importantly, suggested sanctions for when these
rules are broken. It might be
interesting to see what kinds of sanctions your students suggest for those who
break the agreed class code of conduct!
What do
our students need to know about the college and their chosen course?
And how do we give them this information in
an engaging way?
There are things that we need to tell our
students really very swiftly such as what to do during a fire alarm, how to log
onto the college IT systems, where the library is, how and when they’ll be
assessed on their course, vital course-specific information around health and
safety, etc, etc. With so much
information being directed at them, our new learners may start to feel a little
jaded and so it also becomes vital that we consider HOW we are giving them this
information. Could they be engaged in
finding the information out and then creating a wall-display or presentation
for the rest of the group? Might a
‘treasure hunt’ be a fun way to explore their new environment (maybe taking
some selfies along the way!)? Could ex-students be used to impart any relevant
information or to answer any questions?
How can we make our new students feel
integrated and welcome?
The thing that many new learners express the
most anxiety about is whether they’ll ‘fit in’ and whether they’ll make new
friends. Icebreakers galore will help
this tricky transition period and should help your learners to start to feel at
home in no time. I challenge you to
create a new one, perhaps using paper chains, old newspapers, or dried pasta
and plasticine.
