Back to School Lesson Plans and Activities

Start off the school year on the right foot. This is a stressful time for both you-the teacher-and your students. While you may know some of the new students, some you may never have met before. This is also the case of the students. Some may be new and not know any of his classmates. The first week is the most important time of the school year. If you set the tone right during this time, the rest of the year will flow smoothly.
Write out your expectations for you class and make copies of it. Hand these copies to your students on the first day. Ask each student if they understand what you want them to do throughout the year. If they are confused, sit and explain until they understand how you want things done.

Prior to the students showing up for the first day of class, give your classroom a look over. Make sure you have the supplies that you will need for the first few days. Organize the desks to fit your teaching style. Figure out wear each student is going to sit. Write out name tags and put them on the desks.

When the students begin to arrive, greet them in a friendly way when they come into the classroom. Show them where their desks are. Help them take care of their jackets and backpacks.

Hand out a welcome back bag. Have small items which the student may need such as crayons, pens, pencils, erasers and paper clips.

Create a community between the students on the first day of class. Have them tell a little about themselves. One activity is to have each student tell about something that he is good at or what he likes to do. By getting the students to talk, they can feel comfortable with each other. This method helps the shy students open up more.

Have an activity that allows the student to tell what he did during the summer. Have them draw a picture. Hang each picture on the bulletin board.

Give the students a quiz about each other. This way you can tell if the students were listening while each was talking about himself. The one who get the most questions right will win a prize.

Hide different items such as school supplies and books around the classroom. Give each student a list of items and allow them to look for them. The one who finds the most items wins a prize. This activity can be a team item, where two students are paired up. The team that finds the most items a prize is given to both students.