The first day of school is one of the most anticipated and anxiety-producing days of school for teachers. Both new and seasoned teachers plan for hours for this day but most teachers never feel completely ready. Many teachers can’t sleep the night before the first day of school, and others have nightmares about showing up to teach in their pajamas!
The first day of school doesn’t have to be anxiety provoking. We sat down with Hilary James, a National Board Certified veteran teacher, and compiled a list of things teachers should do on their first day of school in order to get off to a successful start to the new school year.
Breathe.
Remember to breathe. It sounds simple enough, but when we are nervous or excited it is easy to forget to breathe. Remind yourself to breathe several times throughout the first day. Taking a deep breath will help you relax. Before you know it, the day will be over and you will have successfully made it through the first day.
Put forth positive, optimistic energy.
Realize this is the students’ first day too. You are all new to this. A classroom with this exact composition of students, in this physical space, with you as the teacher, has never existed before this moment. It is pretty amazing if you think about it. You are all taking the first steps of a year long journey. You will make memories. You will learn lessons, both academic and otherwise. Enjoy this first step together. If you feel comfortable, share your excitement as well as your anxiety at beginning anew. The students will feed off your energy. When you put forth positive, optimistic energy, the students will likely mirror it back to you.
Set the tone for the school year.
Smile and make the kids feel comfortable. First impressions matter. This does not mean that if you have a bad first day that you cannot redeem things in following classes, but it is easier to begin the year in a positive light. You don’t have to spend the entire day doing warm, fuzzy activities; you can and should talk about expectations. By the end of the day, the students should know that your room is a safe place for learning.
Plan carefully and then let go.
Prepare good plans. Over planning for the first day, and most days, is essential. You won’t use all of your plans but we can imagine nothing worse than not having enough planned for the first day and having to come up with plans on the spot. You may be able to fill free time once you know your students, but we do not suggest this for the first day. This doesn’t mean you have to get through every plan. You don’t have to get it all done, and you probably won’t. You will have more time with these students, and you can use your plans another day. Your first day does not have to be perfect. Your goal is to make it through the day the best that you can and smile at the end because you did it.
At the end of the day, take time for reflection.
After the busy pace of the first day, and the adrenaline of trying to anticipate what needs to be done next to stay ahead of the students, you will want to keep moving at that pace once the students leave. However, give yourself time and space to sit down and reflect. What went well? What has to be changed immediately? What do you want to watch for in the upcoming days? What had you anticipated that didn’t happen? What happened that you hadn’t anticipated? How will these events change the way you structure your physical space or the way the students interact with the content in the upcoming days and weeks?
Your first day of school will undoubtedly not turn out the way you anticipated. It will leave you tired and exhilarated at the same time. You will be amazed that it is over in the blink of an eye. We hope you have an opportunity to take these suggestions and use them to thrive on your first day.
Happy teaching,
Paula, Michele, and (our guest teacher) Hilary James
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