This is such an exciting time of year - all around the world millions of children are getting ready for their first day of ‘big school.’ (And if they have a uniform, we can be sure they’re popping it on at every opportunity!). Of course, millions of teachers are also behind the scenes, getting ready to welcome these little ones into their classrooms. It’s only natural that many children will feel nervous and unsure, so what can we do to help them feel welcome? So glad you asked, metaphorical reader! Here are three of my favourite tips for introducing yourself to your students. And the best part is, these tips count whether your students are in their first year or final year of school. Nothing says welcome like a little rainbow decor! Create a Meet the Teacher Flyer One super simple way to introduce yourself to your students and parents is to create a ‘Meet the Teacher’ flyer. This gorgeous letter can be emailed or posted before the school year starts, so the students can get a sense of the (amazing!) teacher they’re about to meet. Miss Zienter and Ms Riso got the memo with their Boho Rainbow templates. Gorgeous images via @misszandthefirsties @teachingwithms.riso. My ‘Meet the Teacher’ templates are available in a range of different designs and aesthetics to match your overall classroom theme. In the flyer I’ve made space to list some facts about you, your favourite things and a meaningful quote, but you can really take it in any direction. They’re fully editable (no fancy software required - Powerpoint will do!) so you can communicate the things that are important to you. This is always one of my favourite things to make - that’s the Boho Rainbow collection on the left, and my new Boho Plants collection on the right! As a fun bonus, why not send a blank copy for your student to fill out and return to you! It’ll give you a head start on knowing them, and they’ll love that you’re excited to meet them too. Just change the heading to ‘My name is’ and you’re good to go! Host a Meet and Greet Another popular idea at many schools is to host a ‘meet the teacher’ evening where parents and students come in to meet you. These can be a little nerve-wracking the first few times, but BFF - I’ve got your back! Talk about a warm welcome - SUCH a stunning space from @miss_grosse_! My biggest tip is to prepare a fantastic slideshow to kick off the evening. Use it to introduce yourself, share your values and provide and insight into the kind of teacher they’re entrusting their kid’s ones to. Share details of what parents and students can expect from you, and really use it as a chance to start building trust with the children and parents. Absolutely adore the way your slideshow matches your decor, @miss_grosse_! I have a range of different Google Slides templates that work perfectly for this, and they just so happen to match my classroom decor ranges. These little details - like a cohesive aesthetic and slide decks with a little extra personality - can really showcase the effort, care and attention you bring to your work. No matter your aesthetic, there are Google Slides to match! The slide templates are completely customizable, so you can photos, videos, illustrations or anything you like. Approach this kind of session as an investment - the more you can reassure parents that their children are in great hands, the more you can avoid situations where they may otherwise assume the worst. A little extra effort now may just prevent a few of those kind of emails later! Love the Boho Vibes in these shots. Right hand image via the wonderful @firstieswithmissm. After your slideshow you’ll likely have a Q&A session, or time to mingle with the parents 1:1. So, I’d recommend having some fun play stations ready to occupy the children. Now I’m not talking about PlayStations (though I’m sure the kids would love that!) but little discovery setups that encourage tangible play-based learning. Set up sensory stations where they can dig for hidden ‘bones’, or reading nooks where they can curl up with a book. The spaces we create form part of our first impressions - wouldn’t you feel so welcomed by @kelseyholloway’s reading nook, and @myteacherlibrarianlife’s Affirmation Station? Clever, play-based learning stations present yet another opportunity for parents to see that they’ve won the teacher lottery with you. Don’t you just love the brilliant play station via @teachingwithmissblechynden and the Boho Plant reading zone via @mrslanderlearns? And much like sneaking veggies into kids’ dinners, you can even plant a fun little writing exercise to provide a benchmark for comparison later in the year. Consider Personalised Accommodations There are some really powerful actions you can take to support neurodivergent children before they start the school year, that will set you both up for success. One simple action is to invite the child and their parents to the classroom (perhaps right before the info night) and ask them to choose their own seat. Have you sorted out your welcome displays or name tags yet? For Autistic children and children with ADHD, their position in the classroom can make a big difference to their comfort, ability to focus and their resultant performance. Similarly, seeking their input when choosing appropriate chairs, desks and sensory tools is really important. When everything has a place? Magic happens. And when that place is beautiful? Even better! I also find that labels are helpful for orienting children - whether it’s helping them find their chair, office supplies in a trolley, their reading group books or little stationery items. A little real life label-inspo via @i_spy.mrs_i and the Boho Rainbow range! These kind of simple accommodations show children (and parents) that they’re entering an inclusive, safe and tailored classroom. And there’s no better introduction than that! These may be my favourite labels ever! I hope these tips help BFFs! Whether you’re brand new to teaching or a little more seasoned, it’s safe to say we all want to make a great first impression. Take a browse through my resources to see how I can help you save time, and if you get stuck, reach out via my socials - I’m always here to help!
Ready to "cook up" a great first day of school? It's easy with this recipe for a successful start to the school year! PREP: ➤ Think about how you will set the tone for your classroom on the first day of school. ➤ Plan to keep students engaged and active. ➤ Prepare to build a positive rapport with students from the first instant that they become a part of the classroom community. INGREDIENTS: ➤ Warm-Up Activity ➤ Get-to-Know-You Activity ➤ Game that gets students out of their seats ➤ Get-to-Know-the-Teacher Activity ➤ Writing Prompt ➤ Extension Activity Once you've gathered your ingredients, you can get "cooking!" (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE RECIPE!) PROCEDURE: STEP 1: Begin with a warm-up activity. Place an activity on students' desks that they can complete independently. You might try a simple survey or poster. An All About Me poster is a quick way to learn about students. You can even gather them together for an awesome classroom display. Or, a survey is a wonderful way to collect information about students. You might include questions about where students like to sit, their favorite way to learn, and activities that they enjoy so that you can start connecting with students. Another awesome warm-up activity is an "All About You" name tag. Students answer questions about themselves while coloring in a name tag based on their responses. Then, students can place the name tag on their desks to help you learn your students' names. This activity is particularly awesome if you have multiple sets of students. You can collect the name tags and re-distribute them each day during each class while you learn names. Oh, and as a bonus, you can gather them together and leave them with substitute teachers throughout the year! If you'd like to check out ready-made Back to School Warm-Ups, just click here for the poster, here for the survey, and here for the name tags. STEP 2: Mix in a get-to-know-you activity. Give students a chance to share about themselves and learn about their classmates with an engaging get-to-know-you activity. One of my favorites is a doodle-inspired mini-book. Students transform a single sheet of paper into a doodley mini-book all about themselves. After students make the mini-book it's fun to hang them on a clothesline. Then, as students finish their work during the first days of school, you can encourage fast-finishers to grab a classmate's mini-book and learn about him or her. Check out the doodle mini-book HERE. Or, you could have students create this 3-D About Me Activity. Students create an infographic-style book about themselves. After answering some simple questions, they do a little cutting and gluing to create a 3-D "About Me" display. These are especially fun because students can set them on their desks and then everyone can tour around the classroom and learn about their peers. (These are awesome for Open House too!) Learn more HERE. STEP 3: Scatter in an activity that gets students moving. Since students crave opportunities to get up and out of their seats, plan to get your class moving on the first day of school. You might have students complete a scavenger hunt or even play a learning game that requires students to move around. I'm a huge fan of this simple get-to-know-you activity that gets students moving (and you can download it for FREE here.) First, students make paper airplanes. They write their name and 3 interview questions on the wings. Then, students line up shoulder-to-shoulder and launch the planes. Next, they pick up a classmate's plane, find him or her, and ask the interview questions. You can repeat the airplane launch as often as you'd like! Find everything you need to do this activity in this FREEBIE. If you'd like to combine movement and learning on the first day of school, then you and your students will love this Back to School Doodle Infographic. First students fill in the infographic with facts about school. There are 21 facts and you can hide them around the room to get students moving. Then, they put together the infographic to make a fun and doodle-y poster! Check it out HERE. STEP 4: Sprinkle in a chance for students to get-to-know-you (their teacher). On the first day of school, students are very curious about you. They want to learn about you, so you'll want to be sure to share about yourself. You can give a simple biography of yourself, or you might try these easy and engaging activities: Create a teacher interview question along with 4 or 5 prize cards for each student in your class. Then, tape the questions and the prize cards under students' seats before class begins. During class, explain to students that they all have something under their chairs. It might be a question and it might be a prize. If they get a prize card, have students keep it quiet. Then, call on students. They can either read a question for you to answer or reveal that they won a prize. If they won, you might give them a pencil, piece of candy, or a homework pass. You can find all my favorite questions HERE. Or, you might have students complete a "Teacher Guess" about you. First, they predict the answers to questions about you. Then, as you reveal the answers, they earn points for every correct prediction. It's a fun activity that students truly enjoy! You can check it out HERE. STEP 5: Add a fun writing prompt to your back to school activities. A writing prompt is a great way to gather a baseline for students' writing on the first day of school. You might give students a simple prompt about their summer or goals for the new school year. However, I love to add a fun creative writing prompt into the mix. For example, with this writing prompt students select a setting, character, problem, and 3 random objects. Then, they need to work them all into a story. It's fun, engaging, and a great way to see where your students are starting the school year. Find this writing prompt HERE or check out this collection of 10 creative writing activities. STEP 6: Top it off with a review of tomorrow's warm-up. Set students up for success during your next day of school by quickly reviewing what they will need to do when they arrive to class. If you're planning to have students work through warm-ups like these This or That ELA warm-ups where students choose to do the "this" or the "that" activity, then you might quickly review what will be waiting on their desks when they arrive. Taking the time to preview tomorrow's warm-up is a great way to set expectations for students! If you're looking for some daily warm-ups, you might want to check out these This or That ELA warm-ups or these This or That Writing warm-ups! STEP 7: Don't forget to have an extension activity just in case your lesson ends early. I love playing games like "Move If You..." which you can find for FREE HERE. While you may never get to the extension activity, it's a lifesaver if you need it! TIPS: When you're following this recipe for a great first day of school, you might want to: ➤ Greet students at the door and answer these questions for students right away: ➨ Where do I sit? ➨ Am I in the right classroom? ➨ What should I be doing right now? ➤ Also, be prepared to manage students' behavior on the first day of school. Ensure that you have a positive classroom management system in place and ready to use if you need it! Well, there you have it, my recipe for a great first day of school. Be sure to download all the ideas with links AND the FREE airplane activity HERE! CHECK THIS OUT! I've put together a 100+ page guide for back to school for teachers. It includes tips, tools, and printables for classroom décor, classroom organization, lesson planning, community building, and planning the first day of school. It's absolutely FREE! Just click here to sign up. When you sign up, you'll get access to 6 mini-courses that cover everything Back to School including classroom design, organization, curriculum planning, and ways to build a positive classroom community. There's also a TON of exclusive freebies, bonuses, and videos! If you'd like to learn more and sign up, just click HERE. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary Beth P.S. If you'd like MORE free resources for your classroom, be sure to join the Brain Waves Instruction club!
Back to school time?! Say it isn't so! This activities pack is full of icebreakers, first day of school games, discussions of rules, and other beginning of the year activities perfect for the beginning of the year! Start your new year off on a positive note with this pack! File Type PDF (Acrobat) Document File Be sure that you have an application to open this file type before downloading and/or purchasing.
Are you looking for some fun ways to get to know your students better? Here are three great getting to know you activities for back to school! I use them at the beginning of the year, when we get a new student and/or change groups. Click here to get your freebie!
The first day of school for pretty much any grade is a whirlwind. Plan for the first day of school to keep students engaged, and excited to come back!
The freebies have moved! Instead of having the freebies in a separate resource library, we have put all of our freebies in our shop. You can find the freebies by clicking right here!
Does your primary classroom need a fresh start in January? These three goals will help you hit the reset button to start the new year successfully.
My favorite first grade Back to School Activities in my classroom! These are my go-to activities for the first week of school!
It's a fact..teachers love books! Discovering new read alouds is always an exciting adventure. The following are my favorite first week of school read alouds. All of these titles have lesson ideas that go along with them. You can find the coordinating lesson plans and activities in our First Week o
First week of school activities for kids and teachers to get excited about learning about each other in just one week!
An engaging back-to-school writing activity. Use Skittles to help students brainstorm things to introduce themselves during back-to-school.
Helping K-2 Teachers Like You Save Time, Grow Instructional Skills, and Teach With Confidence!
Looking for beginning of the year activities for Kindergarten? Read more about 10 activities for the first day and the first entire month...
Whether you’re just starting out or have been doing this forever, starting a new school year can feel like a LOT to do. And that can cause a lot of stress. It’s hard to know what activities are going to be fun, engaging, and doable for your students and you want to feel as prepared as possible to st
Are you like me and busy checking Instagram and Pinterest for Back to School ideas? Even though I have been teaching for many years, I get bored doing the same thing year after year. Pl…
The lessons you teach at the beginning of the year are crucial for laying the foundation and setting the tone for the rest of the school year. During the first week, your schedule should be a mix of teaching procedures and expectations as well as building a strong classroom community. Download o
Heading back to school to begin a new school year is a time to improve your past teaching practices and establish routines and expectations for your new students. This blog post includes resources, ideas, and freebies for getting your new school year started strong.
Class community building activities and ideas to build positive student relationships during back to school time.
About two years ago, I created some resources to send home with parents on how to help their children succeed in school. You can find the
If you are looking for a way to celebrate friendships either at the beginning of the year or during your end of the year activities, this class project is just what you are looking for!
Here's a list of ten must-do activities for the first day of school for kindergarten that any first year or veteran teacher would want to know.
Want to teach rules and expectations in an engaging way? Use picture books! These 15 picture books are some of the best to start your year.
What is a good quote for the first day of school? Wishing you a happy back to school with these 100 motivational and positive quotes for students, teachers, and parents of kids in school.
Our first week of second grade was full of fun! From learning our classroom procedures, to team building we learned so much!
Having a Feelings Thermometer posted in your classroom is a great way to check-in with your students! If you introduce the Feelings Thermometer's zones at the beginning of the school year and frequently teach and reference the appropriate way to use it, your students will begin to learn how to identify and self-monitor their own feelings and ideally, ask you for help BEFORE their behavior escalates!
Are you like me and busy checking Instagram and Pinterest for Back to School ideas? Even though I have been teaching for many years, I get bored doing the same thing year after year. Pl…
30 back to school bingo boards to print for free. Use this class set to play a fun back to school bingo game and celebrate the start of school.
All About My Summer : Last Day of School/ End of Year & Back to School Activity Great way to close out the end of school, kick off summer break OR back to school/ begin the year! UPDATE: Now includes UK/AUS Spelling Option 2 TYPES: Before Summer Break: Graphic Organizers to write about what the kids are looking forward to this summer, how they want to spend it, etc. Great for the last week or day of school! Back to School: An icebreaker activity to get rid of first day jitters! Start off the first day of school by having students write and share about the summer they had. DETAILS: Summer Break Kick-off Page 1: 1. I will travel to 2. Memory I want to make 3. Summer treat I want to have 4. Memory I want to make 5. My favorite summer activity 6. This summer I will make Page 2: 1. This summer I will read 2. Three words to describe how I want summer to be 3. This summer I will see 4. I will relax by 5. I will learn PAGE 3: 1. I will spend time with 2. What I don't want to do 3. Summer poem 4. I hope the weather is 5. What I want to hear or say this summer DETAILS: BACK TO SCHOOL Page 1: 1. I traveled to 2. My favorite summer treat 3. Best summer memory 4. My favorite activity was 5. This summer I made Page 2: 1. This summer I read 2. 3 words to describe my summer 3. This summer I saw 4. I relaxed this summer by 5. This summer I learned PAGE 3: 1. I will spend time with 2.Worst summer memory 3. A summer poem 4. The weather was 5. This summer I heard Tips: *Great activity to start with when students arrive for the First Day of School. Open the class with the ice breaker, or just leave it on their desks to fill out as you greet everyone in. * Can also use as posters. Print at normal size or larger. Have students fill out the questions and color them in. You can even mount them on colored construction paper and decorate if time permits. Have the students do show-and-tell, and then hang them up on the bulletin board or take home to share with parents.
Back to School activities for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade. Open house resources, schedule cards, songs and chants, crafts, and so much more!
During the first week of first grade, it's important to plan engaging and fun activities to build community and relationships with your students.
Looking for beginning of the year activities for Kindergarten? Read more about 10 activities for the first day and the first entire month...
Find out why teachers should be using icebreaker activities for small groups all year long and not just at the beginning of the school year.
There's something about the beginning of a new chapter that is so nostalgic, so refreshing, so exciting! If you're anything like me, you're scrambling to write down those teacher new years resolutions.
This is a game that is fun for the beginning of the year. The kids have to find someone different to sign in each box and when they have a signature in every box they call out, "Bingo!" I usually ask the people who have signed in every box to prove that it is true. For example, if they signed th...
Practice major standards every morning in a fun, consistent format which promotes independent work! Easily differentiate for your students with two levels of the pages provided. Includes practice of addition, subtraction, weather, date, time, rhymes, long vowels, missing addends, numbers and numbe...
Not sure what to teach the first week of 3rd grade? Here's what we did!
Here's a list of ten must-do activities for the first day of school for kindergarten that any first year or veteran teacher would want to know.
I DID IT! I survived the first week of second grade, again! It was actually probably my best first week yet! I spent lots of time at the end of the year preparing for back to school. Opening my Back to School box was such a relief, because so much work was already done! Of ... Read More about The First Week of Second Grade
A read-aloud book such as Our Class is a family is an amazing way to build a positive, safe, and supportive community in your classroom!
7 favorite beginning of the year activities will help build a community in your classroom during the first week of school
It's that time of year! Back to school time (even though I know some of my bloggy friends have been back for a couple of weeks now.) While you may be in a district that wants you to hit the academics hard core from the first day of school and cut out "fluff", there's nothing fluffy about a cohesive classroom. And you can forget good things happening academically when nobody can get along. Do you hear me administrators? I think it's a wise idea to spend some time helping your students learn to live together in a room that gives everybody about one square foot of personal space. So here's a little collection of some fabuloso ideas I found through the wonderful world of blogging. Here are some great ideas to get your new friends talking to each other, working together, and thinking about what a successful classroom looks like. 1. Talk about how to treat each other. Tales from a Tidy Teacher shares a lesson using Finding the Green Stone by Alice Walker. She gives each student a shiny green "stone". They plan how they will keep their stones shiny all year. I think this would be a great anchor lesson to refer to all year long. Here's a post from Mrs. Robinson's Classroom Blog. She has a different question each day to get kids thinking about their role in the classroom. Your actions are who you are. When things were getting cranky in my classroom last year, we worked on this activity. We planned out the words that we would want our principal to use when describing us. Then we planned out the actions that would get us there. 2. Talk about words and what they can do (for good and evil). I love love love this poster. It is from Sweet Blessings who also happens to be the genius behind Technology Rocks. Seriously. I had it printed as an 11x17 on glossy card stock ($1.50 at Office Max). I referred to it all year long the last couple of years. By the second month of school, all I had to do was say, "THINK before you speak" and they knew exactly what had gone wrong. Yes, Mrs. O Knows will convince you that toothpaste and toothpicks will teach kids everything they need to know about words. I tried so hard to find the original source for this one. Please leave a comment if you know where it came from. Cause it's awesome. 3. Have kids work together in a fun way. Who wouldn't want to save Fred? This is a great team work lesson from Fabulous Fourth Grade Froggies. This one's from Science Gal. Now tell me that doesn't look fun? And because the best way to learn that the world does not revolve around you, have your kids perform RACKS. Random Acts of Classroom Kindness. Here's an idea from 3rd Grade Thoughts. There are tons more great ideas out there on this, too. Have kids work in teams to plan out some RACKS for each the classroom, other students, and staff, too. And now for a little giggle: Hope you have a great school year!
