The First Day of School

Grade 1 First Day of School Activities

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to get started teaching first grade. It can be very overwhelming to begin teaching a new grade level, especially on the first day of school.  Well as Julie Andrews says, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start!”

Are you singing along with me?

The first day of first grade is a magical and often chaotic day.  You’ve come to the right place if you are looking for a way to have a smooth first day of school for both you and your students.

Say peace out to the overwhelm!  This blog post will help you:

• Start the morning in a calm and welcoming way
• Organize alllll the materials coming in
• Get to know your amazing students

Let’s dive in!

The Morning Routine

The single most important thing you can do on the first day of school is to be at the door to calmly and lovingly welcome your students.  

After greeting them, I have all students come in with their backpacks on and find their seats by looking for their nametag.  Most can do this on their own, but you need to be aware that some will become flustered if they can’t find it quickly.  

I place a small welcome gift on each student’s seat like a bookmark or a fun pencil.

I also have community supply buckets already filled with crayons and pencils.  If you are not able to do community supplies, I would set out crayons and a pencil for each student.  I like to have a coloring sheet for them to start on.  

The reason why I choose coloring is because it is an activity that is accessible to every student. It is important for them to be able to work independently for a few minutes while you greet the rest of the incoming students.

After everyone is settled in the room I take attendance and make sure I know how every child is getting home.  Do not skip this step, and make sure you get the information from an adult.  Not all first graders can be trusted to have an accurate answer.

No teacher wants to reach the end of the day and realize you don’t know what to do with your students!

Reading with Students

Now, it is time to start building those connections.  I like to call everyone to the carpet and read a story.   I typically choose something with a school theme, such as First Day Jitters or The Brand New Kid. Students feel comforted knowing that they are not the only one feeling nervous about the first day of school.

Class Rules

Next, we usually talk about our class rules.  I like to involve the students in this process by letting them give suggestions about what the rules should be.  Usually, their examples fit under these five rules that I typically use.

1. Raise your hand
2. Keep hands and feet to yourself
3. Move safely
4. Follow directions quickly
5. Be kind

I write those on chart paper, so we can review them each day during the first few weeks of school.  I like to spend a little time having the students role-play different scenarios to go along with the class rules.  This keeps it lighthearted and fun.

Bathroom Breaks

After reviewing the rules, it is probably time for a bathroom break.  Before taking students to the restroom, I carefully go over the procedures that I want them to follow.

Consider:

• When to go in
• Noise level
• How to use soap dispenser
• Washing hands appropriately
• How much paper towels to use
• When to get a drink
• Where to line up

Supplies

After the bathroom break, I like to head back to our seats and collect any supplies that the students have brought in their backpacks.  If I am doing community supplies, I have crates with signs for each kind of supply.  One for glue, crayons, tissues, etc.

If I am doing individual supplies, I would have the students take the supplies out and organize them into large zippered baggies or whatever type of container I was using.

After the backpacks are empty, it is time to show students where to put them.  Again you will want to carefully discuss the procedures.

Consider:

• When and where to hang up backpacks
• Noise level in the coatroom or cubby area
• What to take out of the backpack and where to put it

The Room Tour

As we come back from hanging up our backpacks, I would do a little tour of the classroom.  I like to show students things like the classroom library, where to find tissues, and where the pencil sharpener is located.  Go over the procedures for each area as you visit it.

Bonding With Students

Every successful teacher wants to get to know the students really well. The students also want to get to know their teachers and classmates.  I usually do a truth/fib game where I tell the students some things about me, and they try to guess whether I am telling the truth or a fib.  I also bring some pictures of my family to share during this time.

The students do some sort of paper introducing themselves, and I make sure I hang it up that day.  I want students to feel a part of the classroom right away.  If you need a resource, I have one here. Another thing I like to do is to have students make books that help me get to know them. We work on a few pages each day for the first week of school. They enjoy sharing these books with a partner or the class. It is a great memento for parents as well. You can find it here.

Before lunch and recess be sure to go over procedures for those times as well.  Remember, it will take a lot of practice and review, but your firsties will soon be meeting your expectations.

After recess, I like to have the lights down and some calming music playing in the room.  We take a 2-3 minute rest.

I like to read another story and then do a little work at our seats.  This gives me a chance to talk about supplies, seatwork expectations, and just to get a little sample of what my students can do.  The goal is for students to feel successful!

I like to play a get-to-know-you game in the afternoon.  Rachael Hull has a great blog post about icebreaker games to play!  You can read more about that here. If there is time, I also might do a small craft like coloring a bookmark to take home.

Wrapping Up

Before it is time to go leave, we gather on the carpet again and take turns reflecting on our day.  We might discuss our favorite part of the day or what we want to learn this year.  If you haven’t been reflecting with your students, you may want to read this post to help you get started.

I send them off with a hug, high five, or fist bump and a promise of more fun the following day!  

Then I collapse.

No seriously, it is important to straighten up the room a little and then get out of there!  You have another long day ahead, and getting a good night’s rest will help you be ready for day two!

Now you are all set to write your plans for the first day of school activities for grade 1. 

If you want to read more about how to plan the first day of school, here are some blog posts from my friends for you to check out:

• First Day of School Activities by Kaylee
• The Three Things I Didn’t Learn in College by Jennifer

I have a resource with some low-prep printables for the first day for only one dollar! You can snag that here. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email!

primarilykate@gmail.com

I love helping teachers!

Want more tips and tricks?  Sign up for my newsletter here. I also have a FREE guide you don’t want to miss:

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Teaching First Grade

Have an amazing school year!