1.  To Do List:

Get ready for the new school year with a check list of things to do.  Items on your list may include, bulletin board decisions, setting up your learning centers, post rules and daily schedule, get supplies, make signs for your room, prepare files for communicating with parents,  set up grading system, prepare first day activities, check out library books, prepare lesson plans, etc.  Anything that will help you get ready goes on the list.

2.  Parent Expectations:

Ask parents to write down their expectations for their child for the upcoming school year.  These can include not only academic, but emotional and physical expectations as well.  Refer to this document at parent teacher conferences and assess all expectations throughout the year.  Return the document at the end of the year for the parents to keep for their records. 

3.  Parent Volunteers:

Ask parents if they are interested in helping you throughout the year as a volunteer.  You will be pleasantly surprised to find out how many parents will sign up to help out.  Volunteers are a great resource and will help you focus on teaching the kids instead of cutting out things that have been laminated.

4.  Open House:

Remind and encourage parents to come to the open/house night before school starts.  This will allow them to see their child’s classroom, learn the layout of the school, and meet and talk with you.  In addition, the child can see where they are going to sit and possibly meet some new friends which will make the first day of school a little less stressful. 

5.  Know Your Specials Team:

Get to know the teachers that are part of the special’s team. These teachers may include: Music, Theater Arts, Art, Physical Education and the Librarian.  Having a good relationship with these teachers will help you with the transition to and from your classroom to that particular special’s class that day.  Also, the specials teachers are ready to get to know you as they see all the students in the school and can put a class with the teacher’s name. 

6.  Classroom Rules:

We raise our hand to speak.

We are respectful of each other.

We keep hands and feet to ourselves.

We walk and don’t talk in the halls.

We keep our room clean.

We listen while others are talking

We follow directions

7.  Bean Bag Name Game:

You will need 1 bean bag.  Have your students sit in a circle.  Students will then say their name and toss the bean bag to another student across the circle.  Repeat the same passing pattern over and over and once the students learn everyone’s names you can add another bean bag to make it even more fun.  If you have the space, you can have the students in the circle stand up and have each student perform a trick with the bean bag, toss and catch, 2 taps on the head, whatever they want to try.  They then pass it to the next person and that person does all previous tricks and then adds one to the mix.  The kids love this one.

8.  First Day Activity – Time Capsule

Include on your list of school supplies to the parents, a plastic container.  On the first day of school have the students submit a writing sample, a self portrait, tracing of their hand, and anything else that may be appropriate for your grade level.  Then seal them up in the containers and store them away in a safe place.   At the end of the year, have the students do everything again and compare it to the items they placed in the time capsule. 

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