If you teach MS or HS (or even upper elementary!) ...

[sugarbear]

What does your first day look like?
Do you have your regular schedule? 
Do you review rules and procedures right away?
Do you do any kind of GTKY activities?

[W.T.Faulkner]

First day is all about classroom norms and teaching classroom procedures. I set up my lesson in the typical way (Do Now,  direct instruction, guided practice and then independent practice), but the content is all about my rules, the purpose of the
 class, etc. I also do a little Getting To Know you project in the first week (they construct a timeline of their lives and present it.)

[sugarbear]

Jul 17, 2017 8:42:17 GMT -5 W.T.Faulkner said:

First day is all about classroom norms and teaching classroom procedures. I set up my lesson in the typical way (Do Now,  direct instruction, guided practice and then independent practice), but the content is all about my rules, the purpose of the
 class, etc. I also do a little Getting To Know you project in the first week (they construct a timeline of their lives and present it.)

The timeline sounds awesome! I've always been intrigued by those but wasn't sure how to tie it in. I might work in that this week.

[flamingeaux]

I found a couple of worksheets on tpt, last year that are "find someone who..." all of my students had a blast with that, and it can be set up basically like quiz, quiz trade. So I will spend most of the day teaching rules and procedures, and tap that on to the end of the first couple of days.

[W.T.Faulkner]

Jul 17, 2017 8:59:51 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

Jul 17, 2017 8:42:17 GMT -5 W.T.Faulkner said:

First day is all about classroom norms and teaching classroom procedures. I set up my lesson in the typical way (Do Now,  direct instruction, guided practice and then independent practice), but the content is all about my rules, the purpose of the
 class, etc. I also do a little Getting To Know you project in the first week (they construct a timeline of their lives and present it.)

The timeline sounds awesome! I've always been intrigued by those but wasn't sure how to tie it in. I might work in that this week.

I teach social studies, so we spend a lot of time with timelines/events. I ask them to highlight 7 important events in their lives that shaped them into their current selves, and then I ask for a paragraph-long analysis of why they chose the specific events they did. In the past, some of my kids have been forthcoming and candid immediately about trauma, etc., but some of my kids understandably want to warm up a bit before laying it all out there, so I give them the freedom to keep it "light" (first day of school, first day playing a support, etc.) if they so choose.

In my experience, it's been a great assignment for the following "soft" objectives for them:

• following instructions on a prompt exactly as I lay them out
• establishing expectations for following deadlines and professional quality of work
• condensing a LOT of info (their whole life story) into the most significant details
• public speaking

And, for me, it gives me a lot of contextual information about them right off the bat, as well as a writing sample, an idea of effort level, etc.

Edit: And then, I have student work to hang already, which admin loves to see!

[sugarbear]

I love it. I don't do a ton of timelines, but we do make several annotated maps over the year. I might turn this into a mapping task.

[katfco]

Jul 17, 2017 9:54:24 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

I love it. I don't do a ton of timelines, but we do make several annotated maps over the year. I might turn this into a mapping task.

Ooh, that's a good idea. The majority of our students are 1st or 2nd-generation immigrants, so I might do a get to know you activity where students show where they have been. 

[erbear]

What does your first day look like?
It's kind of crazy. We do extended homeroom, then a middle school assembly where the kids meet the teachers (usually in a game show format...). Kids go through a tech training and get their chromebooks. Advisory time. We do an opening project as a grade (I'm pushing for core cultural identifiers this year, but maybe Philadelphia or a community service project) for the first two days after that, then we go camping for 3 days. We don't start regular classes until almost two weeks into the year. 


Do you have your regular schedule?
Not until the second week


Do you review rules and procedures right away?
Not really. I work them in as we go - kind of on a need to know basis.


Do you do any kind of GTKY activities?
Always. I spend a good deal of time on class building because it's so much easier for me to have a class that works together well. My first few include a peer interview, a singing contest, and a "Me Museum" (where I can also teach about the importance of observations and questions when you see primary sources).

I teach 6th and 8th grades.

[sarahswim]

What does your first day look like?
Do you have your regular schedule?
We do follow a regular schedule.  At some point during the day, the students are pulled out to review school rules/procedures throughout the building (cafeteria, playground, restroom, hallways, etc).  We follow the CHAMPs system throughout the building, so we try to review it school-wide several times throughout the year.  

Do you review rules and procedures right away?
I focus on procedures immediately.  Like, if they come into the room loudly or in an unacceptable way, they go back to the hallway and do it again.  It sounds childish but I feel like the repetition helps them to remember what's expected of them.  I teach procedures throughout the first week, but we also focus on writing year-long goals in our ISNs.

Do you do any kind of GTKY activities?
Like pp said, I do a "find someone who has..." activity, which they typically enjoy.  I've been perusing TPT for some fresher ideas to add to my routine, though.  

[hymen]

My former district switched to a positive school wide behavior program last year, so our entire first day building-wide was spent practicing norms and expected behaviors in various areas of the school - cafeteria, hallway/lockers, bathrooms, even busses.

I usually spend a day doing the same in my classroom. We also set up classroom norms and I spend time working on collaborative activities.

I am starting in a new district this year (closer to home) and moving from 7th to 6th, so I have no idea what my first day/week will look like yet. I need to talk to my new team and see what they have done in the past. I know there is a 6th grade orientation beginning of August that I will be attending. Because 6th graders are coming from 3 different elementary schools into the middle school I think I'll spend more time on team-building because not everyone knows everyone else. I also think I am going to work on some goal-setting with my students, both as a class and individually.

[irishbride2]

I don't really do too many rules. I ease into it and teach rules/procedures as the first week goes by. They are so overwhelmed by all of that info from other classes on day one.

I teach 8th btw.

Also, most kids are terrified of Algebra. So, I try to do a few fun problem solving activities on the first day. I really stress my philosophy of trying different ways to solve problems and not being afraid to "fail."

Day two, I ease into a few review concepts and give them a very simple first homework just to teach them my homework procedures.

We do have a modified schedule. Generally, we see each class for an hour 4 times a week. For the first week, we see each class every day for 42 minutes or so. We also have our advisories for longer each morning. That is when we do a lot of gtky activities.

[erbear]

Jul 18, 2017 9:36:04 GMT -5 irishbride2 said:

I don't really do too many rules. I ease into it and teach rules/procedures as the first week goes by. They are so overwhelmed by all of that info from other classes on day one.

I teach 8th btw.

Also, most kids are terrified of Algebra. So, I try to do a few fun problem solving activities on the first day. I really stress my philosophy of trying different ways to solve problems and not being afraid to "fail."

Day two, I ease into a few review concepts and give them a very simple first homework just to teach them my homework procedures.

We do have a modified schedule. Generally, we see each class for an hour 4 times a week. For the first week, we see each class every day for 42 minutes or so. We also have our advisories for longer each morning. That is when we do a lot of gtky activities.

I operate like this. I like to get into content right away and teach procedures throughout the first few weeks when they come up. There is an audible sigh of relief when kids realize that they don't have to sit through another class where they read the syllabus and a teacher bleats on and on about rules and procedures.

[closertofine]

We operate on a different schedule the first day only. A two hour block in the morning. Then normal, but shortened, period order after. During that time, each grade spends about 20 minutes in the auditorium going over major rules with the principal. The rest of the time, we have our homerooms, where we are expected to READ THE ENTIRE HANDBOOK to our students. Then they sign off on it. It is dreadful.

Once we get into class time, each period is less than 30 minutes. I don't do any GTKY stuff because frankly, these kids have been going to school together for 8, 11, 12 years, whatever. We have an extremely low turn over rate. Maybe 2 or 3 new students each year at the middle and high school. So I spend the period going over procedures, class rules, and I gather information from them. For my seniors who have had me potentially 3 times, we dive right into a map of Great Britain, because bless their hearts, they have no clue where it is.

[sugarbear]

Jul 17, 2017 20:48:17 GMT -5 erbear said:

What does your first day look like?
It's kind of crazy. We do extended homeroom, then a middle school assembly where the kids meet the teachers (usually in a game show format...). Kids go through a tech training and get their chromebooks. Advisory time. We do an opening project as a grade (I'm pushing for core cultural identifiers this year, but maybe Philadelphia or a community service project) for the first two days after that, then we go camping for 3 days. We don't start regular classes until almost two weeks into the year. 


Do you have your regular schedule?
Not until the second week


Do you review rules and procedures right away?
Not really. I work them in as we go - kind of on a need to know basis.


Do you do any kind of GTKY activities?
Always. I spend a good deal of time on class building because it's so much easier for me to have a class that works together well. My first few include a peer interview, a singing contest, and a "Me Museum" (where I can also teach about the importance of observations and questions when you see primary sources).

I teach 6th and 8th grades.

I should have answered my own questions, but really, my set-up is pretty similar to yours.
Most of my students have been in school together for 10+ years (and there are only 40 of them in the grade), so the GTKY stuff doesn't excite them.
I really only have three rules, and they know me well enough either by reputation or because they had me last year, that we don't spend a ton of time reviewing them in 8th. In 7th, it takes me a little longer to review class norms and procedures.

We have a longer advisory period (but again, I have 8th graders who all know me, so we'll chat and then talk about the year ahead, probably review the uniform policy and homework policy). Then we have an all-MS assembly with the principal, where all the teachers do skits. I won't actually see my classes for longer than 20 minutes on the first day. We're off to camp the following week, so we're kind of in a holding patter until we get back.

[bethaboo]

Jul 17, 2017 8:42:17 GMT -5 W.T.Faulkner said:

First day is all about classroom norms and teaching classroom procedures. I set up my lesson in the typical way (Do Now,  direct instruction, guided practice and then independent practice), but the content is all about my rules, the purpose of the
 class, etc. I also do a little Getting To Know you project in the first week (they construct a timeline of their lives and present it.)

I love this! My first day with students is always a little messy.

Our first day is with 6th graders only. I always have my students do an activity where they brainstorm top 5 rules they think should be in the classroom. Then they partner up and narrow that to four rules and then they partner with another partner group to narrow it to three. We repeat that one more time until each group of eight has a top three rules. I use that to set our rules for the year. (They are always very similar so the posted rules are the same for all of my classes).

[imimahoney]

I teach 5 classes in a waterfall format. I may or may not see all of my classes on the first day depending on what periods my prep/duty falls. 

My first day with students goes like this: Give out seats, go over course syllabus, give out textbooks, & have students make name tags. Depending on time allowed we might play one name game. 

The grades have an assembly at some point in the morning. I won't know if I miss kids until the day before so that will dictate our plans. Besides the grade specific assembly, yes we have our regular schedule. 

I don't know if I am teaching 9th or 10th graders this year. But I will give HW the first day, no matter what. 

I do plan on teaching my junior AP group. I had them as 10th graders and plan on picking up where we left off. I'm sure they will love that. 

[Jalapeñomel]

It takes about a week for everyone schedules to be less of a clusterfuck.

But I go over rules and regulations, and then I do some kind of goofy chemistry game.

[Jalapeñomel]

I'm also teaching Algebra II this year (one section), so most of my chem 2 kids will be in that class (lucky them!). I'm going to wear a shirt that says: "I don't take late homework", and on the back: "don't even ask.."

[cherryvalance]

I teach eleventh graders, so they all know each other (and usually me) by now.

I always go over the bare bones syllabus (just a printed infographic of major information--grade percentages, etc), get them signed up for/logged into classroom technology, and then do some kind of activity. With certain groups, I open the floor for questions and we have great discussions. With more reticent groups, I use this video and ask them to complete a short written reflection about what their "default" is and how they plan to use that to their benefit or change it this year in class. With my honors classes, I use excerpts from this critique and ask them to defend or challenge it (usually with a post-it "tug of war" on the board).

[jssymom14]

Our first day is 9th grade orientation with a lot of welcoming activities, getting to know their hometowns and a very brief going to their classrooms. Day 2 with all the high school students is home room, going over handbook, computer usage, etc and class meeting with principal and school resource officers. They go to shortened classes the rest of the day.

Last few years, I have done a create your own Personalized license plate activity with a writing prompt on what kind of car the would want to own. I have also done a Kahoot with the students to get to know me better.

[RoxMonster]

Our first day, we have an extended HR period to hand out laptops and what not, so our actual classes are only about 30 min. Because students can still change their schedules the first few days (and many do! Ugh, it's frustrating), I usually wait a couple days to get into pre-testing and heavy content because each day, I typically lose and gain several kids in each class.

I think I'm going to try some stations on the first day this year for something different. I saw an idea on a blog I follow. It gets the kids up and moving, gets them talking to one another, but the things they do at each station also allow me to get to know them better.

[Monica Geller]

I've taught in my building for 13 years. The first day is ALWAYS a clusterfuck. For example: Two years ago EVERY one of of our 900+ students received a new schedule as they walked in the door; all of our class lists had to be reprinted. We won't find out what they plan for us until the day before in terms of any assemblies, alternative schedules, or other administrative BS. Although we do have a new principal this year, so maybe we'll find out more than 24 hours in advance. I'm not holding my breath though.

Also we do a "soft start" to the year and students start on a Thursday. So I never plan anything "real" for the first day. I'll take attendance and do a book talk and a GTKY kind of activity. On Friday I'll do class rules/procedures/etc. By Monday, I jump all the way in.

I am praying to have a better year this year. My old principal quit in the middle of last year. He was absolutely awful and I had such anxiety daily from him. I'm trying to have a positive outlook toward this year. I hope this new guy is good.