Tuesday, August 9, 2011

To Do Tuesday: First Day of School

I've finally let reality kick in that the first day of school will be here before I know it. I am slowly crawling out of my summer slump of sleeping in late and laying around all day. Now I'm getting back to the work grind and preparing activities and data sheets to be ready for the first week of school.

I'm not sure who is more nervous on the first day of school; the students or myself. You only have that first few hours to make a first impression which can base your classroom atmosphere for the rest of the year.


During those first few hours, I try to make my classroom feel as much like home and a family as possible. I want my students to get to know me as I get to know them. Also, I want my students to get to know one another and realize that every person in our class has something special to add to our little family.

Today I am putting together several activities for those first few important hours:

1. Get to Know the Teacher Power Point- I created a power point last year with my hometown, college, family, favorite sports team, favorite food, favorite movie/book, etc. This year I'm just going to change up a few things... such as I prefer Diet Coke to Cheerwine nowadays. The students loved the PowerPoint last year and after we finish with it, I allow the students to ask any other questions that they are curious about... except "are you single/married?" and "how old are you?"

2. Classroom Tour- I've got my destination planned out, now all I have to do is write up a tour guide for the students to follow along. I love acting like we are going on an adventure and I am the tour guide. Students follow along on their sheet to see where each location is and what they are to do at each location.

3. Textbook Scavenger Hunt- It can be rather intimidating to receive a stack of huge text books on the first day of school. To ease this panic, each student receives a scavenger hunt that leads them to find different elements of each textbook. Examples: Science Vocabulary Index, Reading Contents page, Social Studies Chapter Titles and text boxes, etc.

4. Autograph Mingle- Students receive a checkerboard of details that could describe a person. They are to silently (key) walk around the room and find someone who matches each description and have they autograph their checkerboard. Each student can only sign another student's paper once. First student to have all squares signed wins! Examples of descriptions: Right handed, From another country, Sings in a choir, etc

5. "School Name" I Have, Who Has- Students are each given a card with a sentence on it. (make sure you have only enough cards for each student to have one) The student holding the card with the star on it stands up and reads their card first. Then the student with the answer to that person's question on their own card will then stand and read their card. Example: Student 1- "Who has the name of our school?" Student 2- "I have ________. Who has the name of our principal?"

14 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Have a great school year!

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  2. @Maria Thank you so much! I'm getting ready for the first day and it seems like it will be here before I know it!

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  3. Thanks for sharing your ideas! It is great to see another teacher who does some "fun" the first day! I do a lot of the same things you do !!!

    ~Teresa
    http://teresacalhounsclass.blogspot.com/

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  4. I wish I'd know about you two months ago! I got hired two days before school started and I know what you mean about those first hours setting the tone! Looking forward to next year when I'll have this kind of a first day. Love your blog, I'm a follower now. :)

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  5. Thanks for the wonderful ideas! I, too, do a PPT at the beginning of the year. To make it even more fun I've decided to try to make a Prezy instead! Good luck this coming school year!

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  6. Do you have a copy of the I have Who has game? I know the answers would be school specific but what about the questions?

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  7. I too create an about the teacher PowerPoint. This past year I also did a teacher true false to see who was "paying attention" during the PowerPoint and my students loved it!

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  8. Hello! I just found your blog, while looking for new reading material! I recently received the Lovely Blog award, so I'm passing it on to you...
    Have a great summer!

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  9. Thanks for sharing your ideas! I'm getting ready for the first days of school and your ideas have inspired me.

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  10. Thank you for sharing! I used your I Have Who Has idea and made one of my classroom rules and procedures. I think I'll play the game after going over my handbook for reinforsement!

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  11. Love the I have who has idea for the school!!! FUN

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  12. We love your ideas and are sharing it in our blog post - Ten Back to School Activities to Welcome Your Class and Break the Ice

    http://www.stevespangler.com/teaching-moments/ten-back-to-school-activities-to-welcome-your-class-and-break-the-ice/

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  13. Thank you! This was a great list - I had a few of these jotted down at one point or another but seeing them all together with reasoning helped me realize how important each one was. I only see each class 42 minutes each day, some classes even less, but spread out over the first week this would be perfect.

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