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Planning the First Day of School

Setting the right tone on the first day of school is a critical first step in creating an effective classroom. Learn techniques for getting the class off to a good start.
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The tone you set on the first day of school will impact your relationship with your students and the smooth running of your classes for the rest of the year.
 
If you properly prepare for the first day, students will be left with a powerful first impression. However, teachers who are unprepared or view the first day as inconsequential may have to work even harder for a longer period of time to establish a positive working environment for themselves and the class.
 
Presenting a Positive Attitude
  • Greet each student at the door. On the first day of school, even returning students may feel nervous about coming back and most students feel somewhat vulnerable.
  • Appear interested.Although this may seem obvious, your positive attitude regarding your class sets an example for the entire class. The interest you show in your subject and students sets the tone for how students feel about themselves and the class. Although some students may appear cynical or uninterested in the class, teachers can thwart these attitudes by refusing to reinforce them with their own behavior.
  • Make your students feel comfortable and welcome in your class. Be at ease and treat students respectfully, and you will establish a high standard for the tone of your classes.
Introducing Yourself
  • Be open with students and briefly share who you are with them. Sharing some personal information about yourself will help you establish a trusting environment.
    For example, you might tell the students where you went to high school and college, why you decided to become a teacher, what your favorite pastime or hobby is, or what is important to you.
  • Remember to introduce yourself to other teachers. Building bonds with peers early in the year can help develop important professional relationships that can lead to collaboration, sharing, and support.
Planning Seating Arrangements
  • Decide ahead of time if you want to assign seating or let students select their own seats. If students select their own seats, you are giving them some control over their own environment. You may wish to point this out, in addition to the responsibility that it entails.
  • Tell them that you expect them to choose seats that will work well for them. Let them choose their own seats as long as they agree to move if asked to do so during group activities or if they are disruptive.
  • Make a seating chart for each class. Once the seating arrangements are in place, you can use this to quickly take roll in the future.
Taking Roll
  • Ask each student to tell you his or her name. They should includewhat they wish to be called in class. Letting the students say their own names prevents you from struggling with pronunciations and avoids embarrassing students with unusual names.
  • Make a quick note of any students whose names you don’t have on the roll and move on. After you have marked everyone, privately go back to any students whose names you could not easily find and determine who they are and where they belong.
  • Have a sign-in sheet prepared for students entering the classroom late. Consider allowing an exemption for a first day lateness. Remember, some students may be new to the school and unfamiliar with the school layout.
  • Write your name and the course name in a prominent place. This way students can check if they are in the right classroom.
Introducing Basic Classroom Rules
  • Prepare a brief list of general rules for your classroom. Brainstorm a list of expectations for student conduct and then use it to form your general ideas of how you want students to conduct themselves. From this, write five or six general rules for student conduct. Make sure your rules are consistent with the school rules.
  • Give students copies of your classroom rules. First explain that you have a list of rules that shows what you expect from the students. Display them prominently in the classroom.
  • Read each rule aloud. When necessary, clarify the meaning of the rule.
  • Explain that you will keep a record of when they break the rules.
  • Show a copy of a blank record of broken rules. Try not to belabor any one point or spend excessive time lecturing students about the rules. Explain that the rules are in place so that everyone can have a positive experience in your class.
  • Determine appropriate consequences for infractions of the rules. Before the first day of school, brainstorm a list of consequences when a student does not follow a rule.
  • Keep in mind that rules will probably be broken daily. You need to be prepared in advance so you do not have to decide what to do in the middle of an issue with a student. Additionally, students need to know in advance what will happen if they break a rule.
  • Post the consequences prominently near the rules.
Introducing Content on the First Day
  • Plan to introduce content during your first class session. First-day introductions and explanations can get cumbersome, but try to avoid letting these bog down the entire first class.
  • Leave administrative tasks to the last 15-20 minutes of class, if possible. Although certain classroom management procedures must be attended to, try to take care of administrative tasks quickly and efficiently. Some items can be discussed on the second or third day.
    Introducing classroom content right away communicates that your class is going to be about learning and not just the mechanics of the class.
  • Design your discussion to pique students' interest rather than introducing essential learning points. Remember, waiting lists and other issues may prevent some students from attending the first day of school.
  • Prepare a syllabus to give to students. This lets them know what material will be covered in the class and what materials you expect them to have. You can spend time in subsequent classes explaining the syllabus as necessary.
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