First days of school activities and printables for Kindergarten, first and second grade students. … A new grade level and classroom is so overwhelming… there is so much so to see and do! Hide some goodies that the students will need to find (cookies, books, etc.) These simple, first-week-of-school activities for online learning are meant to be easy to implement ideas that we have all done before but have probably forgotten about with everything that’s going on. Students insert images and text into the slides. 2. Middle schoolers need some time to adjust back with the daily schedule, the academic demands and the classroom rules. Next week, the theme will be sharing how you have your students set up their math class notebooks. 6 Ways to Create the Science Mindset This is your opportunity to test your students and teach expectations through trust. Prepare Activities for the First Day and Week of School. Kids need to build their stamina for sitting and working for long periods of time, so I find that when I do fun activities with my firsties I have a better year in the long run. ... Middle School Activities First Day Of School Activities Middle School Classroom 1st Day Of School School 2017 Beginning Of The School Year School Games Middle School Science Classroom Activities. The first day of science class sets the tone for a year of scientific exploration and learning. This serves as an ice breaker and gets the kids talking and interacting quickly. If you need to familiarize the students with the school or the staff, have a first-day hunt around the facility. See more ideas about school activities, beginning of school, school. 10 Fun Activities for the First Week of Virtual School It is pretty safe to say that in the history of our country, we have never had so many children start the school year virtually. The first ten days of school are exhausting for both teachers and students! Activities on the first day of middle school should put students' minds at ease about the upcoming year and provide them with a chance to get to know one another and the teacher. First Day Activities As a teacher, what you do the first day/week really sets the tone for your classroom. Most of your students’ other classes will do this on the first day of school, so make your class stand out by doing something different! Find the Light Box Slides here. First Days Activities. 5. First Day Hunt. Location: 5th Grade First Weeks of School Description: Here are the lesson plans I used for the beginning of the school year with my bilingual 5th grade class. The first week of school is a crucial time for both teachers and students and can often set the tone for the entire school year. If you are not a Responsive Classroom teacher but want to learn more about it and need some support planning back to school activities, then I highly recommend the book, The First Six Weeks of School. A Week of STEM activities! Last spring, when terms like global pandemic, virus, hybrid-, distance-, synchronous-, and asynchronous-learning first became a regular part of educators’ vernacular and most educators across the country were thrown into unfamiliar territory, I couldn’t wait for the school year to be finished. First of all, I spent many, many hours searching through blogs and my twitter feed looking for activities for the first days of school. If you are interested in meaningful activities for the first week of school, I have created a pack of 11 ready to go activities. Feel-good Friday! Gives the children a chance to get to know each other and think/learn about themselves. I like to have what I call a “soft start” to the school year and that includes lots of stories, crafts and fun. It’s easy to use and is teacher friendly with so many great ideas. Often, the first days of school feel like a honeymoon period. This week’s theme is First Day / First Week Activities. Those “odd” days I have spent slowly introducing the classroom rather than begin active lessons. Balloon Orbitals; Awesome tool to stay in touch with students: The Remind app! One school year is a pretty big percentage of an elementary student’s life and a lot can change from September to June without your boys and girls even noticing. How Teachers should explain to students what they will study during the year and what is expected of … With BusyTeacher.org’s 265 resources for the first day of school, of course! Check out the video preview to see wh This is a digital set of back to school activities for use with Google Slides and Google Classroom. This can be interactive notebooks or traditional notebooks. Memorable First Week of School Activities At the start of every school year, It’s a good idea to have some lessons and activities that make the first few weeks back extra special. So, I hope this post can help give you some ideas of engaging activities for the first days of school…specifically with the older crowd (grades 3-6) in mind. There are so many good ideas out there! It is perfect for the first week of school and … Select any combination of these activities to plan the first day of school. 1-2 Questions a Day – Have your students reflect and share their thoughts on math during that first week of school. Teach expectations by giving students a challenging project. Math=Love has 21 Ideas For the First Week of School that are appropriate for 4th grade up through high school. Creating a time capsule the first week of school is a great way to reflect on the changes when it gets revisited during the last week of school. Host one-on-one family video calls before school begins or during the first week. Aug 28, 2016 - The first week of school is a great time to build classroom culture, community, & teach class routines. Click here to read about my first week of school lesson plans. As the kids are adjusting, getting acquainted, and learning the new demands of a new grade, it’s nice to offer them fun and memorable opportunities to connect. Kechia Williams, a middle school teacher in Columbia, South Carolina, has students design a collage that features their names written in big bubble letters, filled with words and pictures that define them. Since March, we have all said over and over again that we are in uncharted territories. Jumping right into scientific tasks engages the students and sparks interest in the class. in the places on the campus that the children have to be aware of (library, teacher’s office, playground, restrooms, you name it). The most important thing I want to convey to my students those first few days of school is that my classroom is a fun and safe place and I am teacher with high expectations for all. The first few days of school take careful planning. Those days and moments with your new class will set the stage for the rest of the school year. 10 Team-Building Activities for the First Week of School July 23, 2015 ** SEE ALSO: Back-to-School Activities for Virtual Classrooms ** By Rebekah Schilperoort. Don’t take the first week lightly or rush into content. Your students are learning about you, themselves, and how to interact in your classroom. Julie Reulbach, @jreulbach – Wiki Quest Back to School Top 10 List This idea is from teacher blogger, Tracee Orman. Play a Game for the last 15-20 minutes – Noodle Dance Tag, Adventure Bingo or The Crazy Cards Challenge Icebreaker Game; Closure Preview Week 2 – Review the Gym Rules and Talk about the Conflict Corner before the team building activity (usually a super fun team building activity called Hula Hut Relays or learning how to play Four Square so kids will know how to play at recess) Whether you’re kicking off a class with a brand-new set of level-one ESL students, or launching a final class with a group of level-five students approaching full fluency, you’ll find resources here to break the ice and get your class laughing and talking like they’ve known each other for years. My lesson plans for the first ten days of school are almost always the same with a few little tweaks here and there. Top 10 items every teacher should have; Recent Posts. I use “around the room” reviews and activities throughout the year so using the reflection questions for this also allows me to teach procedures and expectations for this type of work. First Week Of School Day 1. There are enough pages to use not only for the first week of school, but the first weeks of school. This resource has been designed to help K-2 students transition smoothly into a new school year. So many routines to teach and so many little learners to get to know! This is one of those simple back to school activities that you can do every year. Building rapport with your middle school students is essential. The first day and week of school will come and go very quickly, but they are super important. Update: I now have an ENTIRE free resource dedicated to explaining my first week of school plans! It is important to make good use of that time together. The activities also include work that can be used for assessment. But it’s also an important time to review basic skills like numbers, colors, and letters. Middle School; Test Prep. 4. However, you can make your students' introduction to your classroom stress-free and positive by adding these fun first day of high school activities. Yes, the first week of school is when you get to know your students and they get to know you. Fun With Neon Expo Markers! First Week Lesson Plans. These are great digital get to know you type activities for the first week of school for upper and middle grades. 4 activities for the first week back at school. Stephanie Hardinger from East Palo Alto Charter School. May 9, 2020 - First week of school activities, handouts, and procedures for the elementary classroom. Most of her activities are designed for small groups to learn to work cooperatively to problem solve. A list of resources is included along with a worksheet and basic templates. During the week before school or over the course of the first month try giving your students each 15-20 minute time slots to meet with you along with their family members. Have the students write a top ten list of why they are happy to be back in school. To start, she has students practice printing their names in big bubble letters. ... and get the school year off to a safe and comfortable start. Ms. It’s absolutely my go-to for planning the first 6 weeks of school. Mosaic Name Craft. Visual Activities. First Day of School Activities for High School and Middle School English Much like students who spend more hours on the hook of an essay than they do the bulk of an essay, I often found myself with a case of English teacher writing block when it came to planning my first day of school activities. For the last several years, we have started back with students in the middle of the week. In this virtual first day back to school lesson plan, I break down the day with team building ideas, free science lessons, a character education read aloud, a writing prompt that emphasizes diversity and inclusion, a technology scavenger hunt to familiarize your students with the tools they will be using this year, and so much more. There are FABULOUS ideas in this post. I actually had trouble narrowing down my list – I wanted to do more than I had time for. Welcome to a collaboration of posts by amazing middle school math teachers! On the first day of school, have the students find classmates that fit the description in each box. STEM Car Crash Project; Two Fun Chemistry Demos to do in the First Week of School (or anytime!) Here is an example of the first day of school photos I take using these cute Light Box slides. 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