Planning the First Day of School

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, then 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.

Teachers who are in their first assignment can especially benefit from techniques that will help them get the year off to a good start. Experienced teachers may learn a new strategy to add to their own first-day procedures. These techniques serve as gentle reminders that every year offers a new opportunity for a successful experience for both students and teachers.

Present a Positive Attitude
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. Your excitement about the subject can inspire students to feel the same way. 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.

Likewise, presenting a friendly demeanor can also help establish a rapport with the class. Try to make your students feel comfortable and welcome in your class. 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. You can help them feel safe by being friendly and warm. If you feel comfortable doing so, joke with the students, but be careful not to tease anyone. Be at ease and treat students respectfully, and you will establish a high standard for the tone of your classes.

Introduce Yourself
Be open with the 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. Perhaps most importantly, share with them why you are excited to teach their class and what you hope to learn from it. By setting a respectful and open tone, you can encourage students to take risks, too.

Also, remember to introduce yourself to other teachers in neighboring classrooms. Building bonds with peers early in the year can help develop important professional relationships that can lead to collaboration, sharing, and support.

Plan Seating Arrangements
Decide ahead of time if you want to assign seating or let students select their own seats. If you let students select their own seats, you are giving them at least some control over their own environment. You may wish to point this out, in addition to the responsibility that it entails (i.e., resisting the temptation for abuse and the need to keep behavior in check). Be sure to 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.
On the other hand, if you select the seats, you can avoid, at least temporarily, having students re-establish ineffective relationships in the classroom. In either case, 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.

Take Roll
Ask each student to tell you his or her name and note his or her presence on the role sheet. Ask students to tell you what they wish to be called in class. Tell them that they need to say their preferred first name and last name, so you can find them on the roll sheet or roster. Letting the students say their own names prevents you from struggling with pronunciations and avoids embarrassing students with unusual names. If you cannot find someone's name on the roll sheet, make a quick note 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, if they are indeed on the roll sheet, and if they are in the right classroom.

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 be unfamiliar with the school layout. Be certain to write your name and the course name in a prominent place on the blackboard so students know they are in the right classroom.

Introduce Basic Classroom Rules
Before the first day of school, prepare a brief list of general rules for your classroom. Before you create your rules, consider the kind of environment you wish to establish. 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.

Read the posted classroom rules to the students. First explain that you have a list of rules that shows what you expect from the students. Give students copies of your classroom rules or have them displayed prominently in the classroom. Read each rule aloud. When necessary, clarify the meaning of the rule. Explain to students 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.

Introduce Content on the First Day
Plan to introduce some 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. 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. Use a "hook," that is, an interesting content-related story or connection to the real world, to interest students in the subject area or unit. 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.

If you are comfortable with your time management skills, begin the class by diving straight into content and leaving administrative tasks to the last 15-20 minutes of the class.

If possible, prepare a syllabus to give to students so that they 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.