First days of school

The new school year is soon approaching, and every year I struggle with what to do on the first day. I don't want it filled with rules, regulations, etc. Most of the 8th graders know each other and have been together since kindergarten, so they know each other. Just like you, I'm sure, I want the first day to go well. Any suggestions???

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jessica Ketcham on August 6, 2011 at 10:42am

I do have this same problem at the beginning of the school year in my 8th grade class. I teach history so normally I choose to do some activity that the students have to work together to complete. I usually do two different activities one on classification and one using a bag of puzzles. The classification game is called a dohickey kit. I take various objects and place them into a sandwich bag, I ask them to classify the objects into similar grous that everyone agrees to then make assumptions about what they could possibly tell about a person if all of those things came from thier house. The other game of a bag of puzzles. I get 3 different puzzles of similar sized pieces and mix the pieces together. I then pass out a few pieces to each student asking them to put it together, then they get with a partner and try again andfinally the whole class gets together to try. I use this to teach about the need for multiple primary sources to complete a picture of a past event. Now in my school we do need to do some of the rules stuff but I use the activities to break it up and the kids do get into it. They like the guessing game. I am sure that collabroative writing would also be fun

Permalink Reply by Kris McGuire on August 6, 2011 at 11:34am

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. The guessing game would be fun to do as a character sketch and then maybe write in a collaborative way about the character. We, too, have to do rules, etc., but I like to break it up with some activities. Appreciate your response.

Happy First Day of School

Permalink Reply by NINA ZHELEZAROVA on August 6, 2011 at 3:01pm

i like !1

Permalink Reply by Peter Lane on August 8, 2011 at 10:52am

We have a new admin at our school this year - we have no idea if we are following the same plan as in the past. The first day of school is a complete blank as of this moment. Please keep the ideas coming as I need as much in the teaching bag as possible. Am thinking that we make bookmarks (to be laminated)... allows for flexibility as students arrive late or realize they are in the wrong class. :)

Permalink Reply by Kelsi Nibbana on August 18, 2011 at 10:51am

I guess some of you have started already? The kids start a week from Monday and I go back this Monday. Usually I have the kids play a "human bingo" game and then I show a powerpoint about myself... I may try a prezi this year, but I don't have much time to work on it! If there is time, I start a "class procedures" powerpoint which is more about how to do things in the class rather than rules.

ETA - I also have the kids make a "name tent" for themselves to put on the desk. We use them for about a month or so. They take theirs from a basket in the beginning of class to help me with attendance and keep it on their desk during class. Otherwise I don't learn names for a loooong time. I'm pretty bad with names :/