The dreaded first day of school...

We all know that it is very scary to be a first year teacher, and its the night before the first day of school, your can't sleep! Does anyone have any pointers to help ease your worries about the first day of school? Does anyone have any good activities to do with students on the first day? I am already getting nervous for the first day of teaching EVER and I still have a whole year left of school, anything that would help ease my worries or any pointers about the first day?

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Permalink Reply by Chris on April 8, 2011 at 1:46am

Hi Gina,

Get a copy of The First Days of School, by Harry K. Wong. Excellent resource! And relax...your first first day is nerve-racking because it is your first. After that you might find, as I have, that the first day of school can be the easiest day you have all year! Kids are on their best behavior (nervous), you spend some time dealing with supplies, introduce procedures and expectations, practice procedures, and begin building community (using games for example). The first day goes by really fast! My night-before nervousness over the first day of school is now night-before excitement over meeting my new students. By the way, this is from an intermediate elementary perspective.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Jazmin Hayes on April 8, 2011 at 9:49pm

We had to read that book for our class. I would have to agree with you..GREAT RESOURCE!

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Permalink Reply by Robert Franklin on April 22, 2011 at 8:16pm

http://www.effectiveteaching.com/products.php?product=The-First-Day...

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Permalink Reply by wendy watson on August 6, 2012 at 10:03am

How did you start your first day? I am new to a building and classroom with a new subject area. I thought I would start with a Google form asking various questions of students - as students fill in form and submit they will see it populated on T.V. As they fill out the form, I will take roll and hand out white paper plates. We will then take a quick look at Google spreadsheet class results. I will have students turn to the person to the left and create a Venn diagram on paper plate comparing what they have in common with one another. Then have each group present what they have in common and listen for what they have in common with classmates. For homework, or the remainder of class after covering a couple of class rules/procedures, students will write up a paragraph or two introducing their partner for class the next day. Ideally, they will come in type up the paragraph on their partner and a paragraph on themselves in a Google Doc. Check for spelling etc then they will go to Big Huge Labs and create a baseball trading card on their partners. They will print their cards and turn into me. Students will then receive instructions to go and establish their Typing program account and begin. About 30 minutes into second day, we will begin a discussion about the information that we gathered and look at some of the cards created. I will ask - do you have the right to post this information online about your partner - discussion - would you post this information on line about yourself? Should you? Leads us into a discussion about digital citizenship.First day ideas;First day activities; pininterest