Hello, teacher! Class is officially in session. The first few days of the school year can be a hectic and overwhelming time. All hope is not lost, though. With some careful planning and a few well-chosen activities, you can set the tone for a successful, enjoyable year! In this blog post, we’ll explore some back to school activities you might consider incorporating into your first few days with students.
Getting to Know You Activities
These activities are designed to help students get to know one another and feel more comfortable in their new classroom. Some examples include:
- Icebreakers: These short, low-stress activities help students introduce themselves and learn a little more about their classmates. Examples include “Two Truths and a Lie,” “Human Knot,” or “Name Game.”
- All About Me posters: Have students create posters that share a little insight about themselves, including their likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goals for the year. These can be displayed around the classroom to help students get to know one another. I like to highlight one or two students daily during our morning meeting time until I’ve gotten through the entire class. Need a quick done-for-you win? Grab a free poster version from my TpT store, available in both English and Spanish!
- Partner interviews: Pair students up and have them interview one another, asking questions about their interests, families, and goals for the upcoming year.
Classroom Procedures and Routines
It’s important to establish clear expectations and routines from the very beginning of the school year. Consider setting aside a significant chunk of time to go over your classroom procedures and rules.
Make sure students understand what is expected of them as individuals, as a class, and in different scenarios. You may also want to spend some time practicing routines, such as lining up for lunch or transitioning between subjects. The following is not an exhaustive list, but certainly a great starting point!
Review and Preview
While it’s important to hit the ground running, it’s also helpful to take time to review what students learned in the previous grade and preview what’s coming up in the new grade. It’s no surprise our typical summer slide and academic regression have been compounded by pandemic/remote schooling. Reviewing foundational skills can help students feel more confident and prepared for the year ahead.
Goal Setting
Encourage students to set some academic and personal goals for the school year. These could be short-term goals (e.g., “improve my reading comprehension”) or long-term goals (e.g., “earn straight A’s”). Having clear goals can help students stay motivated and on track throughout the year.
Fun Activities
Finally, don’t forget to have a little fun! The first few days of school are a great time to do some energizing, team-building activities that will help students bond and get to know one another. Consider leading a group game or doing an art project together. Collaborative posters and STEM challenges are great for this! My favorite? Saving Fred! The basic Save Fed challenge has students working together to free Fred’s life preserver from under his capsized boat. Place a gummy lifesaver under a plastic cup and a gummy worm on top of it. Touching only the paper clips, students must rescue Fred from drowning. It’s a lot of fun!
ACTIONABLE STEPS: Overall, the key to successful back to school activities is to strike a balance between structure and fun. With a little prior planning, you can set the stage for a productive and enjoyable school year! What are some of your go-to, must-do back to school activities?
