First Days of School

As a student, going back to school was always exciting and scary for me at the same time.  I was always a little apprehensive about who would be in my class,whether the teacher would be nice, and how much work would I have to do. It was exciting because I would see all my friends and start something new.  I always liked school.  

As a teacher, the first few days of school are important because what you do will set the stage for the rest of the year.  In my Classroom Management course, we watched the Harry Wong Videos "The First Days of School" and they clearly illustrated all of the things that you need to consider in setting your stage - the classroom.  The first days of school are a time to set your expectations and start teaching the key procedures to the students that will make the year run more smoothly.  At the beginning of a new year or a semester, you can tweak your procedures to make them more effective.  

The first days of school are the ideal time to start developing your classroom relationships.  It is important to learn the students names early, and get to know their interests.   You may also need to take time for students to get to know each other.  The school district where my children go is small and they have known their classmates since kindergarten, so this type of activity may not be as critical as it is for students in a very school district.  

Preparation is important for the first day of school.  You should spend time planning, in the summer, to make sure you have enough of everything you need (textbooks, syllabuses, handouts, etc).   Having a plan and all of your materials organized and ready, will help the first day go smoothly. 

The first day of school sets the tone for the rest of the year. The list below has some tips to use on the first day of school.   Several of these were demonstrated at the beginning of Clinical Studies last Tuesday.

1.  Greet Students at the door and welcome them into your classroom.  
2. If you are using assigned seats, plan it in advance, and direct students to their seats as they come in.  This will give you a jump start in getting to know your students names.  
3. Hand out a survey so you can get to know your students.  Ask for nicknames, hobbies, interests, etc to find out what the students are interested in.
4. Have an activity planned to use so students can get to know one another.   
5. Have a course outline prepared that discusses course expectations and grading.  This will cover some of the students key questions and put them at ease.  
6. Introduce students to your classroom - what areas are off limits, where supplies for them are located, where assignments will be posted, etc.
7. Discuss classroom rules and procedures.  These should include start of class procedures, lavatory passes, pencil sharpening, question asking, and dismissal procedures.  

I found some great blogs on the Internet that focus on the First Days of School.  Here are some of the links:
Smart Classroom Management web site -
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/08/14/your-first-days-of-school-classroom-management-checklist/
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/08/21/a-forbidden-classroom-management-strategy/
Preparing for the First Day of School:
http://www.suite101.com/content/preparing-for-the-first-day-of-school-important-for-new-teachers-a234153
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-get-ready-for-the-first-day-of-school-a127361
http://www.suite101.com/content/ten-things-to-remember-the-first-day-of-school-a129276

The textbooks used in my Classroom Management class are great references:
Building Classroom Discipline by C.M. Charles
Classroom Management for Middle and High School Teachers by Edmund T. Emmer & Carolyn M. Evertson