The first day of school sets the tone for the school year. There are a lot of blog posts about what you should do on the first day of school, but what things should you avoid on the first day of school? What are some back to school don’ts for teachers? Here are 5 things you should not do on the first day of school.
5. Don’t try to do all of the things everyone else is doing.
If you’re on Instagram or Facebook, you will probably see teachers who go back to school before you sharing all of the different things they’ve done on the first day. While it’s great to get inspiration and ideas from other people, it’s also important to pick and choose what activities you do in your classroom. You won’t have time to do all the things, so instead of trying to jam everything into your first day, pick a few really meaningful activities. It’s also great to have a few back up activities in case something takes less time than you planned, or something isn’t working. If all else fails, a nice read aloud is a perfect first day of school activity for nervous kids (and teachers).
4. Don’t skip setting procedures.
One of the most important things you can do during the first day of school is to start building relationships. What’s the second most important thing? Explaining, modeling, and practicing your classroom procedures. (Find a free procedure planning guide in my free resource library.) Don’t skip this important foundation for a smooth school year. Take time during the first day, week, and month to practice and perfect classroom procedures. If students know what they’re supposed to do when they come in, when they need to use the bathroom, when they need a tissues, when it’s time for lunch, and so on, it does two important things.
- It cuts down on potential windows for behavior issues.
- It makes students more independent.
- It build student confidence.
3. Don’t try to jump right into academics.
Although kids come to school to learn, learning can’t *really* take place until you’ve both set procedures and started to build relationships. That doesn’t mean you can’t have students do some reading, writing, math or science on the first day, but don’t try to rush right into full on academic lessons. The first few days of school are the best time to create a caring, safe, orderly classroom, so take full advantage of that time. There will be plenty of time to learn that 2+2=4 or that the Earth revolves around the sun. But, it’s much harder to begin building relationships half way through the year. So, take the time to focus on PR at the beginning of the year: procedures and relationships.
2. Don’t have your classroom set in stone.
So many teachers, especially new teachers, have their entire classroom decorated and set up on the first day of school. While I’m not advocating having your students walk into a completely disorganized, unprepared classroom, it is helpful for there to be opportunities for your students to have input and make their mark. This can look different depending on your level of comfort, but you can start small. Instead of having printed posters of classroom expectations on the wall, let your students design them. Rather than having a teacher store generic classroom alphabet, have the students work together to create one on the first day. Instead of having all of your classroom library set and organized, maybe your students can help you sort and determine your categories. And, instead of having every bulletin board filled, leave some blank for future student work.
If you’re able to leave some space for your students to make their mark on your classroom, it will quickly feel like their classroom.
1. Don’t set your expectations too high.
The first day of school is a lot of things. One thing it will probably never be is perfect. In fact, if all of your students make it home safely and no one gets injured, that’s a pretty good first day. It is often over in a blur, and normally you’ll either fly through all of the activities you had planned or only get through 2. Instead of aiming for perfection, make a few simple goals. Here are the goals I aim for on the first day, and every day the first week of school.
- Get everyone home safely.
- Practice some procedures.
- Share a laugh, or at least a smile with the class.
- Learning a few things about a few kids.
Anything else that goes well is a bonus.
Keep reading and learning:
- How to Get the Most Out of Student Teaching
- 3 Mistakes New Teachers Make
- How to Increase Parental Engagement
- Rock Your Next Classroom Observation
