Are You a First Year Teacher? Here’s How to Ensure a Successful First Day Back to School
I just popped over to Threads where someone posted advice about how to plan for the first day of school. First year teachers flooded the comments stressing worry, and concern. My initial thought was that the first day is going to be a whirlwind, no matter how much you plan. My second thought was that new teachers need to buy The First Six Weeks of School book from Responsive Classroom ASAP.
The First Six Weeks of School Are Crucial
To set yourself up for success, focus on more than just the first day—plan for the entire first six weeks of school. This period is essential for establishing a smooth-running classroom. Curriculum and content should take a backseat to learning procedures, building community, and setting expectations. Modeling these expectations is crucial. Experienced teachers using the Responsive Classroom approach emphasize the importance of not skimping on this step.
Responsive Classroom: A Game Changer
I discovered the Responsive Classroom approach after teaching for 10 years. I’m still unsure why it took so long, or why it took me a few years to fully buy in. This evidence-based system includes a set of practices designed to create a safe and engaging classroom environment. If you’re new to this approach, start with the book “The First Six Weeks of School” from Responsive Classroom. It’s a fantastic resource to help you kickstart your teaching journey.
Focus on Procedures and Community
During the first weeks, prioritize procedures, community building, and setting expectations over diving into grade-level content. Use this time to review prior standards. For example, in 1st grade, we followed weeks one and two to the letter. In week three, we introduced Kindergarten content as a gentle review, which also allowed us to gauge the children’s knowledge.
Play Based Learning
Science tells us that children learn best when they are allowed to discover through play. Use the first six weeks of school to pull out manipulatives, and watch kids explore. These kinds of activities must be done over and over so that expectations can be set. Decide what voice level should be. Decide where students will work. Model how it should look. Try hard not to model how NOT to look. Staying proactive, and addressing issues as you go is a best practice. It’s always ok to stop everything, and begin again.
Final Tips for New Teachers
- Plan beyond the first day: Your focus should be on the first six weeks.
- Use Responsive Classroom practices: Start with “The First Six Weeks of School” book.
- Model expectations: Spend ample time on teaching and modeling procedures.
- Review prior standards: Ease into grade-level content by starting with a review.
- Encourage play: It will teach you a lot about your students, and give you valuable time to cement new processes.
Good luck, and here’s to a great new year!
Ms. Martha