First Year Teachers: Ten First Day Activities

Most teachers are at least a little bit nervous about the first day of the school year. They will be meeting new students and settings the tone for the whole year! First year teachers are sure to have extra anxiety though! What exactly are you suppose to do the first day? Probably jumping right into your curriculum is not the best option! At the same time, passing out books and introducing yourself only take so long. Here's a list of ten activities you may want to schedule into your first day in the classroom this year! These activities are suitable for veteran teachers, but first year teachers will particularly find them valuable in figuring out how to get the school year off to a great start!

1. Play "getting to know you" games! Play games designed to help you learn more about your students and to get them comfortable with each other and you. For younger kids, the games can be simple. Have everyone sit in a circle, and roll a ball back and forth calling out the name of the person you're rolling it to. High school students can handle more complicated games like giving each person a list of characteristics (brown eyes, owns dog, plays guitar) and then setting them loose to find students meeting each of the characteristics. The students can sign their names next to the characteristic they fulfill.

2. Create a time capsule. Have your students draw pictures of themselves, and if they are old enough, write descriptions of themselves and a list of expectations for the school year. Take a class photo with a digital camera and print it out. Add a copy of the newspaper for the day and anything else that might seem applicable. Put everything in a big envelope and tuck it away until the end of the year!

3. Get student input. Although most of your curriculum is likely to be dictated by the school you work for or the state you live in, you will be able to make some choices about specific activities and specific topics that you explore. Have a brainstorming session with your students about what types of things they would like to do this year. If you pay attention, you are sure to learn a lot about your students, and they may come up with some great ideas!

4. Introduce the curriculum. Although you are not going to want to spend a lot of time on this the first day, the first day is the perfect time to give your students a general idea of what you are going to be studying. The flow of instruction in your school is probably common knowledge to you, but most students are not aware of what goes on outside of their grade. Share what concepts will be covered in social studies and science. If you have a great novel planned, now is the time to build enthusiasm. This can work with all grade levels. Everyone from Kindergartners to Fourth Year Latin students are probably curious about just what is in store for them this year. Share your plans while enthusiasm is high both on your part and your students' part.

5. Have a class meeting. Class meetings are a great way to reinforce classroom management plans. Start the year off right with a class meeting on the first day. Share your class rules. Talk about homework expectations and your grading system if applicable. Allow the students to ask questions. If you have a classroom government system or a special way for allotting classroom tasks, this is the time to explain. Have regular meetings to reinforce rules and explain changes as the year progresses.

6. Read a back to school story. There are lots of great picture books dealing with the first day of school. For younger students select a book about a child similar in age to the students you are teaching. For older students (including high school students), read a section of a novel involving a character returning to school. In a history class, you could read a historical account. In a foreign language class, you could read about the first day of school in another country. Get creative! It could be silly and fun to read a story about the first day of Kindergarten to sixth graders or high school students. The students could reminisce about their first day of Kindergarten afterwards.

7. Make the room theirs! Take a few moments to let the students help decorate the room. Kindergarten students could draw pictures of their favorite things to hang in the back of their cubbies. First graders could start a class word wall with their names and names of some of their favorite things. Older students could help with a bulletin board display. Even if you teach several different classes, each class could have a special spot to call their own.

8. Plant a seed. The growth of a seed can be a metaphor for the growth of your class. Plant a seed that the students can watch grow throughout the school year.

9. Stick to a Routine. Even though it is the first day, it is a good idea to try to follow your usual routine. For example, you could plant a seed during science time and read a story about back to school during reading time. Getting the students use to your routine on the first day will help set the tone for the year.

10. End the day with a back to school party! This doesn't have to be anything fancy. How about cupcakes and punch? Finish up by sending each student home with a small present to let them know that you are happy they are in your class this year. Decorated pencils or fancy erasers are good inexpensive ideas