As a secondary teacher, you will have some classes for your subjects that contain all new students. They may have heard about you, but they will not know you. As well as this, they will just have come off a long summer break and this is the time when they are likely to be most enthusiastic. The endurance of this enthusiasm will depend on you being organized. Your ability to retain their interest may well be a deciding factor in whether they succeed or fail. Don’t let them down.
Before the school year begins, you should referred to your curriculum and outlined your lesson plans for at least one semester. Even if this is a repeat of what you have done before, you should think about the strengths and weaknesses in what you did previously and make appropriate revisions. Think about how responsive the students were to various lessons and how you made even the least interesting aspects of your subject come alive. Build on these areas.
Each school period is limited and you have to ensure you are organized in order to make maximum use of those precious moments. Get to the classroom early, with materials ready to be distributed, and greet the students as they arrive. If they know you mean business in a firm but friendly way, they will work for you.
The first thing you should do on the first day is to get to know the first names of your students. If you have a bad memory, write a class plan with names written down against desks. Then explain clearly what they can expect from you and what you expect from them. Encourage questions and responses. By answering and discussing the issues using their names, you will have rapport. Do not end the lesson here; give tasks for the next lesson in closing.