So, you’ve gotten your schedule for your new school new year.
Gotten your class roster.
Labeled all of the cute things.
Bought the “game changing Target items”
So you’re ready? Right?!
Hold up! Wait - you actually get to teach these little darlings soon!
Okay- where do I start? I’m sure you’ve gotten some curriculum from your district... if not- figure that out for sure! Then what’s next?! Pacing guide- make sure you have one of those. Most of the time, I have seen those given out by districts. If you didn’t get one, I’m sure a colleague of yours in your grade level has a guide!
Ok so.. check check on all of that. But wait, that still doesn’t help you on the first day! The first week!
READ CAREFULLY- Routines and procedures! This is where you are headed now!
Stop what you are doing and go ahead and think about all of those procedures. And I mean all of them.
Coming in in the morning.
Folders/ notes.
Hanging backpacks.
Lunch boxes.
Where do students go sit first thing?
Transitions
Procedure for getting attention.
Pledge/ moment of silence procedures.
Lining up at the door.
Bathroom procedures
Need a pencil.
Broken pencil.
Using glue.
Using scissors.
Pencil box.
Snack.
Lunch.
Cafeteria.
Walking in the halls.
Jobs.
Packing up to go home.
Leaving for the day.
Sooo many more, these are just all I can think of right now!
Preplan these. You don’t necessarily have to have them written down, you can if you’re a list maker!
Easy First Day of School Packet
Be consistent! Stay on your toes and be on the lookout for any teachable moment that may arise. You haven’t thought of everything yet, trust me. Some little friend is going to think of something, do something or ask something that you haven’t thought of yet!
So for me, my first day is a half day. It generally goes like this:
Students meet me at the door. I instruct them to find their cubby, hang up their backpack and LEAVE everything in it! Then, they will find their name at their table along with a box of crayons and a pencil and a “Welcome to 1st grade” coloring sheet! While they are busy, I try to call over a few students at a time to their cubbies. With their help, I get supplies out and place them in the bottom of the cubbies. Don’t try to label, sort, or anything else yet! I do this as long as I can. If the coloring sheet has lost its allure, move on. Don’t force it to happen.
Once everyone is in and settled. I will teach them how to move to the classroom rug. Then we will practice. Once everyone is seated, I will read my story for the morning, “We Don’t Eat our Classmates”. It’s a cute silly book about a dinosaur who eats her human classmates. It’s adorable!
This makes a great jumping off point for a shared or interactive writing time to make an anchor chart for class rules. Get as many rules as you can in before they get too wiggly. Take a wiggle break if needed!
Discuss bathroom procedures (whether hallway or in class). If it’s a hallway bathroom, practice now by taking a trip to the bathroom!
Some students may find it helpful if you take a walking tour of the school. For some it may be a new place and may seem big or overwhelming. Ease those fears. Show them that there are smiling faces in all different places of the building. Cafeteria, gym, library, music... the list could go on.
Once we get back to our room, this is when we start doing our “My First Day of ...” papers. While they are working on them, I try to take their pictures for my displays! And for a keepsake!
When that is finished, we will finish our rules anchor chart and read another story if we have time!
This would be a time to read "First Day Jitters" and drink Jitter Juice.
We dismiss at 11:20. We start the packing up process at 10:45. We have to make sure we know how to pack up, how to line up, where to go, and all of the things!
Make sure everyone is labeled and ready. You never know what can happen at the end of the day!
I hope that you have a fantastic start to your school year!! 💜
Easy First Day of School Packet
Gotten your class roster.
Labeled all of the cute things.
Bought the “game changing Target items”
So you’re ready? Right?!
Hold up! Wait - you actually get to teach these little darlings soon!
Okay- where do I start? I’m sure you’ve gotten some curriculum from your district... if not- figure that out for sure! Then what’s next?! Pacing guide- make sure you have one of those. Most of the time, I have seen those given out by districts. If you didn’t get one, I’m sure a colleague of yours in your grade level has a guide!
Ok so.. check check on all of that. But wait, that still doesn’t help you on the first day! The first week!
READ CAREFULLY- Routines and procedures! This is where you are headed now!
Stop what you are doing and go ahead and think about all of those procedures. And I mean all of them.
Coming in in the morning.
Folders/ notes.
Hanging backpacks.
Lunch boxes.
Where do students go sit first thing?
Transitions
Procedure for getting attention.
Pledge/ moment of silence procedures.
Lining up at the door.
Bathroom procedures
Need a pencil.
Broken pencil.
Using glue.
Using scissors.
Pencil box.
Snack.
Lunch.
Cafeteria.
Walking in the halls.
Jobs.
Packing up to go home.
Leaving for the day.
Sooo many more, these are just all I can think of right now!
Preplan these. You don’t necessarily have to have them written down, you can if you’re a list maker!
Be consistent! Stay on your toes and be on the lookout for any teachable moment that may arise. You haven’t thought of everything yet, trust me. Some little friend is going to think of something, do something or ask something that you haven’t thought of yet!
So for me, my first day is a half day. It generally goes like this:
Students meet me at the door. I instruct them to find their cubby, hang up their backpack and LEAVE everything in it! Then, they will find their name at their table along with a box of crayons and a pencil and a “Welcome to 1st grade” coloring sheet! While they are busy, I try to call over a few students at a time to their cubbies. With their help, I get supplies out and place them in the bottom of the cubbies. Don’t try to label, sort, or anything else yet! I do this as long as I can. If the coloring sheet has lost its allure, move on. Don’t force it to happen.
Once everyone is in and settled. I will teach them how to move to the classroom rug. Then we will practice. Once everyone is seated, I will read my story for the morning, “We Don’t Eat our Classmates”. It’s a cute silly book about a dinosaur who eats her human classmates. It’s adorable!
This makes a great jumping off point for a shared or interactive writing time to make an anchor chart for class rules. Get as many rules as you can in before they get too wiggly. Take a wiggle break if needed!
Discuss bathroom procedures (whether hallway or in class). If it’s a hallway bathroom, practice now by taking a trip to the bathroom!
Some students may find it helpful if you take a walking tour of the school. For some it may be a new place and may seem big or overwhelming. Ease those fears. Show them that there are smiling faces in all different places of the building. Cafeteria, gym, library, music... the list could go on.
Once we get back to our room, this is when we start doing our “My First Day of ...” papers. While they are working on them, I try to take their pictures for my displays! And for a keepsake!
When that is finished, we will finish our rules anchor chart and read another story if we have time!
This would be a time to read "First Day Jitters" and drink Jitter Juice.
We dismiss at 11:20. We start the packing up process at 10:45. We have to make sure we know how to pack up, how to line up, where to go, and all of the things!
Make sure everyone is labeled and ready. You never know what can happen at the end of the day!
I hope that you have a fantastic start to your school year!! 💜
Easy First Day of School Packet
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