It’s that time again! Summer is winding down and your students are preparing to come back to see you. While that may be in person or virtual for your school, it is still important to make that first week special and memorable for your students. Check out these ideas for your classroom as you head into the first week.
First Week of School Ideas
Morning Work
I like to have something for my students to do at their desk, especially on the first day of school. This allows them to have something to keep them busy while I’m chatting with parents, collecting notes and supplies, or anything else that might arise on the first day of school. Some of my favorite morning work activities for the first week of school are in this back to school resource.
Photo Op!
That first day/week is crazy but I always try to remember to take pictures of my students from the first week of school. It’s a great way to snag a photo of them for future projects, but also to compare to the end of the year! You’ll be surprised at how much they change in ten months!
Get to Know You Activities
“Get to know you” name games are so fun to play and it’s helpful for the teacher and the students! One of my favorite games to play is where students sit in a circle and each student has to say “Hi, my name is ____” and then they also have to repeat the students names that came before them. There will be lots of laughs and giggles, but students love trying to see if they can remember all the names in the circle!
Classroom Management
Classroom Meetings
Classroom meetings are SO important, especially that first week. It’s a great way to build classroom community. We use this time to talk about our classroom rules, check in with their emotions and reflect on different situations. My students absolutely love this time and look forward to it.
Procedures
You can never spend too much time on procedures, right? Depending on what your school is doing for health procedures, a lot of your procedures will be different this year. It’s important to give plenty of opportunities for your students to practice new routines, transitions, etc. in your classroom. I like to pick a few to practice each day and then we review our procedures that we’ve learned previously at the next classroom meeting.
The Perfect Back to School Resource
This first grade back to school resource is the perfect way to start your school year! If you are a new 1st grade teacher or you just need some fresh and new ideas for the first week of 1st grade, this First Week of First Grade includes everything you need to have a successful first week of first grade. It has welcome letters, complete lesson plans, activities, morning work and more! You can check it out here!
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