What To Do On The First Day Of School

Are you feeling completely lost when it comes to planning for the first day of school? Are you overwhelmed with where to start? Are you stuck wondering how to fill a school day with new students? Or how to fit it all in a day? If so, know that these feelings are completely normal! Even though I have experienced a bunch of First Days as a teacher, I have these feelings every year. If you can relate, then you’re in the right place. In this blog post, I will share ideas about how you can make your first day run smoothly.

No matter how many “first days” you’ve had as a teacher, there is always a little anxiety around the first day. It is normal to feel this way. You’re meeting your students for the first time, they’re meeting you for the first time, and you’re setting the tone for the rest of the school year! You may think you must do a million things on the first day, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t!

Imagine waking up in the morning of your first day and feeling prepared and confident in what you have planned for the day. It can be that easy!

Here is what I like to include on the first day of school.

Welcome Activity
Overview of Basic Procedures
Read Aloud
First Day Feelings Check
Get to Know You Activity

It doesn’t have to be a long laundry list of things to do. I keep it short and simple so that we can take our time. Plus, you do not want to overwhelm your students with activity after activity!

Welcome Activity

Besides dismissal, one of the most stressful parts of the first day of school is arrival. When all your students start entering the classroom with all their belongings, nerves, and lack of direction, it can be overwhelming for everyone.

I like to have something prepared for them to use as soon as they find their seats. This activity gives them something to do while the other students enter and I collect all the supplies.

I love using Grade Level Play-Doh mats to welcome my students and keep them busy when they enter the classroom. They are easy to prep, can be used year after year, and the students get so excited when they see the play-doh on their desk!

Who doesn’t want to use play-doh to build the letters in their new grade level? You will find play-doh mats for Pre-K all the way to Fifth Grade. You can grab these Grade Level Play-Doh mats for free below!

Overview of Basic Procedures

Notice how I said ‘basic procedures’ and not ‘rules.’ I do not go over classroom rules and expectations on the first day. That is a 2nd-day lesson for my students but if you’re curious about how to teach classroom expectations, check out this blog post. On the first day, I focus on simple procedures they will do every day.

Here are some examples of procedures I teach on the first day:

How to unpack their backpacks
Bathroom Procedures
Drink Procedures
Where to turn in completed work
Snack & Lunch Procedures (this is a big one!)
How to pack up at the end of the day
Dismissal procedures

I suggest you go through your day and think of all the transitions that help your classroom run smoothly and make a list. Spend some time going over those transitions and procedures on the first day. Of course, you will be revisiting these routines and adding more over the next few days, but it’s essential to teach them on the first day formally.

Read Aloud & First Day Feelings Check

Plan to include at least one read aloud for the first day. Honestly, I usually read two books (sometimes three!), but you should have a couple read alouds in mind. I love it when my read aloud book goes along with an activity I have planned, so I typically plan this book around my First Day Feelings Check activity.

I usually read First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg, but your students can do this activity with any first day of school book. After reading, we discuss different feelings and emotions students might have felt this morning before school started.

We create an anchor chart that says “First Day Feelings” and talk about four basic emotions: happy, sad, excited, and nervous. We talk about what it means to feel those emotions, and then students fill out their own emotions to add to our anchor chart. I call students up one by one to glue their feeling to our anchor chart. During this activity, I explicitly teach how to use a glue stick (another procedure for the first day)! After our anchor chart is complete, we discuss our findings. Students love to see how their classmates felt this morning!

Lastly, I pass out a student activity sheet for them to complete. This follow-up worksheet is where they write their name and complete the page by sharing their First Day Feelings. I love sending this page home to encourage family discussion about their first-day feelings.

You can grab this activity from my Teachers Pay Teachers shop.

Get To Know You Activity

I love incorporating a whole class game into our day. One of my favorite get-to-know-you activities for the first day of school is so simple to do! You can do this inside or outside. All you need is a ball! The size doesn’t matter; you want to be able to roll it. One year I used a sphere from our geometry shape set!

Have your students sit in a circle. I like to start this activity with students’ just sharing their names. You will roll the ball to a student, and the student will say, “Hi, my name is __________.” You could have them add their favorite color or favorite food to their response. Then the student who answered will roll the ball to another friend, and they will respond.

Some other questions you can ask during this game are favorite color, favorite food, favorite sport, favorite summer activity, something they are looking forward to this year, etc.

Your first day of school does not have to be overwhelming! I hope this blog post gave you some ideas to feel confident and prepared to go into your first day of school!