Prior to the first day of school
Before the first day of school, in the weeks leading up, I will do everything I can to prepare my students and my classroom to start the year off right. Once I receive my class list, I will send out an e-mail welcoming my students to my class and briefly introduce myself. I will also inform that to be successful in my class they should have a 2-inch binder with five tabs and 50 sheets of loose notebook paper in the binder, by the end of the first week of school. By everyone having a binder, I can further organize students' learning and instill a very important life skill. In the weeks leading up to the first day of school I will also make sure that my classroom is prepared for my students. I will make sure that the room is clean and tidy. I will also purchase any basic school supplies that I will need for the year. Along with organizing the room, I will develop a simple alphabetical seating chart for each of my classes. This can reduce any confusion of where to sit on the first day, as well as, give students a sense of belonging. Everything that I can do to prepare will be done before any student walks in the school's doors for their first day of school.
First Day of School (60 Minute Class Periods)
Before Class Starts
After The Bell Rings - Introduction (4 Minutes)
About Me (5 Minutes)
Class Activity - Name Game (25 Minutes)
Syllabus (5 Minutes)
Classroom Tour (5 Minutes)
Teach the Procedure for Dismissal at the End of Class (5 Minutes)
Review/Closure (9 Minutes)
Dismissal Procedure (2 Minutes)
- Greet each student at the door with a welcoming smile.
- Check to make sure that each student is in the correct room.
- Instruct students to find their seat and read the board for instructions on their Bell Work.
After The Bell Rings - Introduction (4 Minutes)
- "Welcome to 9th grade biology, my name is Mr. Wedgwood, and I am really looking forward to being your teacher this year. Now that you have made it to high school, I consider you to be young adults. This is a great time of life because all of you have the mental capabilities of adults, but lack the knowledge and life experiences that they have. Throughout this year, we are going to cover some very interesting topics as we learn about biology, which is the study of life."
- "Before we get started, I need to go over one important procedure that I have in my classroom. When I need your attention, I will simply raise my hand at the front of class. When you see this, you will stop what you are doing, silently wait for instruction, and respectfully inform any peers to do the same. Now what we are going to do is practice this new procedure. Turn to the person next to you and talk about your summer for a couple minutes."
- (Roam around the classroom, giving time for students to talk and build relationships with peers... Walk to front of room and raise my right hand. Wait for students to become silent.)
- "Great job class, you have learned our first classroom procedure. Over the next couple weeks, we are going to learn several more procedures that will allow our classroom to run efficiently. Now, let's get to know each other..."
About Me (5 Minutes)
- Introduce myself in more detail.
- Show pictures of my family.
- Inform students about where I went to college.
- Tell about my favorite hobbies and sports teams.
- As a transition into the Name Game, share with the class the best thing I did during the summer.
Class Activity - Name Game (25 Minutes)
- Instructions: For the name game, lets form a circle. What you will do is state your name and tell the class about the best thing you did during the summer. To make thing interesting, before you go you have to state the names of the people that went before you.
- Model: "I am Mr. Wedgwood, the best thing I did all summer was go fishing at Lake Michigan."
- After everyone has gone, I will go through and state the name of each student. Then, I will ask if there is anyone who can say the names of everyone in the class.
Syllabus (5 Minutes)
- Contact Information
- Course Textbook
- Course Objectives
- Grading Scale
- Academic Honesty/Integrity
- School Policies
Classroom Tour (5 Minutes)
- Quick tour of the classroom to allow students to see where everything is. It also gives them a couple minutes to stretch their legs, because that probably was not the first syllabus they saw today.
- Examples of classroom sights: teacher's desk, trash, recycling, pencil sharpener, stapler, three-hole punch, aquariums, etc.
Teach the Procedure for Dismissal at the End of Class (5 Minutes)
- At the end of class everyday, I will give the students two minutes to align the tables, make sure the floor is clean, and pack up their materials. I will inform the students that I dismiss them, not the bell. The bell is simply a guide to inform teachers when a class period ends. When the classroom is ready, I will dismiss the students when the bell rings. They are not to line up by the door or pack up early. I will instruct them that I will give them enough time to do that at the end of class, and I will never make the late for their next class.
- After the explanation, we will practice doing this procedure once.
Review/Closure (9 Minutes)
- Ask the students if they have any questions about anything we discussed today.
- Review the procedure for quieting the class.
- Assign students to reread the syllabus because there will be a syllabus quiz tomorrow.
- Answer any further questions.
Dismissal Procedure (2 Minutes)
- Tables aligned correctly
- Floor of classroom fully clean
- Students remain seated (talk quietly)
- Teacher dismisses after the bell
- Students push in their chairs