7 teacher tips for a foolproof first day of school

It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or a newbie, getting ready to greet those smiling (or crying) faces on the first day of school is always worth a little extra effort. Get inspired with our top 7 get-ready tips for a successful first day of school.

1. Have fun preparing your classroom.

Make your classroom the place you would’ve wanted to learn as a kid. Envision your future students, and get a little silly! Your classroom doesn’t have to be extravagant or ornate. If you’re feeling uninspired or unsure, the Internet is ripe with clever ideas.

Get started on Pinterest where seasoned teachers share their tips and tricks, like with this cheap classroom decorations board or this one with bulletin board and door ideas.

Buzzfeed also lists cheap and ingenious ways to have the best classroom ever and DIY ways to decorate your own classroom. And HuffPo has 19 fun ideas promising to “knock your students socks off.”

When it comes to logistics, consider:

• Layout. Will you designate special areas, like a reading corner, supply station, or technology center?
• Seating. What kind of formation will desks be in?
• Names. How will students introduce themselves and find their seats?
• Storage. Will students store items in desks, on hooks, in cubbies

Need resources? Check out Scholastic’s free classroom set-up tool and printable seating chart to design your own.

2. Share your story with the kids.

Set the tone of a warm, welcoming environment by sharing your own story with students. Tell them about how and why you became a teacher, and what your vision is for the school year ahead. Kids are curious! And it helps to break the ice when they see you as a real person, not a robot who teaches by day and sleeps in the classroom closet at night. First-day jitters mean students might be worried about making friends, sitting next to strangers, or speaking up in class. Giving a heartfelt introduction of yourself can help ease that tension and set the tone of a safe space.

3. Do an out-of-the-box ice-breaker activity.

Get students moving and engaging with each other. You might ask them to sit in a circle to play the “switch game,” where you ask a question like, “Who read a book this summer?” and students answering “yes” get up and switch seats. (You can also do a stand-up, sit-down version). Students might paint or draw a portrait of themselves, or create collaborative portraits where they draw one feature, then pass to the next student to draw the next feature. Time capsules and scavenger hunts are other popular first-day activities, and you could also pair students up to interview and get to know one another. Here’s a great list of teacher-nominated ideas.

4. Show students their supplies.

Give students a tour of the classroom (or let them do a scavenger hunt!) so they know where things are located. Let them know where to find supplies and what the rules are for each item. Some teachers put two pencil jars in the front of the room: one with sharpened pencils and one for dull pencils. Students who need a fresh pencil during the day can drop off their dull one in exchange for a sharp one (preventing noisy mid-day sharpening).

5. Review the rules.

Rules don’t have to feel boring or threatening. Instead, they can be positive and helpful. You can even create them together with your students on the first day of school, encouraging student buy-in and a collaborative environment.

However you develop the rules, most teachers find it’s best to keep the list short, and keep the rules themselves simple and clear. Many also advise to stick to behavior-related rules (not academic ones, like “Turn your homework in on time”). Teacher Michael Lin, for example, swears by these four simple rules in his classroom:

1. Listen And Follow Directions
2. Raise Your Hand Before Speaking Or Leaving Your Seat
3. Respect Your Classmates And Your Teacher
4. Keep Hands, Feet, And Objects To Yourself

The NEA has great resources on developing classroom rules, and we also found this how-to guide helpful for keeping a positive attitude about rules and rehearsing good behavior in your classroom.

6. Send kids home with a welcome packet.

Your welcome packet might include a welcome letter for parents, a copy of your classroom rules, a schedule of upcoming events, a communication survey, and a list of resources (like how to contact you or find homework information online). Some teachers have even put together sweet “survival kits” for students. If you’re teaching sight words in your classroom this year with Sights, the welcome packet is where you’ll include your Classroom Code Flyer, too. The welcome packet, like the classroom rules, should be simple and friendly.

7. Call or email parents at the end of the day.

The sooner teachers can start establishing a positive relationship with parents, the better. Some teachers suggest calling parents with good news — or just to introduce yourself — before you ever have to call home about bad behavior or issues. That way, you’re starting off on a positive note and creating trust with parents. Be sure to read our post for 3 key ways teachers can strengthen parent-teacher relationships.

For more resources, check out the NEA’s Back to School Guide. Let us know your own tips and tricks in the comments!