Back to school season is upon us! The first week of school is one of my favorite times of year, but it is also one of the most anxiety inducing weeks of the year. Even after more than a decade in the classroom, I still have butterflies before my first week with students.
For those of you who are still creating a week 1 routine that feels great for you and your students, here are some activities and suggestions that make the start of school smoother for me:
Avoid Ice Breakers on Day 1
When I was a new teacher, countless people provided me with ice breakers for the first day. I Purchased bingo boards and "getting to know you" games and planned name games to fill the first day.
Now that I have been teaching for a while, I've realized ice breakers are just not the vibe on the first day of school in an upper elementary classroom. To begin with, many upper elementary students have been in their school for years, so while they don't know YOU, they likely know each other, at least vaguely. While this is not always the case, I have have plenty of classes who truly did not need the surface-level ice breaker activities to get to know their classmates.
Another reason I avoid ice breakers on day is is that it's tough on students with any kind of social anxiety. Many students are struggling to transition from their summer routines back into the school year schedule, and there are many students who are just not ready to divulge personal information to their classmates.
What to Do Instead
Instead of ice breakers and getting-to-know-you activities, I like to plan my first day with a combination of fun, engaging seat-work and interactive games that don't require students to talk or perform in any kind of serious way. I also like to remind students that their work from this week will not be posted anywhere - it's just for them and me. Think coloring sheets, imagination challenges, coloring bookmarks, and questionnaires that will remain between you and the student. For games, think about low stakes games like Heads up, Seven up, Night at the Museum, and Musical Chairs. There are so many other game ideas you can incorporate into your routine. These will help kids get comfortable with you (and each other) and give them a few days to ease into your community before you dive into the challenging work of the year.
My goal for day 1 and 2 is always to get students comfortable with our classroom, our overall routines, and...most importantly, our classroom community. For the first 2 days, make your learning objectives about how you want students will FEEL after leaving the classroom. You don't have control over their feelings, to be sure, but you can create the conditions for a certain environment. For me, my goal is for students to leave their first days feeling comfortable, regulated, and engaged. For days 3 and 4, I make your learning objectives about expectations and classroom routines. For me, this is always establishing a class contract or constitution, working through a list of routines (think beginning of the day, end of the day, lunchtime, recess, brain breaks, classroom transitions, calls and responses, homework, etc.)
Build a Morning Class Routine
Personally, I love establishing a number of routines during week 1. First, I build a morning routine that involves Soft Start assignments - brain teasers, imagination workouts, and word games that allow students to ease into their day at school. I usually play the Lofi Girl or Synthwave, set low lighting around my room, and ask students to quietly get unpacked and settle in at their desks for some independent reading or soft start worksheets.
Consider Independent Reading
Another routine I like to focus on is independent reading time. I introduce independent reading as a treat and celebration - really encourage the kids to think of this time as a cherished part of their day. We usually color bookmarks, fill out reading inventories, and practice reading quietly for 5 minutes or so. I don't start my initial assessments of reading levels in week 1, but I do set up my independent reading tracker and begin to prepare a schedule of how I will conference with each students throughout the first term.
Talk About Growth Mindset
Spend some time in the first week building a growth mindset mentality in your classroom. Discuss the value of mistakes, the neuroscience of learning, and the way you will celebrate effort in your classroom. Here are some worksheets I use to help reinforce our focus on growth mindset:
I love to show these videos in my classroom to talk about the importance of effort and explain to students that practice - even practice where they make mistakes - is actually changing their brain:
I also like to create a "Risk Taker" reward system - I get a large clear container of some sort and a huge pack of Pom Poms (like these) and I throw one in every time a student has taken an academic or cognitive risk in my classroom. When we fill the jar, we celebrate as a class.
Overall, week 1 is about creating a sense of community, trust, and excitement about the year of learning you are all about to embark on. Happy back to school season!
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