It is time for a Back to School Linky....even though I am setting sail on a cruise at this very second! I just finished Summer School last week and have 2 weeks before PrePlanning starts. I know one of those weeks will be spent in my classroom so I thought I should spend the other one in the middle of the ocean where I could NOT work on school stuff! (No matter how much I need and want to.)
But, since I will be THINKING about Back to School I decided to link up with Undercover Classroom and Education Electrification for First Day Tried and True Activities!
Even though this will be my 12th year teaching, I still get a little anxious over the first day of school. I don't think a teacher can ever be TOO prepared or have TOO many ideas the first week of school.
I am going to share a few of my First Day Tried and True Activities with you!
1. Play a Game
This can be a fun and easy game but make sure it is an educational game. It keeps them busy while you are sitting and sipping your coffee sorting though mounds of supplies, finding out how everyone gets home, helping a little one who had an accident, drying tears, reminding friends to share, encouraging parents to leave...... Most importantly it shows your students that learning can (and WILL) be fun this year!
I always play a Roll and Color game on the first day of school. Not only will this give them a chance to use those new sharp crayons they are just dying to open, it also introduces an activity that stays in my Math Stations the entire school year!
I have a sample pack of Apple Math Games for free. It is 31 pages of differentiated games! Grab it for FREE by clicking on the picture below.
If you LOVED the freebie and would like more, check out my Apples Everywhere Math Unit by clicking the picture below. It contains 162 pages of activities for only $5.
2. Team Building Activity
Last year my goal was to do a lot of STEM activities with my class. We started on the first day of school! I got the idea from Ivy Taul. She has a STEM Starter Kit freebie! (Click the picture to check it out!)
I tweaked her idea a bit to fit my class's needs. When our students go through the lunch line they have to say their name and lunch number. In the past I always made super cute little name & number tags for each student to wear. Of course they matched our classroom theme. Last year I challenged the students to make their own name & number tags! Not all turned out great, but the students enjoyed it and they really helped each other out. (Which was my goal..team building to start building our classroom community!) And yes I had back up name tags already made for each student! We only needed 2!!!
3. Have Fun
This is the most important. Enjoy the day. Share the kid's excitement. Relax! If you don't get to all of your activities, don't worry and do NOT rush through them. Do them tomorrow! The students will not mind if you do a Day One activity on Day Two. Trust me they will simply remember the activity. You are setting the expectations and tone for the next 180 days. Make them count!
Check out other First Day Tried and True Activities at the Linky below!
Good luck on your first day.
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