I remember the first day in my classroom, back in August 2013. I had no idea what to do with my students. I Googled and came up with a mismatch of materials that had no theme or rhythm. I had a bad schedule, I didn’t have enough materials prepped and the ones I did prep were not appropriate.
The one that sticks out the most was a paragraph writing activity about the phases of the moon. I tried to complete this activity with non-writers, children who couldn’t read, and children with visual impairments.
Spoiler alert — it was a disaster.
This is one of the most common questions I get now, so I decided to share my plans for the first seven days. A couple of notes about my plans. This is not my real schedule. This is the one I will be using until I get my real schedule pinned down. You will also see a huge range of activities. I have five new students coming to me. I wanted to test out a variety so I could figure out what works best.
I have a couple of tips and tricks below for the first couple of days, and a downloadable PDF filled with links at the bottom. There are over 60 freebies linked, including Adaptation Station exclusive freebies that you can only get on the blog! There are paid products linked as well. If you see a paid product linked, it is one I use in my classroom and highly recommend. There will always be a free alternative linked as well to help with budgets. Enjoy!
Tip #1
Work on routines and expectations. If you are looking for a more organized, comprehensive approach to the first 10 days of school, check out Alyssa’s pack. This is perfect for any life skills classroom trying to get off the ground. I will be using Michaela’s classroom rules and whole body listening pack as part of my routines and expectations.
Tip #2
Establish parent communication right away. Imagine how it must feel to be the mom sending her son off to a new classroom. I make sure to reach out from day 1. I personally use Class Dojo, but any communication method is fine. Just make sure you send home some notes and positive praise so parents can start to get excited about your classroom.
Tip #3
Don’t worry about the academics. While I have a lot listed below, you will see that I won’t be working on any science or social studies concepts in the first couple of days. I am going to do some probing on reading, writing, and math skills. I have incorporated a ton of fun activities. It’s all about getting to know the kids and where they are.
Tip # 4
Start assessing. I love doing baseline assessments over the first couple weeks of school. For my new students, I can figure out where they are at so I know where to go come September. For my returning students, I can make sure their skills have maintained over the summer. I love to use VB-MAPP in my classroom. I will also complete the assessments through Unique and complete any district-wide assessments as well.
Click on this picture to get the PDF with my plans and the links!
