What to Do on the First Day of School!

It's the end of July, about a month away from the start of my 7th year of teaching, and honestly, I do not feel refreshed at all. I know, this happens every summer, my big travel plans submit to more practical endeavors, but this year I really dove into making my "back to school" materials bigger and better- I know I'll thank myself later. 

I have vivid memories of way back in July 2011, just before I started my first year of teaching, where I literally scoured the internet looking for the answer to "What do I do on the first days of school?" I bought books and guides and resource packs, all to no avail. I survived, like most first-year teachers do, by reviewing my syllabus and having an independent summer reflection activity. None of this served any purpose. The following days were still hectic, overwhelming, and frankly, not as productive as they should have been. But I lived to see another day, and in fact, another six years of teaching thereafter. 

There are conflicting messages about how to conquer day one. Traditionalists promote that structure is of paramount importance on the first day of school, ensuring the need for a thorough review of rules, rubrics, and grade percentages. I've tried this, for several years in fact. While I can say that my students were certainly aware that I meant business, I can also say that they probably didn't go home that night and rave about me or my class during dinner with their parents.  

Here's what I wish I knew about starting the year in a middle school classroom. Kids this age are still (generally) nervous on the first day and are still (generally!) interested in pleasing their teacher. What's more, they are definitely not interested in my rambling about how much they need to do to earn an A in my class. Ineffective, plain and simple. 

Somewhere along the line, I remember feeling bored with my introduction to my students; a change was certainly needed. Uncomfortable as it was, I scrapped the first-day-rules-review routine and went rogue. *gasps* In a previous post, I wrote about this "buy-in" concept where students are more inclined to believe in what you're "selling" them if you frame your lessons like Ms. Frizzle. Yes, from "The Magic School Bus". This especially applies on the first day of school. My new-and-improved first day of school routine involves their name! And oh, what a difference this has made! 

The activity, aptly called "What's in a Name?", not only helps me learn their names faster but also lets me learn about each student in one shot, while also serving as a cute decoration for Back to School Night with parents. Using their name as the backdrop, students develop a collage of words and/or images that describe them. Each letter of the name is assigned a specific topic, such as their personality, goals, hobbies, strengths, etc. 

A great conversation tool, this activity allows me to have authentic, positive, and purposeful dialogue with each student on the first day. Rather than spending that time talking at students about what they cannot do in my class, it has been much more enjoyable talking with them about what they are good at. 

Having applied both the old and new schools of thought, it's fair to say that a blending of the two is both important and necessary to have an effective day one. I haven't completely scrapped the rules and routines- they do hold value, but my approach is totally different than it was several years ago. More on that to follow :)