You're bound to have some first-day jitters. That's to be
expected. But thinking and walking through a few steps -- before
school begins -- will boost your confidence. Here are 13 steps
you can take:
Know the rules. Get acquainted beforehand with school
policies and procedures, such as opening and closing hours, attendance
procedures, fire drill regulations, lunchroom regulations, nurse
services.
Find out where. Familiarize yourself with the building.
Locate the exits, the principal's office, the gym, the nurse's
office, the cafeteria, the supply room, the faculty lounge, the
media center, and so forth.
Introduce yourself. Meet the teachers on your hall.
They can be of real help in the first few weeks of school. And
take the time to say "hello" to other important people
in your building: the librarians, the counselors, the school
nurses, the cafeteria workers, and custodians.
Decorate your room. Get your room ready . Make sure
our classroom is friendly and livable for opening day. Put up
pictures, design a colorful bulletin board, and add a few plants.
Use traditional seating. Start with the traditional
arrangement of desks until you have established control and know
your students' names. Make a temporary seating plan. (You'll
want to change it later, but it'll put you in command on opening
day and help you learn names.)
Get your materials ready. Make sure you have all the
materials you'll need for getting school underway: paper, pencils,
books, and so forth.
Schedule your time. Make a detailed schedule for the
first few days, including times for each subject, restroom and
lunch breaks, and other times your students will leave the room.
Get there early. On the first morning, arrive early
so you'll have time to ask any last-minute questions, go over
final plans, and relax before the students come in.
Greet your pupils. Be in your room when the pupils
arrive. Have your name written on the chalkboard. Greet the students
with a smile and a pleasant "Good morning." Encourage
them to be seated and remain so.
Get down to business. Make opening exercises brief.
Your goal for the morning is to get down to the business at hand.
Plan, Plan, Plan. Create lesson plans for the first
few days. Plan at least twice as much as you think you can cover.
Write down everything. Detailed plans will provide you a feeling
of security when facing the class for the first time.
Go over the rules. Introduce your students to your
classroom rules and regulations the first day. There must be
a way of getting books and materials, of sharpening pencils,
of entering and leaving the room, and so forth.
Start the learning. Make the first day of school a
real one. Accomplish some constructive learning with your students.
A good start yields big dividends later on.
