What to do on the First Day of School

Ready or not, the start of the new year is approaching!

Maybe you still have a month to go… great! Save this post for later. Or maybe, like me, you have just a few short weeks, and then the back-to-school routine will be in full swing! Do you know what you are doing on the first day of school? If you are a veteran teacher, you probably have more than a few tricks up your sleeve. If you are a newer teacher, or new to lower primary and early childhood, you may want some foundational ideas to anchor yourself.

Do you ever wish to spend a day in someone’s classroom for the day? Let’s be real, there aren’t enough subs in all of our schools combined to make that happen, am I right? How cool would it be if we could each be a fly on the wall in one another’s classroom, especially on the first day of school! I’d love it too, we all know that having a few extra sets of hands on the first day would be a treat! No matter where you find yourself, it’s always helpful to see a fresh perspective. Today I’d like to take you along with me for the first day of school! Grab yourself a coffee, and let’s go! You’ll need it where we’re headed.

First thing’s first, before you even leave the house there is something that is paramount to anything else you will experience. And I do, truly mean this from the bottom of my heart… Wear. Comfortable. Shoes. Seriously you guys. I know it’s the first day and you want to make the perfect first impression… But your bestie in second grade, wearing the cute wedges??? Couldn’t be you. Don’t do it, friend. Just embrace the sneakers or whatever you feel best in and go with it. I’m pretty sure there is research somewhere that says your day will go approximately 74x better in comfy shoes. I will die on this hill!

Second thing’s second, whatever plan you put in place needs to be held with flexibility. The thing about early childhood is that you can never quite know who or what will walk through your doors. It’s good to have a plan, don’t get me wrong. But then also make sure have a backup plan. And also a sideways plan, at least until you figure out your crew of little people and how they are managing the first day.

I’ll break it down for you at the bottom, but here are a few other things I like to keep in mind in creating a plan for the first day.

• On my campus, students begin their day outdoors. Most teachers are holding a sign with their last name on it to ensure kids are in the right line before heading inside. However, little ones can’t read yet! At our parent orientation (held the week before school begins) I tell parents that I will be holding a happy face sign and wearing a happy face shirt on the first day of school. My kiddos will know right away who their teacher is, and will be able to distinguish between myself and the other adults on campus if needed. This is important for before school, but also after recess and lunch as well!

• Start with humor. One of my favorite books to read , right away on the first day of school is “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”. The legend Mo Willems and his humor allows us to ease the tension and nerves in the room, helping the kids feel more comfortable. It works as a great icebreaker! We read as many pigeon books as we can the first week, and it’s always such fun. I also love to incorporate our very own Wiggles Learns the Rules at School later on in the day. One of my favorites! 

• Here’s where the flexibility comes in. On the first day of school, you may have some criers or other needs that pop up. It’s pretty much inevitable. If you can’t read a book right away, my secret weapon for the first day of school is our Colors and Shapes Collection. Have it cued up and ready before you bring your class in, as a contingency plan. This allows you to go address any urgent needs for a few moments (or more) while the majority of your class sits mesmerized and entertained. THEN, you can move on with your morning as planned.

 

• Refrain from jumping into rules right away, unless there is a safety issue that needs to be addressed. Your students are so preoccupied with taking in their new environment, they aren’t able to fully listen right away anyhow. Instead, on the first day of school I show students what they are permitted to touch and what is only teacher stuff. With that, I let them know that even though the toys are kid approved (among other items), they still can only use them at playtime. Which might be a big adjustment for kiddos who are accustomed to only a home environment where toys are an “all the time” or “anytime” activity.
• Another thing I’ll say about play is that sometimes I think it’s important to start with the boring stuff. For the first week or two, I keep the more *exciting toys* off limits or hidden. Don’t show all your cards right away, you know? The beginning of the school year is naturally filled with much novelty, you can keep all your best tricks under wraps until you need them most. This could apply to many other aspects of your classroom as well!
• On the first day, I have the kids make one cute (easy) thing to send home. I typically keep it contained to coloring only. I like for them to make a crown, a necklace or something they can wear out the door as a conversation starter. To make it easier, I always make sure this is cut, prepped and ready before leaving for summer so it’s just a matter of pulling it out of the closet. Bonus points for you if you can get every student’s name pre-written on it before the day of! 

• Sometimes I also like to give kiddos a cute little first day snack with a cute little label on the way out the door. But do you know what? About half the time, and maybe more, I completely forget despite my best efforts. So a word of solace, if I may: DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE CUTESY STUFF SO MUCH! Keep your kiddos safe and happy and the rest doesn’t matter so much. 

So here’s what you probably have been looking for. A full recap schedule, with timestamps. I teach a half day program and no doubt your timeline will be different from mine! I hope this gives you a good starting point and a peek into my first day of school!

Sample First Day of School Schedule
7:55AM	Greet students on the playground with smiley face sign and smiley face shirt. Give them a sticker nametag!
8:10AM	Line up, count students and walk inside. Have a contingency plan in case you have criers outside. Do you have a way to call for backup if needed? Communicate your needs to the principal ahead of time so that they can allocate extra staff members to come and check in with you at the bell.
8:15AM	TAKE ATTENDANCE! 😆
8:16AM	Read “Dont Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” OR show Colors & Shapes Videos
8:25AM	Switch 😀 If you didn’t read yet, do that. If you didn’t do songs yet, do that!
8:30AM	*Very quick* classroom tour. Show the kids what is “kid stuff”, what is “teacher stuff” and explain when they will be able to play with toys!
8:35AM	Take a group potty break, if you don’t have bathrooms in your classroom. Wherever you go next, take it slow lining up. Have 2 or 3 students model walking slowly to stand properly in line (I love sit spots for this!) before calling the rest of your class to stand in line. Take your time here! Make sure everyone is standing and attending before you walk out of the room.
8:40AM….ish	Walk to the playground and explain expectations. In my class, we bring snacks to recess with us so I have kids grab their snack from backpacks before getting in line. We set the snacks down in a safe space before continuing on with explaining playground expectations. Make sure you tell your kids what to do and where to go when the whistle blows or the bell rings!
8:50AM…ish	Morning recess
9:15AM	Line up, count students and walk inside.
9:20AM	Read another pigeon book, or read Wiggles Learns the Rules at School!
9:30AM	Have coloring activity (I do a necklace) ready to go on the table when you walk in, stick each kiddo at the table to start working. Make sure to have blank paper, a regular coloring page or another activity available for early finishers.
9:45AM	Read another book! Yes, another one 😀 Or put some more music on.
9:55AM	Take another group potty break if you need to, or start playtime! Spend some time on brief expectations before you begin.
10:30AM	Start cleaning up, then get ready for lunch. Do the same line-up routine you used before recess.
10:45AM	Give your students a quick tour of the lunch area, the kitchen or cafeteria and show them how to hold a tray, how to get a school lunch (if applicable) and where to sit. Don’t forget to tell them what to do when they finish eating! The last thing we want is tiny wanderers while you are taking your own lunch break. Make sure all your students are still wearing their nametag. It is sometimes helpful to label their nametags so that an adult can help them find their way back if separation occurs.
10:50AM	Lunch Time!
11:35AM	Line up, count students and walk inside.
11:40AM	Have playdoh ready on the tables. No tools needed today! Give everyone a splash of hand sanitizer on the way inside and let them calm down with some playdoh. The day is almost done, but I love allowing students to regulate in this way after a hot and overstimulating lunch time experience. Put on somequiet, familiar music if you can.
12:00PM	Time to get ready to go home! Get everyone cleaned up and get backpacks on *before you line up*. Double check that everyone has the items that belong to them, their special necklace or craft that you made, and your cutesy little snack. (Unless you are like me and completely skip this step even when it is staring at you in the face).
12:12PM	Start walking out the door to dismiss at 12:15PM. Make sure you know ahead of time who rides the bus or goes to daycare, etc. At our dismissal gate, I lean down and ask each child, “do you see somebody you know?” Or “Do you see your grown-up?” And make sure the adult makes contact with the child before fully releasing them.
12:20PM	Handle your business! Double and triple check that every child was released to their appropriate setting. Drink some water. Make any phone calls to the parents of any child who struggled today, or any that you’d like to compliment. If your work day is done, stick your feet up for a few before getting the room ready for tomorrow! Or, head to wherever your duties bring you next.

 Congratulations, you did it! Get your feet soaking in some hot water when you get home. Because, despite your best efforts in wearing the comfy shoes… there is no tired like the first day of school tired! And don’t forget, you still have to go back tomorrow 🙃.

Please reach out to us on instagram or via email if you have questions. And let me know, day 2 or even the whole first week! Happy first day of schooling!

 

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