SETTLING IN STILL NEEDS WORK
At the start of a new school year, we build new routines, welcome new students and emphasise team building. But for Dr. Alexis L. Hamlor, month 2 is really when everything is embedded and confidence grows.
Unresolved questions
Despite the ‘official’ settling in period of September, some pupils are still asking themselves questions in October.
Why does this teacher still pronounce my name wrongly? I thought the other new student had become my friend?? Why has that room now changed? Why was I told off just then? I thought I knew what to do.
Teachers still have questions. Where are those books? Why has that login (the one I just saved!) stopped working unexpectedly? Why has the timetable changed again? And beneath September’s rush into October, one bigger question: can I sustain a classroom where these pupils start feeling confident enough to learn to their full potential?
They may be smiling at the door, organising the classroom and speaking with apparent assurance, but many are carrying pressure. For some, it is their first year. For others, it is a new school, curriculum, leadership team or year group.
Pupils and teachers often carry similar emotions, although they show up differently. A pupil may still be wondering, “Do I really belong here?” while the teacher is asking, “Can I keep up the work needed to create a space where they belong?” Pupils must remain at the heart of the work, but acknowledging teacher humanity can help schools build more emotionally secure classrooms.
What pupils may still be carrying
Some students might still be fretting. ‘Please learn my name’. All will want teachers not to judge them too quickly. The pupil who suddenly starts talking too much may be anxious about something new. The pupil who refuses to participate may be unsure. The confident pupil will still need affirmation. Behaviour communicates, but it does not always explain itself. A child’s response even in October may be connected to transition, previous experiences, additional needs, friendship concerns or fear of failure.
Above all, pupils need classrooms that feel safe. They need structure, but also warmth. They need to know what is expected, and that mistakes will not embarrass them, questions will not, as they see it, be mocked and help will not be withheld. Confidence is built through repeated signals: how names are learnt, how correction is delivered, and how pupils are welcomed back after difficult moments.
What teachers may be carrying
Teachers may hope pupils do not notice the nervousness behind the smile, but as they want pupils to feel secure, they carry uncertainty privately. But children are perceptive.
They notice tone, stress, rushed answers, sharp corrections and inconsistent routines. They may not understand the adult pressure, but they feel the effect. That is why a new term cannot only be about routines and expectations. It must also be about emotional signals. A calm greeting can tell a pupil, “I see you.” A correctly pronounced name can say, “You matter here.” A private correction can say, “You made a mistake, but your dignity remains intact.”
Honest leadership in the classroom
Honesty is not about sharing our worries with pupils. Boundaries matter, and children should not be responsible for adult emotions. However, teachers can model healthy honesty in age-appropriate ways. Saying, “I may still need a reminder while I learn everyone’s name, but I want to get it right,” does not weaken classroom leadership. It humanises it.
This kind of honesty helps pupils understand that learning is not about perfection. When teachers model calm without pretending everything is easy, they create a classroom culture where pupils can take risks, ask for help and recover from mistakes without shame.
Settling in takes time, and as the school year moves into month 2, with routines more established, it is worth taking time to considering some of the deeper and possibly hidden issues, as this October checklist suggests:
An October Empathy Check | |
Pupil-centred | Teacher-centred |
Who might still be hoping I notice them? | What pressure am I carrying into the room? |
Whose name, confidence or additional needs am I yet to learn? | Where do I need support, clarity or grace? |
Am I still showing pupils they are seen before they are corrected? | What am I trying to prove, and does it need to be proved this week? |
What might pupils be afraid to say? | How can I model calm without pretending everything is easy? |
What signals will pupils receive from me this week? | What will help me sustain care beyond the first month? |
These questions are part of strong classroom practice. If pupils need emotionally secure classrooms, teachers need emotionally secure schools. A strong beginning does not happen because teachers are told to “build relationships” and then left to manage everything alone. It happens when school leaders protect time, provide clear systems and recognise that adults are also transitioning.
Starting with intention
The first two months will not be perfect. They do not need to be. But they should be intentional. Pupils may not remember every direction, display or lesson they had (apparently) learned in September. They still need to feel seen, safe, corrected with dignity and welcomed into a classroom where both learning and humanity have room.
And by the end of October, with luck, new classes will feel established and confident – as if they had always been together.
Dr. Alexis L. Hamlor is an educational leader and scholar-practitioner with more than a decade of experience across NYC public and charter schools. A former special education teacher, mentor, instructional coach, and Dean of Special Education, she supports inclusive instruction, compliant service delivery, and educator development.
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