It’s quiet….your room looks amazing, your lesson plans are done for the whole first week of
school--BUT what happens when the first bell rings?? What happens when there are
20 sets of eyes staring at you-what next?
Look no further. I have some tips to help you have a very smooth 1st week of school.
Have your room prepped for their success-Our students stagger into the classroom
for about 20-25 minutes each morning, and on that first day we even have some
nervous mom’s walk their child to class.
When my students walk in, they do not open their bookbag or supply box.
I greet them and then ask them to find their name on a desk, hang their book bag
on the back of their chair (Without opening it), and to begin coloring the sheet on their desk.
I provide a small set of crayons to be used until we get all their supplies
unpacked(this will happen later). You have just directed them to their first activity
of the day, and you are also introducing them to what you expect to happen every morning
for the next 180 days!
Movement in the room-Did you know you should have your students practice how you want them
to move around the classroom? This part of my routine is just natural--every time we leave
our chairs, or leave the carpet, I stop them and tell them how it should be done in our class.
For Example--Boys and girls it is time to stop coloring, put your crayons back into their
baggie-give them time to do this. IF someone stands up and moves to the carpet, tell them to go
back to their seat, that we are going to practice it together.
Say--Boys and girls we push in our chairs when we are leaving our seats, we walk
to the carpet and find our spots. Take every opportunity the first few weeks to remind
them how to do it. They need to know what you expect! You need to set your expectations
and then PRACTICE, practice, practice!
Spend the first few weeks practicing.......YES, weeks! If you put the time into
practicing your procedures and routines now, your class will run smooth for the rest of
the year!! A wise veteran teacher told me many years ago, to practice now at the beginning
of the year or spend the rest of the year correcting their behavior.
Listed below are a few important procedures that you need to set the expectations
for at the very beginning of the year and continue to practice for at least 4-6 weeks.
*How to unpack their bookbag (this should be how you want it done each day)
*How to walk in the halls
*How to do stations/centers
Also don’t forget to role play! Students love acting out how to correctly do a procedure.
I even get silly and pretend to be the “bad” student! You know they love seeing the teacher
being silly!
These are just a few that have helped my school year run smoothly.
I hope it gets you in the mind shift of practicing now instead of correcting all year.
I would love to hear some other ways that you practice and implement routines in your classroom.
If you would like to know what I use for the first few days as morning work, take peek below.
I love using mystery pictures or really something that the students can come in and do
independently. That is the most important part because so many unexpected things happen
those first few days, parents popping in, a new student at your door, an unexpected bus
change. So here are a few things to use to help save your sanity, plus they are really engaging.
Back to School Mystery Pictures
December QR
Freebie
Reindeer
FREEBIE
